MindMeister vs. RationalPlan

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
MindMeister
Score 3.1 out of 10
N/A
MindMeister is an online mind mapping tool that lets users share maps with an unlimited number of users and collaborate with them in real-time. MindMeister is used to brainstorm ideas, plan projects, take meeting minutes, develop business strategies, and create presentations. MindMeister runs in any standard web-browser as well as on iOS and Android devices, so users can access, edit and present their mind maps anytime, wherever they are. With MindMeister, users…
$45
every 6 months per user
RationalPlan
Score 7.7 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
RationalPlan is project management software that has been designed to help project managers keep their projects on time and within budget. The main goal of this software is to make the process of planning projects as short and as straightforward as possible and to guide novice project managers through each step but offer enough tools to those who are more experienced.
$0
per month per user
Pricing
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Editions & Modules
Personal
$45
per 6 months per user
Pro
$75
per 6 months per user
Business
$114
per 6 months per user
Free
$0
Beginner
$4
per user
Master
$12
per user
Production
$19
per user
Stakeholder
$64 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Single
$145 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Multi
$288 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Server
$668 USD
Lifetime License per Seat
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsMindMeister offers 6-monthly and yearly subscriptions. Discounts for educational users and non-profit organizations are also available. Up to 22% discount for yearly pricing.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Features
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
MindMeister
-
Ratings
RationalPlan
6.6
4 Ratings
16% below category average
Task Management00 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Resource Management00 Ratings6.84 Ratings
Gantt Charts00 Ratings7.34 Ratings
Scheduling00 Ratings6.44 Ratings
Team Collaboration00 Ratings7.31 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology00 Ratings7.32 Ratings
Document Management00 Ratings3.63 Ratings
Email integration00 Ratings6.43 Ratings
Mobile Access00 Ratings9.11 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management00 Ratings6.43 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
MindMeister
-
Ratings
RationalPlan
4.5
1 Ratings
53% below category average
Invoicing00 Ratings4.51 Ratings
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MindMeisterRationalPlan
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Enterprises
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User Ratings
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Likelihood to Recommend
1.0
(17 ratings)
7.7
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
7.7
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
MindMeisterRationalPlan
Likelihood to Recommend
MeisterLabs GmbH
MindMeister is ideally suited for building mind maps, site maps, or similar types of data maps in the cloud without needing to install extra software. I find that it isn't quite as ideal for other types of diagrams (ERDs, flowcharts, etc) as some other tools, though it definitely can handle those things as well.
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Stand By Soft
Appropriate as a great alternative to MS Project. RationalPlan provides most of the features needed to develop and maintain mid-level complex schedules. Less Appropriate for large complex schedules of long duration. These can be a challenge due to Duration at top-level. It is also a challenge to generate reports for management - reporting feature is limited.
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Pros
MeisterLabs GmbH
  • The UI is well laid out and easy to use. The workflow makes perfect sense and makes creating tasks a breeze.
  • The collaboration features make brainstorming not only easy but fun! Everyone enjoys using the tool, which was not the case with other collaboration software we used.
  • I love being able to get all of my thoughts and ideas on the screen to see them and then be able to connect them in a logical way.
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Stand By Soft
  • Portfolio view is great to get a feel for how your programme is running at a glance and which areas possibly might require attention. The fact that you can customise your view by adding your own columns is another plus.
  • All project information in one tool is a big plus for me considering the amount of projects we run with. This really improves efficiency and saves me time. You have the ability to add documents to tasks, manage risks, email resources tasks due for projects they are assigned to(might need some refinement depending on your requirements), material db with costing etc.
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Cons
MeisterLabs GmbH
  • I think that the free plan should offer a bit more terms of features to make the testing experience more engaging.
  • My experience using the App version was not so good when compared to the web version of it. I feel more comfortable using it in my notebook.
  • Paid plans could be more flexible to support small or temporary demands.
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Stand By Soft
  • Milestones should be a primary option instead of 0h to create one.
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Support Rating
MeisterLabs GmbH
Never had an issue with customer support, though we never really needed anything major as far as technical help. I do not believe they offer 24 hour customer support but we don't need it as MindMeister is not the type of tool we need need 24 hour a day support for. Overall, very happy with the level of support.
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Stand By Soft
I had to ask for support once and got a response immediately.
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Alternatives Considered
MeisterLabs GmbH
I have also used LucidChart and Google Draw to create mind maps and concept maps in the past. I think that MindMeister is by far the cleanest and most user friendly of the three. Google Draw does not have anywhere near the same functionality. LucidChart tends to be clunky and the options to create your map are not always clear and intuitive.
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Stand By Soft
RationalPlan is cost-effective and allows most users to prepare and manage their schedule. The software lacks comprehensive reporting and duration changes at the top level of a project.
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Return on Investment
MeisterLabs GmbH
  • The most positive result of using MindMeister is a visualization of each step in work and connections between different nodes(ideas, steps).
  • This greatly simplifies the work, especially collaborative work, since it is easier to show it once than to explain things many times.
  • Negative impact: lack of offline desktop version.
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Stand By Soft
  • Helps explain the target schedule and resource estimates for cost of the project
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ScreenShots

MindMeister Screenshots

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RationalPlan Screenshots

Screenshot of Project infoScreenshot of Notes and linksScreenshot of Working calendarsScreenshot of Gantt chartsScreenshot of Resource levelingScreenshot of Baseline management