Coming soon: The 2014 Mind Mapping Software Comparison Chart

I’m now in the process of updating the mind mapping software comparison chart that I’ve been doing for the last seven years. However, I making some changes to it that should ultimately make it more valuable and simpler for you to use.

In the past, this visual summary included every single desktop-based program in this niche of productivity software. It’s now time to simplify it so you can more quickly find the visual mapping solutions you need.

A new, simplified comparison chart

The chart will now focus on the 12 developers who are most active in this product niche – releasing updated versions of their desktop mind mapping applications at least once every 1-2 years.

All others I will consider as outliers – developers who are not as committed to this niche. They rarely, if ever, release software updates. Also, most of them have ignored my previous requests for the latest product data each time I update this software comparison chart.

I consider regular software updates to be a sign of commitment to the marketplace and to customers. Many of the new and improved features developers introduce are in response to customer needs. If a developer never updates their software, there are only two possibilities, in my opinion:

1. They are too small or lack the resources to update their product – which makes me question how long it will be around, or
2. Mind mapping software isn’t a core part of their overall business, and so it doesn’t get the attention and resources it deserves.

In either case, you aren’t well served; I can’t recommend these programs in a chart you’re using to make buying decisions.

Simplifying this chart also has another benefit – it reduces clutter, so you can more clearly focus on the information you need to make informed choices.

The diagram above shows the desktop-based mind mapping software programs I will be focusing on in the new comparison report. I will be sending e-mails to all 12 developers next week, asking them to update their product information.

You can expect to see a similar comparison chart for web-based programs in the near future. Developers in that space have been very active lately, introducing some cool new features to their cloud-based offerings!