SimpleMind
One-time-purchase mind mapping on every platform — no subscription, no account, no ads.
About
SimpleMind comes from ModelMaker Tools, a Dutch developer, and takes the opposite approach to subscription mappers: the free editions on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android allow unlimited maps with basic layouts, and the Pro edition is a one-time purchase per platform (around $29.99 for desktop and roughly $12 on mobile storefronts per 2026 listings — prices vary by region and store). The developer states both editions contain no ads or data collection, and syncing runs through the cloud storage you choose rather than a vendor account. On Android the Pro app holds about 4.8 stars from 15,000+ ratings and the free Lite app has passed 6.5 million installs. Standout features include a free-form layout alongside auto layouts, cross-links between topics, checkboxes, progress bars, and media attachments.
Honest limits: each platform needs its own separate license, and there is no real-time collaboration — this is a personal mapping tool, not a team canvas. No published performance benchmarks found.
What it can do
- Free-form layout plus several auto layouts
- Unlimited maps on the free edition
- Cross-links, checkboxes, progress bars, and auto-numbering
- Media and document attachments (Pro)
- Sync via your own cloud storage (Pro)
- No ads and no data collection, per the developer
- Export and share maps (Pro)
Setup
Install the free app on your platform; buy the Pro edition per platform only if you need sharing, images, and extra layouts.
Prerequisites
Nothing for the free edition; a store account for Pro purchases.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 8/10
Scored 8/10 (VERIFIED tier, metrics-v1). Evidence: one-time pricing model and no-ads/no-tracking claims confirmed across AppBrain listings, apkfab, and a 2026 editorial roundup; Android install and rating figures from AppBrain (6.5M Lite installs, 4.8 stars on Pro). Strengths: true one-time purchase, generous free tier with unlimited maps, strong mobile ratings, privacy-respecting model. Docked for: (1) per-platform licensing means desktop + mobile buyers pay twice; (2) no real-time collaboration; Pro price points vary by storefront and region. License: proprietary; one-time purchase per platform.
How the trust score is built
Full methodology →- Adoption · stars/downloads, log-scaled vs peers
- 7.0/10
- Maintenance · recency, releases, issue load
- 9.0/10
- Openness · license + docs
- 3.0/10
- Manual review · sanity read + red-flag check
- 8.0/10
- · ModelMaker Tools (SimpleApps), Netherlands; free editions allow unlimited maps.
- · Pro is one-time per platform: ~$29.99 desktop, ~$12 mobile (2026 listings, region varies).
- · Developer states no ads or data collection; sync via user-chosen cloud; no real-time collaboration.
- · Android: 4.8 stars / 15k+ ratings (Pro), 6.5M+ installs (Lite).
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.