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CogniGuide

Free Mind Map Program for Students and Teams

See how a free mind map program organizes a topic into branches. Then build your own map from notes, a PDF or a typed topic.

No credit card required

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Trusted by learners from top universities

University of California, BerkeleyUniversity of MichiganGeorgetown UniversityUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

CogniGuide at a glance

What you get
Interactive mind maps of the main ideas and how they connect. Free: overview maps (detailed maps on your first 3 creations). Plus: detailed maps with supporting concepts.
Exports
Your first PDF or PNG export is free; Plus exports anytime.
Price
Free plan: 5 creations a week, up to 3 a day. Plus: $9.99/month or $99.90/year (USD; local prices at checkout).
Sign-up
A free account is required before you create anything (Google or email). No credit card.
What you can upload
PDF, Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), plain text or Markdown, and images (PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF), or type a topic. One file per creation on the free plan; several at once on Plus.

How it compares: vs Knowt · vs Quizlet · vs NotebookLM · vs Mapify

What the Free Plan Includes

Start with five creations a week, no payment needed, and turn your own material into a clear map.

Build from your own files

Upload a PDF, Word, PowerPoint, text or image file and get a mind map from its content.

Expand any branch with AI

Select a node to add sub-branches, so you can go deeper without redrawing the map by hand.

Export, share or quiz yourself

Save the map as PNG or PDF, share a link, or turn the map into a quiz to test recall.

How to Make a Mind Map for Free

Three steps take you from raw notes to a branching map you can study and share.

  1. 1

    Add your material

    Upload a file or type a topic into the free mind map program.

  2. 2

    AI builds the map

    The tool sorts your content into a central idea with expandable branches.

  3. 3

    Study, expand and export

    Edit nodes, add detail with AI, then export or turn the map into a quiz.

About Free Mind Map Programs

A free mind map program lets you arrange ideas around one central topic. Each main branch holds a theme, and smaller branches hold the details. A good map shows how ideas connect, which helps when you plan an essay, revise for an exam or outline a project. Most free tools limit how many maps you can make or how you can export them, so check the plan before you commit.

  • Central topic: the main idea placed at the center of the map
  • Main branches: the broad themes that support the central idea
  • Sub-branches: supporting facts, examples and definitions
  • Links and connections: relationships between branches that show cause or effect

Use the map to study, revise or plan. CogniGuide's free plan lets you generate a personalized mind map from your own notes or PDF, with five creations each week.

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Free Mind Map Program Questions

Answers about free plans, file types and what you can do with your map.

Is there a free mind map program I can use right away?

Yes. CogniGuide has a free plan with five creations a week, and no payment is needed to start.

Which files can I turn into a mind map?

You can upload PDF, Word (DOCX), PowerPoint (PPTX), text or Markdown files, and images, or simply type a topic.

Can I export my map from the free plan?

Yes. You can export the map as a PNG or PDF and share it with a link.

Can the free plan turn a map into a quiz?

Yes. Any map can become a quiz to test yourself, and the same notes can become flashcards.