Comparison

SimpleMind Pro vs MindNode

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SimpleMind Pro

Organize thoughts, remember information, and generate new ideas with an intuitive mind mapping tool. Add images, documents, and customize styles. Store and sync maps securely across devices.

Highlights
  • Free-form layout for topics
  • Add images and documents
  • Customize mind map styles
  • Collapse and expand branches
  • Sync across devices via cloud
  • Export in PDF, Image, and OPML formats
Features
Read full description

Mind mapping helps you organize your thoughts, remember information and generate new ideas. We've created a beautiful, intuitive app, so you can mind map wherever you are and whenever you want. SimpleMind Pro for iPad&iPhone is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. Highlights • Easy to use. • Add images and documents. • Share Mind Maps. • Customize the style of the Mind Map. • Continuously fine-tuned based on customer feedback. • Tools to help you maintain overview. Private by Design • No ads. • No tracking. • No need to sign up for an account. • We do not have access to your Mind Maps. Create • Place topics anywhere you want in the free-form layout. • Use various auto layouts. • Reorganize and restructure topics. • Connect any two topics with a crosslink. • Label relations. Tools to help you maintain overview • Collapse and expand branches. • Block out distractions with autofocus. • Visually group topics with group borders. • Outline view. • Search and filter. Enrich your Mind Map • Images and photos. • Notes. • Icons. • Link to a mind map, contact, file or webpage. • Checkboxes. Style your mind map • Change the overall appearance by selecting one of the many style sheets. • Create your own style sheets. • Style every detail, exactly how you want it. Share Mind Maps • PDF, Image and more. • Outline text. • Create a slideshow to present your Mind Map (tablet only). • Print. • Exchange as OPML, for example with AI apps. Safely store and sync your Mind Maps • You control where your Mind Maps are stored. • Sync Mind Maps across devices using iCloud, Dropbox or other clouds. • SimpleMind is designed to open your Mind Maps across platforms. • SimpleMind for Mac, and companion apps for other platforms, are sold separately.

About

MindNode

Visualize and organize your thoughts with an infinite canvas for mind mapping and a linear structure for outlining. Collaborate in real-time with others and access your projects across all your Apple devices. A free editor is available, with an optional subscription for advanced features.

Highlights
  • Infinite canvas mind mapping
  • Linear outlining view
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Cross-device synchronization
  • Notes and visual tags
  • Import and export options
Features
Read full description

Your brain doesn't think in straight lines. MindNode doesn't force it to. Capture scattered thoughts, connect them in a mind map, and turn them into a clear outline, plan, or project structure. DESIGNED FOR EVERY KIND OF THINKER • Personal Productivity: organize your week, track life goals, and plan your next vacation • Students & Educators: create study guides, summarize lectures, and plan your essay structure • Business Professionals: visualize project roadmaps, prepare meeting agendas, and plan strategy • Creatives & Writers: outline your novel, plan your content calendar, and brainstorm campaigns THINK: EXPLORE AND CAPTURE • Mind Maps: branch, cluster, and grow ideas freely on an infinite canvas • Outline View: switch to a structured, hierarchical list whenever a linear flow helps • Live Collaboration: brainstorm with others in real time and always stay in sync CLARIFY: STRUCTURE AND REFINE • Visual Tags: categorize ideas and spotlight what matters • Connections: draw links between nodes that go beyond hierarchy • Notes: tuck extra detail into any node, hidden until you need it • Focus Mode: dim everything except the work in front of you • Folding: collapse whole branches for a cleaner view ACT: FROM THOUGHT TO IMPACT • Tasks: turn ideas into actions, synced with Apple Reminders • Apple Shortcuts: automate your recurring workflows • Document Linking: connect nodes across separate documents • Import and Export: OPML, Markdown, PDF, SVG, PNG, and more EXPRESS: MAKE IT YOUR OWN • Themes: choose a curated look or build your own, with automatic light and dark mode • Layouts and Shapes: arrange nodes your way and pick from a range of node shapes • Images, Stickers, and Emoji: enrich your maps with over 250 custom stickers and more AI, A THINKING PARTNER, NOT A REPLACEMENT MindNode treats AI as a sparring partner for your thinking, never a substitute for it. You stay in control of every idea. • Suggest a starting structure or expand a branch with a tap • Turn a finished map into a written draft, or summarize a long document • Powered by Apple Intelligence where available, with its privacy protections built in ON ALL YOUR DEVICES • Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro, native on each • On Vision Pro, gather your thoughts as colorful pills floating in space and connect them by hand • Automatic iCloud sync, with offline changes merged when you reconnect • Localized in 13 languages, with VoiceOver and Dynamic Type support PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your ideas stay yours. Documents are stored encrypted in your own iCloud, not on our servers, and even live collaboration is end-to-end encrypted, so only you and the people you invite can read your work. MindNode is a small independent team in Europe, owned by its founder and answerable to its users, not investors. FREE • Capture ideas as mind maps, edit, rearrange, fold, and view them as an outline • Sync across all your Apple devices, and export your ideas in open formats so you are never locked in MINDNODE PLUS • Adds outline editing, Notes, Visual Tags and Connections, Tasks, Focus Mode, Apple Shortcuts, Document Linking, SVG export, AI, and full theming, across every platform • Available monthly or yearly QUESTIONS? We value excellent customer support. When you contact us, you will always reach a human. We're always happy to help: support@mindnode.com Terms of Service: https://mindnode.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://mindnode.com/privacy

Screenshots

SimpleMind Pro4 screens
MindNode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MindNode at Free against SimpleMind Pro's $10.99. MindNode also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 weeks) and device support (5 vs 3). SimpleMind Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (81% vs 48%). On rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MindNode is free to download; SimpleMind Pro costs $10.99 up front. MindNode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. SimpleMind Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for SimpleMind Pro against 4.6 for MindNode. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 451 and 327 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of SimpleMind Pro's written reviews are positive against 48% of MindNode's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimpleMind Pro ships an update every 6 weeks, MindNode every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SimpleMind Pro versus MindNode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleMind ProMindNode
Price$10.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (451 ratings) — better4.6 (327 ratings)
Positive reviews80.9% of reviews — better47.9% of reviews
Number of ratings451 — better327
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB215 MB
Age rating+44+
Developerxpt Software & Consulting B.V.IdeasOnCanvas GmbH

Customer experience

SimpleMind Pro

All ratings451 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.5%
Written reviews769 reviews
Positive80.9%
Neutral7.5%
Negative11.6%

MindNode

All ratings327 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews259 reviews
Positive47.9%
Neutral18.1%
Negative34.0%

Bugs and requests

SimpleMind Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

MindNode

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Text rendering issues
  • Syncing problems across devices
  • Incompatibility with older hardware

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add folder structure for organizing mind maps
  • Restore manual layout and positioning options
  • Bring back Apple Watch support
  • Improve export and integration with other apps
  • Provide more customization options for themes and formatting

In-app purchases

None

SimpleMind Pro

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MindNode

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is SimpleMind Pro free?
SimpleMind Pro costs $10.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MindNode free?
MindNode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SimpleMind Pro or MindNode?
SimpleMind Pro is rated higher. SimpleMind Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 451 ratings, while MindNode averages 4.6 from 327 ratings.
Do SimpleMind Pro or MindNode have ads?
Neither SimpleMind Pro nor MindNode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SimpleMind Pro or MindNode?
SimpleMind Pro ships an update every 6 weeks, and MindNode every 2 weeks. Most recently, SimpleMind Pro was updated on November 1, 2026 and MindNode on October 30, 2026.

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