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Markmap: free alternative to XMind — online
Turn Markdown into an interactive mind map without installing XMind: open source, rendered locally in the browser, and it also ships as a VSCode extension.
| Replaces | XMind / Miro (mind maps) |
|---|---|
| License | MIT (commercial use OK) |
| Runs on | online |
| Chinese UI | no (English UI) |
| Where files go | On your device (not uploaded) |
| Cost | Completely free and open source; runs fully in your browser |
| Hands-on test | 2026-11-04 · v0.18.0 |
Hands-on test (2026-11-04, v0.18.0)
- Open source: Markmap is an MIT-licensed open source tool (GitHub markmap/markmap) that converts Markdown into interactive mind maps
- Markdown-driven: paste or import Markdown and it auto-generates the mind map, no manual node creation needed
- Browser-local rendering: D3 rendering happens locally in the browser; files are not uploaded to a server
- VSCode extension: usable inside VSCode (gera2ld.markmap-vscode, installable from the Marketplace)
2026-11-04 self-hosted hands-on: tools.cosmocat.dev/markmap/repl/ is live (tools deploy 8467ab88)
Best for
- Turning Markdown into a mind map
- Visualizing notes / docs
- Offline / no-network use (local rendering)
Not for
- Complex charts / flowcharts (use draw.io / Excalidraw)
- Real-time collaboration (not a collaborative whiteboard)
Similar alternatives
draw.ioExcalidrawXMind
How to get started
- Click "Use online" above — it runs in your browser, no signup required.
- Run the full workflow (open → edit → export) on a throwaway file first, to confirm format compatibility.
- Once you accept its limits, migrate your daily workflow; keep the original software as a fallback for critical deliverables.