Reviews of MindNode: Mind Map & Outline

By: IdeasOnCanvas GmbH App

List of user reviews and ratings for MindNode: Mind Map & Outline

Total ratings

4.60 (Rating count: 302)

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Review summary

MindNode is praised for its clean, elegant UI, intuitive controls, dual mind-map/outline view, and solid cross-device sync, plus good value with ongoing updates. Repeated concerns center on pricing and paywalls, storage/reliability due to iCloud changes, UX regressions from updates, lack of full manual layout, and sharing/export limitations. Overall it remains a strong concept-mapping tool, but users want pricing clarity, stable data access, and parity with classic features.

Pros

Clean, elegant interface with intuitive controls.
Dual view: seamless switching between mind map and outline (with side-by-side capability).
Reliable cross-device sync across iPad and Mac.
Good value and ongoing updates that keep the app useful for brainstorming.

Cons

Pricing and subscription friction: most features locked behind paywalls and recurring fees, with some pricing confusion.
Storage changes and data reliability concerns: move away from iCloud Drive to a sandboxed model and reports of lost or inaccessible maps.
Regressions/major changes in updates: removal or degradation of useful features (e.g., outline/mind map side-by-side) and increased friction in workflows.
Lack of true manual/freehand layout in earlier versions (limitations on manual node placement).
Sharing/export limitations and quirks: harder cross-organization sharing and some features not sharing text notes consistently.

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User Reviews

Recent rating average: 2.60

All time rating average: 4.60

Upgrade to see all 54 reviews

24% (13)

Date	Author	Comment
2026-08-11	Mi*****	There’s no way you can lay out buy yourself, I quit
There’s no way you can lay out buy yourself, I quit
2026-08-08	Su*****	I downloaded this years ago to play around with it but never used it. Now that I’ve learned about mind mapping and effective study habits, I decided to give it a shot. However, paying 24.99 a year to JUST change the font? Absolutely ridiculous. Going with Simplemind instead since it’s a one time purchase.
I downloaded this years ago to play around with it but never used it. Now that I’ve learned about mind mapping and effective study habits, I decided to give it a shot. However, paying 24.99 a year to JUST change the font? Absolutely ridiculous. Going with Simplemind instead since it’s a one time purchase.
2026-08-03	Fe*****	Please add a lock node feature to prevent nodes from being edited or deleted unintentionally.
Please add a lock node feature to prevent nodes from being edited or deleted unintentionally.
2026-05-11	SF*****	I’ve used this as my default note-taking tool for many years. I preferred the recent “MindNode Pro” version because it felt more professional - it was easy to create a condensed view of a map, and you could quickly change the color of a branch to highlight categories. In general, this new version feels more cartoonish and creates maps that are harder to work with on a laptop. I’m also really not interested in the AI features. I don’t need the mind map to brainstorm for me - that’s literally why I bought a mind map tool in the first place. Good product, I’ll still use it, but I’ll stick with Pro as long as it’s supported. If they come out with a feature by feature equivalent that works on Apple silicon, I’ll use that instead.
I’ve used this as my default note-taking tool for many years. I preferred the recent “MindNode Pro” version because it felt more professional - it was easy to create a condensed view of a map, and you could quickly change the color of a branch to highlight categories. In general, this new version feels more cartoonish and creates maps that are harder to work with on a laptop. I’m also really not interested in the AI features. I don’t need the mind map to brainstorm for me - that’s literally why I bought a mind map tool in the first place. Good product, I’ll still use it, but I’ll stick with Pro as long as it’s supported. If they come out with a feature by feature equivalent that works on Apple silicon, I’ll use that instead.
2026-04-06	bo*****	No option to turn off this snap to grid feature. And zoom feature seems to only be zoom all the way in, or all the way out. As is, moving nodes around moves other nodes and this is very frustrating. Someone enlighten me or please devs, fix this.
No option to turn off this snap to grid feature. And zoom feature seems to only be zoom all the way in, or all the way out. As is, moving nodes around moves other nodes and this is very frustrating. Someone enlighten me or please devs, fix this.
2026-04-06	No*****	Mind map I was working on just completely disappeared suddenly and can’t find it anywhere. Very disappointed because I liked this app but the work I put in for hours is just gone.
Mind map I was working on just completely disappeared suddenly and can’t find it anywhere. Very disappointed because I liked this app but the work I put in for hours is just gone.
2026-03-18	RS*****	I’ve used MindNode since 2011. Have investigated many other mapping apps since (mostly to advise my unfortunate Windows users) but none match MindNode’s elegance and ease of use. New sharing features have proven a bit quirky to implement. Still wish I could share maps with their text notes appended to map elements. But these weaknesses aside, MindNode stands as my goto mapping tool for all sorts of projects and analysis.
I’ve used MindNode since 2011. Have investigated many other mapping apps since (mostly to advise my unfortunate Windows users) but none match MindNode’s elegance and ease of use. New sharing features have proven a bit quirky to implement. Still wish I could share maps with their text notes appended to map elements. But these weaknesses aside, MindNode stands as my goto mapping tool for all sorts of projects and analysis.
2026-03-13	ba*****	The new limited freehand mode is killing me. Need the ability to move nodes anywhere without having to hold down the option key, and continue to fight with the built in node spacing. I am done fighting….I can’t even move my nodes in outline anymore to the sequence needed to reset. A very long outline is useless now. Export to textile and start over in a tool that gives me freeform layout. Ugh.
The new limited freehand mode is killing me. Need the ability to move nodes anywhere without having to hold down the option key, and continue to fight with the built in node spacing. I am done fighting….I can’t even move my nodes in outline anymore to the sequence needed to reset. A very long outline is useless now. Export to textile and start over in a tool that gives me freeform layout. Ugh.
2026-03-09	ji*****	Why did you break this fine tool? Why did you make it hard to go back to the version of the tool I’ve relied on for years? Why have I wasted ½ an hour right before a meeting in which I could’ve used a MindNode (Classic … is it?) to help explain why there’s a better way to go on the project? Why have I abandoned preparing for that meeting to complain that you broke one the most elegant tools in my kit, leaving me feeling betrayed, like showing up to find the locks were changed over the weekend. I don’t have time to track down Classic before my meeting; I only have time to scream Argh! (Is that the sense of delight you sought to create in longtime users?)
Why did you break this fine tool? Why did you make it hard to go back to the version of the tool I’ve relied on for years? Why have I wasted ½ an hour right before a meeting in which I could’ve used a MindNode (Classic … is it?) to help explain why there’s a better way to go on the project? Why have I abandoned preparing for that meeting to complain that you broke one the most elegant tools in my kit, leaving me feeling betrayed, like showing up to find the locks were changed over the weekend. I don’t have time to track down Classic before my meeting; I only have time to scream Argh! (Is that the sense of delight you sought to create in longtime users?)
2026-02-28	雷布*****	完全没有考虑过我们低版本客户的便捷，我当年选择你是因为你便捷好用，如今连用都用不了了。
完全没有考虑过我们低版本客户的便捷，我当年选择你是因为你便捷好用，如今连用都用不了了。