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Head-to-head · Mind Mapping Software

Coggle vs Freeplane

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Coggle #5 in Mind Mapping Software 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Coggle
Freeplane #7 in Mind Mapping Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Freeplane

Coggle leads on 1 check, Freeplane on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreCoggle · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresFreeplane · 3 of 4

Coggle scores higher on our rubric for mind mapping software: 8.9 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #7.

Coggle offers real-time collaboration; Freeplane doesn't.

Coggle is the better fit for simple browser-based collaborative maps. Freeplane is the better fit for free offline open-source desktop mapping.

  • Coggle fits best

    Simple browser-based collaborative maps

  • Freeplane fits best

    Free offline open-source desktop mapping

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Side by side

Feature Coggle 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Freeplane 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.6
Ranking #5 in Mind Mapping Software #7 in Mind Mapping Software
Best for Simple browser-based collaborative maps Free offline open-source desktop mapping
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free
Starting price $5/mo Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Desktop
Platforms Web, iOS Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Email, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Coggle 2/4 · Freeplane 3/4
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) —
Offline mode Not checked yet ✓ (best)
AI assistance Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Presentation mode ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms web, iOS windows, macos, linux
Export formats PDF, PNG, .mm, plain text (.txt), Microsoft Visio (.vsdx) Asciidoc, MediaWiki, Markdown, XBEL, Twiki, PDF, OPML, LaTeX, JPEG, PNG, SVG, XML, XHTML, HTML, Microsoft Excel 2003, Word 2003, Project 2003, OpenOffice, TaskJuggler, Freeplane 1.1
Collaborator limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Real-time editing with automatic saving and full change history
  • Free plan includes public diagrams, exports, and Visio support
  • Presentation mode, shared folders, embeds, links, and QR sharing
  • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Encrypted local maps with autosave and backup settings
  • Broad export options, scripting, add-ons, and presentation support
Cons
  • Web-only access limits platform choice
  • Free Forever allows 3 private diagrams
  • Advanced organization controls require the $8 per-member plan
  • No real-time online collaborative editing
  • No documented mobile or web application
  • Presentation functionality depends on the RoAn-Presentation add-on
Our verdict

Coggle is a web-based tool for creating collaborative mind maps, flowcharts, notes, and structured visual information. It suits students, professionals, teams, and personal users who need to brainstorm, plan, study, organize notes, or…

Read the review →

Freeplane is a free, open-source mind-mapping application for organizing information, brainstorming, outlining, note-taking, and knowledge management. It runs locally on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with portable distributions available for…

Read the review →
  1. CoggleMind Mapping Software 8.9Free plan
  2. FreeplaneMind Mapping Software 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Coggle — where it wins

    • Real-time editing with automatic saving and full change history
    • Free plan includes public diagrams, exports, and Visio support
    • Presentation mode, shared folders, embeds, links, and QR sharing

    Where it doesn't

    • Web-only access limits platform choice
    • Free Forever allows 3 private diagrams
    • Advanced organization controls require the $8 per-member plan

  • Freeplane — where it wins

    • Free and open source across Windows, macOS, and Linux
    • Encrypted local maps with autosave and backup settings
    • Broad export options, scripting, add-ons, and presentation support

    Where it doesn't

    • No real-time online collaborative editing
    • No documented mobile or web application
    • Presentation functionality depends on the RoAn-Presentation add-on

More comparisons

All mind mapping software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update