AI Mind Map Tools Free Tier Comparison: Deep Review of 8 Mainstream Tools in 2026

Mind maps are efficient tools for organizing thoughts, brainstorming, and knowledge management. With AI technology development, more mind map tools now integrate AI generation — just input a topic and AI generates the complete structure. But free tiers vary wildly, from completely free to only a few AI generations per day.

This article compares free versions of 8 mainstream AI mind map tools (including domestic and international products), covering AI generation count, node limits, export formats, and collaboration features.

Comparison Overview

Tool	Free AI Generations	Free Maps	Max Nodes	Free Export	Collaborators
Baidu Naotu	No AI	Unlimited	Unlimited	MD/PNG/JPG	Supported
Whimsical AI	5 AI boards/month	5 boards	~100 nodes	PNG/SVG	3 people
Coggle	No AI	3 maps	Unlimited	PNG/JPG/PDF	Supported
Miro AI	3 AI generations/month	3 whiteboards	~200 nodes	PNG	3 people
GitMind	5 AI generations/day	Unlimited	~200 nodes	PNG/PDF/Text	Supported
Boardmix	10 AI generations/month	Unlimited	~300 nodes	PNG/PDF	5 people
ProcessOn	No AI	5 docs	~150 nodes	SVG/PNG/PDF	Not supported
XMind AI	3 AI generations/day	Unlimited	Unlimited	All formats	Supported

1. Baidu Naotu — Completely Free, Most Generous

Baidu Naotu (naotu.baidu.com) is the most established free mind map tool in China.

Free details:

Map count: Unlimited creation
Node count: Unlimited
Export: Markdown, PNG, JPG, PDF
Cloud sync: Free
Collaboration: Multi-user real-time editing

Pros and Cons:

Biggest advantage is completely free — no membership, no limits, no ads
Supports Markdown import/export, great for developers
Interface is plain, no AI generation

Best for: Users with zero budget who only need basic mind map functionality.

2. GitMind — 5 Daily AI Generations, Most Generous Free Tier

GitMind (gitmind.cn) is a comprehensive AI mind map tool.

Free details:

AI generations: 5 free per day
Map count: Unlimited
Node limit: ~200 nodes per map
Export: PNG, PDF, Text
Cloud storage: 5GB free

Pros and Cons:

5 daily AI generations is very high compared to competitors
Beautiful interface, multi-platform support
Free tier limits to ~200 nodes

Best for: Students and professionals who need frequent AI generation.

3. XMind AI — Professional Grade, 3 Daily AI Generations

XMind is one of the world’s most popular mind mapping software, launched AI-integrated XMind AI in 2026.

Free details:

AI generations: 3 free per day
AI summary: 3 per day
Map count: Unlimited
Node count: Unlimited
Export: Free tier can export PNG, TXT; full formats require payment

Pros and Cons:

Professional chart design and unlimited nodes
High-quality AI generation
Free tier export formats limited

Best for: Professional users who value quality and aesthetics.

4. Miro AI — Whiteboard Collaboration, Limited Free Tier

Miro is a leading global online whiteboard tool, launched Miro AI in 2026.

Free details:

AI generations: 3 per month
Whiteboards: 3 unlimited edit whiteboards
Node limit: ~200 elements per board
Export: PNG
Collaboration: Up to 3 simultaneous editors

Pros and Cons:

Powerful team collaboration and whiteboard freedom
Very limited AI — only 3 per month
Free tier limited to 3 whiteboards

Best for: Small teams (under 3 people) needing collaboration whiteboard features.

5. Whimsical AI — Clean Design, Moderate AI Quota

Whimsical is known for its clean design, launched Whimsical AI in 2026 for one-click flowcharts, wireframes, and mind maps.

Free details:

AI generations: 5 AI boards per month
Board count: 5 free boards
Node limit: ~100 elements per board
Export: PNG, SVG
Collaboration: Up to 3 simultaneous editors

Pros and Cons:

Best design aesthetics in the category
Auto-applies unified color schemes and layouts
Free tier has many limitations

Best for: Light users who value design aesthetics.

6. Boardmix — All-in-One Domestic Option

Boardmix is an AI-powered whiteboard tool from ByteDance.

Free details:

AI generations: 10 per month
Map count: Unlimited
Node limit: ~300 nodes
Export: PNG, PDF
Collaboration: Up to 5 people

Pros:

Domestic tool, stable access
Integrates mind maps, flowcharts, whiteboard collaboration
Multiple AI features built-in

Best for: Chinese users needing an all-in-one whiteboard tool.

How to Choose?

Need	Recommended Tool
Completely free, unlimited	Baidu Naotu
Most AI generations	GitMind (5/day)
Professional quality	XMind AI
Team collaboration	Miro AI or Boardmix
Design aesthetics	Whimsical AI
Stable domestic access	Baidu Naotu, Boardmix

Summary

AI mind map tool free tiers vary greatly. For basic needs, Baidu Naotu is completely free with no limits. For AI generation, GitMind offers the highest daily quota at 5, XMind AI suits professionals, and Boardmix is ideal for domestic team collaboration.

Data current as of July 24, 2026. Free policies may change.