# Mind42 review (2026): is it any good? > Free browser-based mind mapping with shared editing Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. Mind42 is a mind mapping editor that runs in the browser and is supported by advertising. Maps are private by default and can be shared by link for viewing or opened for joint editing with other signed-in users. The site says no new features are planned for the current version, only maintenance. - **Category:** Whiteboards & Mind Maps - **Made by:** Stefan Schuster (since 2007) - **Website:** https://mind42.com - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want branches linked across the map, as none are supported. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, Mind42 is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free to use with advertising, with no stated limit on the number of mind maps. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | Full editor and sharing, supported by advertisements. | Read from https://mind42.com/about on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Mind42 before buying. ## Key features - **Automatic hierarchical layout:** Maps use a strictly hierarchical layout, and the lines and positions are drawn automatically. Nodes cannot be placed freely. - **Joint editing and publishing:** Signed-in users can be invited to edit a map together, and a published map can be viewed by anyone with the link. - **Export and import:** Maps export to PDF for printing, and the Mind42 format can be exported and imported again, which is also the way to copy a map. - **Images by web address:** Images are added from a public web address. There is no upload from the computer. - **Emoji as symbols:** The FAQ points to emoji as the way to add symbols that the editor does not provide. ## Good for - Simple, tree-shaped mind maps made in a browser - Anyone who wants a no-cost option and accepts advertisements ## Worth knowing - No mobile apps, and the FAQ says the editor is not built for touch screens or small phone screens. - The layout is strictly hierarchical: no free positioning of nodes, no connections between branches and no second main topic. - The blog archive says no new features are planned for the current version, only maintenance. - The site shows advertisements and offers a paid ad-free account, but no price for it appears on the pages we read. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. Mind42 is a free browser mind mapper, paid for by ads, with shared editing. Its layout is strictly hierarchical with no links between branches, the blog says only maintenance is planned for this version, and there are no mobile apps. - **Value for money: A.** Free to use with ads and no stated limit on the number of maps. An ad-free account exists, but no price is shown. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no cap on the number of mind maps on the page. - **Features: C.** Mind maps with shared editing and PDF export. The listing shows gaps: no free node placement, no links between branches and no second main topic. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record. You build each map by hand, and the editor is not made for touch screens. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Web only, with no apps and no integrations listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mind42's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among whiteboard and mind map tools - Mind42's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 61) and worst on features (C, above 0). - Mind42 has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/whiteboards ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Mind42 is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade. - You could make: Mind mapping: an app builder makes this well. - You could not: Several people working in it at the same moment. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Mind mapping, Real-time collaboration ## Alternatives - [Coggle](https://toolgpa.com/tools/coggle): Collaborative mind maps and flowcharts in the browser. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/coggle-vs-mind42) - [MindMeister](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mindmeister): Browser-based mind mapping with real-time collaboration. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mind42-vs-mindmeister) - [MindMup](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mindmup): Web mind mapping with a free tier and simple paid plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mind42-vs-mindmup) - [Bubbl.us](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bubblus): Browser mind mapping that works without an account. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bubblus-vs-mind42) - [Xmind](https://toolgpa.com/tools/xmind): Mind mapping app with AI, Gantt charts and a presentation mode. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mind42-vs-xmind) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://mind42.com - https://mind42.com/about - https://mind42.com/faq - https://mind42.com/blog - https://mind42.com/blog/post/2015/ad-free-account-availability Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/mind42 Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).