Freeplane
Free, open source mind mapping and knowledge management desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux with scripting, LaTeX and add-ons.
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Freeplane is a free and open source mind mapping application for thinking, knowledge management and getting things done. It grew out of FreeMind and has been developed as an independent project since 2007, making it one of the longest-lived open source mind mappers. Nodes support rich text, Markdown and HTML styling, images, icons, attributes, links and notes, and whole maps can be protected with password-based encryption.
Where Freeplane pulls ahead of most proprietary tools is depth: nodes can contain LaTeX formulas and evaluated formulas, maps support conditional styles and powerful filters, branches can be turned into presentations, and almost anything can be automated with Groovy scripts (plus Jython and JavaScript), map-local scripts and community add-ons. Recent releases add AI chat workflows and a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for bringing AI assistance into your maps.
Compared to XMind, MindMeister and MindManager, Freeplane trades cloud collaboration and polish for power, offline use and full ownership of your data. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, can run portably from a USB drive, and stores maps as plain .mm files — but it is a single-user desktop tool with no real-time co-editing and no mobile or web client.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which platforms does Freeplane support?
Freeplane ships installers with an embedded Java runtime for Windows and for macOS (separate builds for Intel and Apple Silicon, macOS 14 or newer), plus a Debian package and zip archive for Linux. It can also run portably from a USB drive via the Portable Apps version. There is no web or mobile client.
Can I extend or automate Freeplane?
Yes. Freeplane has a scripting API based on Groovy, with support for Jython and JavaScript as well, and scripts can be attached to nodes or maps or run as batch jobs. Functionality is extended through community add-ons, and recent versions add AI chat workflows plus a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server.
Can I open my existing FreeMind maps in Freeplane?
Yes. Freeplane started as a fork of FreeMind and opens FreeMind .mm files directly. Maps are saved as plain .mm XML files, so they are easy to back up, version and move between computers.
What can I export Freeplane maps to?
Maps and branches can be exported to Markdown, PDF, OPML, Asciidoc, MediaWiki, LaTeX (including Beamer), PNG, JPEG and SVG images, HTML and XHTML, XML, OpenOffice documents, legacy Microsoft Office 2003 formats (Word, Excel, Project) and TaskJuggler task files.
Does Freeplane support real-time collaboration?
No. Freeplane is a single-user desktop application without built-in multi-user editing. Because maps are plain .mm files on disk, you can share them through cloud storage or version control, but there is no real-time co-editing or web viewer.
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Updated 9/3/2026, 4:00:18 PM
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