What is Freeplane used for?

Freeplane is a free, open-source Java mind mapping and knowledge management application, positioned as an alternative to Xmind and MindMeister. It is a good fit for brainstorming and planning with mind maps, organizing research notes, and simple project planning.

Is Freeplane open source?

Yes. Freeplane is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at freeplane/freeplane and is written mainly in Java.

Yes. Freeplane is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

Can I self-host Freeplane?

Yes. Freeplane can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.

What is Freeplane an alternative to?

Freeplane is an open-source alternative to Xmind, MindMeister, MindManager and GitMind. Other open-source alternatives to Xmind include Drawnix.

Is Freeplane actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Freeplane was on 27 September 2026. The project has 4.4k stars on GitHub.

Freeplane: open-source alternative to Xmind, MindMeister

About Freeplane

Freeplane is a free and open-source application that supports thinking, sharing information and getting things done, at work, at school and at home. It provides tools for mind mapping, also called concept mapping or information mapping, and for navigating the information you have mapped. It is also used for knowledge management and light project management.

The README presents it as an alternative to commercial mind mapping software such as Xmind and MindMeister, aimed at more demanding users. Capabilities hinted at by the repository topics include Groovy scripting, Markdown and LaTeX support, an outliner view, presentation features and writing aids. It is built in Java on OSGi with a Swing interface, so it runs on any operating system with a current Java installation, and it can run from removable storage such as a USB drive.

Freeplane is licensed under GPL-2.0 and runs locally on your computer, so there is no server or hosted version. It suits students, researchers, writers and teams that want a capable offline mind mapping tool.

Key features

Mind and concept mapping
Groovy scripting for automation
Markdown and LaTeX support
Outliner and presentation views
Cross-platform Java application
Runs from a USB drive

Good fit for

→Brainstorming and planning with mind maps
→Organizing research notes
→Simple project planning

Built with: Java
Tags: mind-mapping; knowledge-management; java; note-taking; project-management; desktop; outliner

Freeplane: questions and answers

What is Freeplane used for?: Freeplane is a free, open-source Java mind mapping and knowledge management application, positioned as an alternative to Xmind and MindMeister. It is a good fit for brainstorming and planning with mind maps, organizing research notes, and simple project planning.
Is Freeplane open source?: Yes. Freeplane is open source under the GPL-2.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at freeplane/freeplane and is written mainly in Java.
Is Freeplane free?: Yes. Freeplane is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
Can I self-host Freeplane?: Yes. Freeplane can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure; there is no official hosted version.
What is Freeplane an alternative to?: Freeplane is an open-source alternative to Xmind, MindMeister, MindManager and GitMind. Other open-source alternatives to Xmind include Drawnix.
Is Freeplane actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Freeplane was on 27 September 2026. The project has 4.4k stars on GitHub.