During the last month or two, the new class of web-based mind mapping applications have generated a lot of excitement. But no one has done a side-by-side comparison of their features and functionality. So I decided to take on that challenge. The chart below is based on what the developers have published on their websites, as of today:
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Mindomo
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Mind-
meister |
Bubbl.us
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Think-
ature |
| Topics | ||||
| Topic text styles |
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| Topic fonts |
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| Topic shapes |
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| Topic colors |
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| Topic icons/symbols |
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| Hyperlinks |
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| Topic notes |
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| Topic images |
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| Free positioning of topics |
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| Topic boundaries |
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| Relationship lines |
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| Task info on topics |
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| Map features | ||||
| Support for keyboard shortcuts |
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| Undo command |
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| Map zoom |
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| Filter topics by level |
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| Types of map layouts supported |
7
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1
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1
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1
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| Collaboration/map sharing | ||||
| Collaboration – real time |
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| Collaboration – non-real time |
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| Map output | ||||
| Print maps |
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| Export to MindManager |
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| Export to FreeMind |
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| Export to Word/RTF |
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| Export to image file |
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| Publish map to web/blog |
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| Other capabilities | ||||
| Import maps from MindManager |
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| Import maps from FreeMind |
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A solid green circle means a feature is currently implemented; a hollow blue circle indicates a feature is planned (only Bubbl.us has indicated which features it plans to introduce in the future).
After viewing these features side-by-side, several patterns emerge, at least in my mind:
- Mindomo has the most well-developed user interface and the greatest number of features, but real-time collaboration has taken a back seat, at least for now. Also, it doesn’t offer as many import and export options as MindMeister.
- MindMeister’s initial focus has been on enabling real-time collaboration, but it’s now catching up in the area of features by adding new ones every week or two. It has also taken a remarkable early lead in the area of enabling import from and export to desktop-based mind mapping software (MindManager and FreeMind). If you want to be able to begin work on a map on your desktop, then transfer it to a virtual workspace for further development and collaboration with your team, MindMeister is the only application that can currently do that.
- Thinkature seems to be far behind the other three applications, but the developer actually has a different philosophy: I don’t believe, based upon what I can see on their website, that they ever intended to create a fully-functional web-based mind mapping tool. Rather, their organizational metaphor is virtual "note cards," which can be moved around a workspace and connected to each other to show simple relationships.
I welcome your thoughts and observations on this comparison. Please post your comments!
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