Which is the best mindmapping software?

The "best" depends so much on how you use mind maps. Some people use them for study, some for planning projects, some for organizing information, some for sparking ideas and facilitating brainstorming sessions, some for planning the writing of a report or blog. Some mindmap alone, others mindmap in groups. Most of us probably do both from time to time.

It's pretty clear that no one package will support all of those user profiles, so here's my take:

• for study, learning and memorization - the colorful ones are said to help in retaining information: Headcase, iMindmap, Cornerstone, Inspiration are all worth considering if you study alone; if you're part of a study group that likes mind maps, then software that supports collaboration will be a better fit: Bubbl.us is really easy to learn and use.
  
  
• planning and managing smaller projects - MindManager with an add-on like Gyronix ResultManager, 3D Topicscape Pro if you have a lot of project information to organize;
  
  
• organizing information - for small amounts of information, Mind Manager and FreeMind; for larger amounts and especially to cope with information overload, Topicscape Pro;
  
  
• sparking ideas and facilitating brainstorming sessions - MindManager, FreeMind, or any mindmapper than can be controlled easily from the keyboard.;
  
  
• planning writing, reports or blogs - Many writers swear by Scrivener, though it is an outliner not a mindmapper;
  
  
• organizing your tasks - If your life is fairly simple, FreeMind; If you have many projects on the go at once, then 3D Topicscape Lite;
  
  
• if you work in groups a lot, and the group is attuned to a mindmapping approach, then consider the many web based products, like MindMeister.com, Mind42.com, or Mindomo.com.

Your computer will limit choice to some degree. Mac users have less choice and even MindManager, though it does run on PCs and Macs, has a more limited Mac version at present than its PC version. That is reflected in the price though.

I believe there are two classes of use of mind maps: uses where the mindmapping process is what's really important; and uses where the resulting mindmap is important.

Mindmapping because of what it makes you think and do - process-oriented mindmaps

In the first case, someone walking up to the map you produce may not be able to make much sense of it, but if you can understand it, that's what will matter most. You're not building it to share. Then, ease of use of the software will be important so that it does not get in the way of the process of thinking. You need to look out for keyboard shortcuts, ease of moving round the map and searching, and ways of connecting maps. MindManager and FreeMind are fairly good for this and provide quite a lot of freedom in layout to suit your own immediate needs. You have to find out how to turn off auto-layout, though.

Mindmapping because you need a presentation tool - sharing-oriented mindmaps

In the second, your colleague's comprehension of the map will be important, so a tool that produces clear and businesslike results is needed. Whether this means it's appropriate to stick to auto-layout and not too much color will depend on the business culture. The on-line comapping.com claims to have researched their left-to-right mindmapping style and found this easier to introduce to mindmap novices. Alternatively, a product that can turn a mindmap into an outline may be useful in winning over people who are not 'visual thinkers'. MindManager and Inspiration can both do this.

Personally I use MindManager 7, 3D Topicscape naturally, and sometimes FreeMind. I've been playing with text2mindmap.com recently, because it takes a different approach: Key in a text outline and it produces a mindmap from it. It's amusing, but it does confine the user to a rigid hierarchy and that's something I find very confining.

Roy