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MindManager

MindManager

Overview

What is MindManager?

MindManager is a mind mapping and project management tool that aims to boost users’ productivity. It is designed to facilitate a wide range of project types, and includes cross-platform functionality and 3rd party integrations.

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Recent Reviews

MM review

9 out of 10
March 20, 2024
Incentivized
Understanding complex interrelationships between seeming unrelated issues. Creatively imagining, capturing and then logically arranging …
Continue reading
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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MindManager for Microsoft Teams

$105

Cloud
per year

Annual Subscription

$179

Cloud
per year

Organizations

Contact sales team

Cloud

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.mindmanager.com/en/pages/my…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is MindManager?

MindManager aims to bring clarity and structure to plans, projects, and processes.

It helps users to transform scattered ideas and information into dynamic visual mind maps, flowcharts, concept maps, matrices and other diagrams. Users can also take control of their work, synthesize vast amounts of data, collaborate and communicate more effectively.

MindManager is a suite of visualization products that helps individuals and teams think more clearly, make better decisions, and get on the path to personal and organizational success.

MindManager Features

MindManager Screenshots

Screenshot of MindmapScreenshot of Reverse BrainstormingScreenshot of MindManager for Microsoft TeamsScreenshot of MindManager SnapScreenshot of MindManager GoScreenshot of Mind Maps in MindManagerScreenshot of Organizational Charts in MindManagerScreenshot of Timelines  in MindManagerScreenshot of Flowcharts  in MindManagerScreenshot of Venn & Onion Diagrams  in MindManagerScreenshot of Kanban Boards  in MindManagerScreenshot of Funnel Charts  in MindManagerScreenshot of Matrix Diagrams  in MindManagerScreenshot of SWOT

MindManager Videos

MindManager – Visualization Tools and Mind Mapping Software
In this video, TrustRadius goes over some of the best project management software out there - including MindManager.
This 10-minute video provides a crash course in the various functionalities and use cases of MindManager, and a walkthrough of how it helps teams work more effectively and efficiently.
MindManager as solution for everything. Case Study brewery Murau, Austria. The Murau brewery relies on MindManager and uses the software for everything from meeting management and budget planning to spare parts management for their machinery.

MindManager Integrations

MindManager Competitors

MindManager Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationApple iOS, Android
Supported LanguagesEnglish, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Chinese

Frequently Asked Questions

MindManager is a mind mapping and project management tool that aims to boost users’ productivity. It is designed to facilitate a wide range of project types, and includes cross-platform functionality and 3rd party integrations.

Xmind, Ayoa, and iThoughts are common alternatives for MindManager.

Reviewers rate Vendor pre-sale and Vendor post-sale highest, with a score of 9.1.

The most common users of MindManager are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(407)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(151-175 of 194)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
Jeff Kearns CD, rmc, PEng, PMP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is really good at the project brainstorming and planning stage. Its visual nature is ideal for creating a work breakdown structure and enabling the team to see the entire project at a glance. I use the org chart map layout to design that.

Compare that to a dedicated project management tool like Microsoft Project. I’ve seen project managers open it up and start entering rows of project tasks into the program’s Excel-like spreadsheet. As a result, team members see the tasks but not the context. That’s lost in the endless rows of project data.

That’s one of the real advantages of MindManager: You can see tasks in the context of the overall project – the forest AND the trees, if you will. Once the tasks are defined, information regarding task duration, resources, and dependencies can be added in MindManager. Finally, the project design can be exported to another tool such as Microsoft Project for finalization of the plan.

  • Creating a Work Breakdown Structure. It is easy and fast. Then, using the Gantt Pro tool, one can manage the project and assign resources and dates to work packages.
  • MindManager's drag and drop functionality offers the possibility of combining multiple projects into one program and can even help you perform resource leveling across multiple projects.
  • Stakeholder Management. MindManager has many built-in templates but one I like to use if the Stakeholder identification template. It makes identifying, classifying, and managing stakeholders as easy as it gets.
  • Brainstorming. There is nothing as convenient as a mind map tool for simple brainstorming of ideas. Mindmanager excels at this.
  • Turning a map into a written document. I used MindManager to brainstorm, plan and compose an entire white paper, complete with graphics. Then, all I had to do was export the document to MS Word. Formatting was all taken care of.
  • If it had a more comprehensive project management capability that allowed for a complete replacement of MS Project, that would be great.
  • Better integration with Evernote; my other productivity tool.
  • Updates to the old cloud-based Mindjet Files feature at vision.mindjet.com that I first purchased in 2012 would be greatly appreciated. If I am using a client's computer without MindManager, I want to be able to access and render newer format files seamlessly. This would involved continued support for Flash Player, but I think it is warranted.
MindManager is really good at the project brainstorming and planning stage. Its visual nature is ideal for creating a work breakdown structure and enabling the team to see the entire project at a glance. I use the org chart map layout to design that.

Compare that to a dedicated project management tool like Microsoft Project. I’ve seen project managers open it up and start entering rows of project tasks into the program’s Excel-like spreadsheet. As a result, team members see the tasks but not the context. That’s lost in the endless rows of project data.

That’s one of the real advantages of MindManager: You can see tasks in the context of the overall project – the forest AND the trees, if you will. Once the tasks are defined, information regarding task duration, resources, and dependencies can be added in MindManager. Finally, the project design can be exported to another tool such as Microsoft Project for finalization of the plan.
November 30, 2018

True Believer

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
So far as I am aware, I am the only person in my unit who uses MindManager. I have shown maps during meetings and presentations. Some colleagues express interest, none enough to follow up with me about whether and how they are using mind maps in their work. Which is, IMHO, too bad.
  • MindManager is my go-to first step for any serious writing I do. It is the best tool I have for keeping track of how my thinking evolves over the life of a piece of work.
  • Excellent tool for organizing and delegating discrete tasks in a meeting.
  • I use argument maps in seminars.
  • Arms are too rigid. Would like to be able to move connections around more easily.
  • More flexibility in hierarchies.
  • I would prefer less predetermined formats.
I find MindManager most useful for:
(1) Planning my own projects
(2) Brainstorming ideas for myself or in a group, and
(3) Creating graphic depictions to parse complicated topics.

Less appropriate: At least in its current design, does not build effective flow charts. ESPECIALLY when trying to plot long-term projects in a group. Page formatting constraints make it too clumsy. (OF COURSE, it could just be I don't know how to use the package properly).
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
At my location, Mindmanager is used only in the engineering department to manage engineering projects. As far as I know no other departments are using this software. I believe other locations use it but I don't know for what purpose or to what extent. The business problem it addresses is the setup, control and monitoring of project activities. Mindmanager is the tool that provides an easy and efficient way to manage short and medium range "agile" type projects while at the same time serves as a repository of key project related information.
  • Easy to setup project templates with the typical steps or activities required, including typical responsibilities and activity duration.
  • Very flexible and easy to use. Adding, eliminating and modifying activities is a breeze.
  • Completed projects contain links to as much key information as required related to the project. This facilitates project evaluation at completion and auditing.
  • When I create a project template that includes links to other template files, for example published review check off lists, there is a manual process required to open the template, save it in another location and re-link the final file. I wish there was an automatic way of doing this.
  • I wish there was a way to make changes to the relationship between activities through the Gantt chart.
It is my opinion that this is a great product for handling agile type projects. Other project management tools that I have tried are too cumbersome and formal for this type of process. I have tried to use it for flowcharts but it wasn't as easy as I was expecting.
Darla Ladd | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is a quick way to brainstorm how tasks will be organized. I use it in my current project to provide a visual of how items will move through various systems within the company. I love the fact that it is very intuitive and attendees of a meeting are not preoccupied or confused by the application, but ready to provide input to see where the ideas will take us. I really appreciate the way the notes feature is constructed; it allows me to add quite a bit of information for each item.
  • The tool is intuitive and flexible. When you open multiple saved pages, they appear as multiple tabs instead of as separate documents. This makes it much easier to manage if you are sharing your screen during a meeting.
  • MindManager has worked to build our process flows via brainstorming sessions; it is very easy to then utilize the outcome to track ongoing processes.
  • For project management, it is useful because it allows us to document deliverables in a clear and concise manner.
  • I have not found any needed improvements thus far.
This is a great tool for people who work in complex organizations that require a team to strategically maneuver through various roadblocks in order to accomplish a body of work.
Dan DeSaegher, CFRE | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is my "go to" brainstorming tool. Love organizing my thoughts, strategies, and projects as they expand out from the center goal. The visual definitely promotes my thought creativity. It is a personal tool, as I share it with others, but we have not yet used it as an enterprise tool in our small house non-profit.
  • Structural organization of thought
  • Easy to share complex ideas with others when visualized and aligned to the center goal
  • Captures brainstorming in the best way for continued use in later planning sessions
  • Controlling the object spacing on the page
  • Works well as is for our current use
Excellent for personal or team brainstorming. The simple method of organizing and projects and activities as spider chart of connected thoughts ensures better alignment for both myself and for a team. It gives everyone input, while challenging the root need of alignment with the higher level goals. Powerful in its simplicity and ease of use.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is being used by our CEO and his direct reports for idea building and brainstorming.
  • MindManager handles brainstorming very well.
  • MindManager handles concept maps very well
  • MindManager handles problem solving analysis very well
  • MindManager could use some better features around onboarding for newer users
MindManger is well suited for process mapping, idea formulation and brainstorming.
Tom Simmons | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are using MindManager in our department. We have several use cases for MindManager in our group. 1) Process Flow: We use MindManager to collaborate across our North American team to build, collaborate, and publish new processes designed for our channel organization. 2) Presentations: I use MindManager when collecting my thoughts on a presentation. I can visualize the topics, the flow, and put it all together before going to a presentation tool. 3) Meeting Notes: I use MindManager to capture my notes and organize them following the meeting. It is easy to identify To Dos, next steps, and plans. It is easy to share these with the extended team. Overall, it allows us to share information much more effectively than with paper, Word docs, and other docs that do not allow easy collaboration.
  • Collaboration- MindManager allows our North American team to collaborate on process flows and To Dos across multiple time zones and any hour someone wants to access files.
  • Visualization- It is easy to see all relevant information on a single pane of glass. Before MindManager, I was always toggling between applications or flipping through multiple pages of a virtual document to find the information I was looking for. Now, I can see it in one place.
  • I would like to see feature parity between Windows and Mac. Macs are prevalent in most organizations and the lack of parity causes issues between users.
MindManager is well suited for collaboration, visualization, and ideation. A key component is the ability to see everything on a single screen. I have not found it to be best suited for project management activities. In our case, part of it is the number of employees that do not have access to the tool.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I was using MindManager for my school subject in my DNP program with Arizona State University. I was using it also as part of my job at work. Mostly I was using MindManager to help me in my leadership role as a nurse.
  • It is able to show difficult or connecting links between factors in a project management.
  • It allows connecting links between several factors and not just only simple connections but several links could be attributed.
  • Presentation is better compared to simple connections with Power Point.
  • Too much emphasis on links sometimes confuses the reader. There should be a better presentation done in a simpler manner.
Well suited for presentation if you are to present several link factors but less appropriate for mind boggling or confusing links.
Ian Simpson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is used by a few users in the Corp/ICT team but I'm the primary user. Once others see the simplicity and effectiveness of the product, it often drives adoption elsewhere. MindManager is used in a number of capacities, often commencing as a brainstorming tool, followed by planning, and as the plan matures it becomes a project monitoring and management tool. It is also used for process flowcharts, org charts and the like.
  • Simplicity - 'Enter', 'insert' and 'drag and drop' go a long way in MindManager. Achieving basic user competence is very easy and once the user is 'hooked' they will seek out more advanced functions.
  • Visualisation - templates, guides and examples. This is not unique to MindManager but it looks impressive from the time of opening to the finished product.
  • Perspective - MindManager has the ability to provide different views of the same information to easily undertake reality check and priority reviews.
  • Project management - The Project Management features are useful, especially the integration of Gantt Charts etc.
  • Gantt Charts could be more customisable and easier to use. It doesn't always display as intended and some manipulation can be required.
  • More advanced features can be a little fiddly (but this may be more related to the user).
  • Cannot Save as PDF currently so printing to PDF is required. Not a major issue but a deficiency.
MindManager can be used effectively for a wide range of purposes. In its simplest form, it can be a virtual 'White Board' capturing key information from a discussion or a brainstorming session. Drag and drop ideas and concepts and never run out of room. Then, without manually transposing the info, it can be refined and represented to the group. This then leads into planning and project management and many other applications.

Process re-engineering is easy and can be done on the fly. It is extremely flexible and versatile and ideal for where MS Project and Visio would be overkill but core functions are needed. As for mind mapping, MindManager is in a class of its own. I've watched it develop over 12-13 years and it's still the first tool I turn to anytime there is something new to understand, do, achieve, plan for etc.
Dietmar Dyck | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is being used as a data collection tool in our brainstorming sessions with consulting clients where thoughts are quickly gathered. MindManager allows us to collate and sort our ideas into a visual structure that then we can develop the strategy for the client. The software allows us to share in multiple platforms with the ability for revision and continuous feedback.
  • Visual display
  • Collaboration
  • Template library
  • Inking
MindManager is particularly powerful in the initial data gathering stages of an engagement. It allows us to build a data map of ideas and concepts that we can then manipulate to form a framework around the client's scope of work.
Sean Cannon | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use MindManager to brainstorm ideas, manage projects and track activities within the company. It helps to visualise the ideas/projects and mostly keeps the team engaged and focused on the goals.
  • MindManager is great for setting up work dashboards, so you can easily track various projects/processes & keep the team involved.
  • This process really helps to free up mind space to work on more taxing processes.
  • Brainstorming is wonderful with MindManager, the team get involved especially if you have it up on a large screen, Ideas start to flow & before you know it you have a set of solutions/ideas that can then be further examined.
  • Project Management is very well looked after in MindManager from integrating all the brainstorming process through to doing work Breakdown structure and right through the project life cycle.
  • The Gantt chart function is pretty good although the Enterprise version is far better & apart from very large projects you can track projects all in one piece of software (I do miss enterprise & wish there could be single license).
  • Enterprise Gantt features would be a good start.
  • Gantt features being refined such as being able to add name convention to taskbars, some more format options.
  • I have only recently had the new & very much improved MM 2019 & a lot of features I was looking for have been added.
It is so well suited to our process and I would find it hard to think where it would not be useful/productive and such a fun programme to use. About the biggest problem you are likely to face (myself included) is how best utilise the many features. There are so many good combinations/options, but so far as with any creative work you just have to start putting in on-screen and before you know you have achieved an amazing amount of work.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
My team uses Mindjet to collect and organize notes during discovery, gap analysis and other systems architecture-related meetings in order to best organize and present summaries of discussions, document features lists and next steps

It's also used to document proposed system specifications, org charts and occasionally process timelines
  • Presents outlines in an easy-to-digest format
  • Can reveal structure and relationships that other tools (IE: Excel, Word, Visio) cannot
  • Takes large problems and logically breaks them down into less-intimidating bite-sized tasks
  • Mindjet for MacOS is relatively slow and buggy compared with its Windows big brother - which is too bad. Our organization (medical school; medical research) is largely Mac-based - educators and business communications professionals are largely Mac users. A feature-identical client for MacOS would be welcome.
  • I would be able to install 20 seats if this product were in the $50 - $80/seat range - where it is priced (even for education) right now I am able to maintain 3-4 seats.
Appropriate: brainstorming; gathering unstructured information to organize into visual outlines; illustrating systems + hierarchy + relationships

Inappropriate: workflows, timelines (use Visio)
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is being used by the department. I asked to work with it when I started my position at GJC and we bought licenses for everyone in the team (9).

I use it to brainstorm, organise ideas and have a conversation with the same vision. At the beginning of a project, I use it to group tasks by subject and to make sure everyone agrees. I also used it to manage projects before we switch to another tool.
  • The export in HTML allows me to share a nice and navigable version of the mindmap with people who don't have MindManager.
  • A mindmap is intuitive for everyone, no need to explain when first use.
  • MindManager is easy to learn because it shares a lot with MS Office in the way to use it.
  • MindManager has great templates to start with.
  • The dependency arrows don't snap at the best place on a topic. I always move them at the end of a topic, for both ends. They are easier to see like this.
  • The icon style (e.g. emoji) could be nicer.
  • In the last version, the map theme editor got great improvement with the easy editor, however, there should be a way to get it even easier.
MindManager is perfect for project planning. Start with a brainstorm of everything that has to be done. Then group tasks in a meaningful way. Finally prioritize the activities. All this can be done with other people and everyone can easily contribute.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use it to track thought processes and team discussions as well as forecast work initiatives. Today it is used by select groups in my org and there are features missing that I wish it had.
  • Grouping ideas and concepts
  • Categorization of prioritized tasks
  • Plays nice with other tools (web browser, and ms word etc)
  • I am really missing the capabilities to do timelines and customize shapes of flow charts.
  • There is not a large selection of templates in the app to use.
With my aforementioned comments it's still a rock solid app for the purposes I use it for. My colleagues would definitely find value in [utilizing] it. Being able to track work in a tree-based structure really helps me visualize what done and what's not.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is used mainly by me to brainstorm problems, outline presentations and diagram certain organizational issues. I have not found my coworkers, over the years, to readily adopt it themselves and thus have not used the collaborative tools.
  • Outlining oral or written presentations: the ability to throw ideas onto the map and then organize and reorganize them is really efficient.
  • Brainstorming complicated problems, process improvement: the ability to capture large numbers of pain points, ideas, questions and categorize and prioritize them is very effective for us.
  • Process tracking: have used the gantt chart functionality to track process improvement efforts.
  • At this point, I do not have any suggestions.
In my experience as a solver of complex problems, MindManager is very well suited to analyzing and developing approaches to such problems.
Wendy Johnson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Currently, due to the size and nature of our nonprofit, I am the sole user. I plan to develop other users.

I use it for brainstorming, organizing projects and creating flowcharts/organizational charts. I am a huge fan of the ability to grab and move items easily to create up-to-the-minute work flows.
  • Organizational Charts - more flexible than other programs and allows for easy movement between areas.
  • Venn Diagrams - Super as a training/explanation tool for teaching or educating donors and staff.
  • SWOT and Matrix - allows us to drill down on issues - link to other maps and documents.
  • Swim Lanes - very important style for process management.
In early project development it allows for brainstorming without a lot of formatting issues - can move items around easily and add notes.

I haven't been able to do a swimlane process diagram.
November 16, 2018

Short and sweet

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use mainly for our planning sessions to define workflows in our business. We have used it at R&D sessions to validate few ideas. Also as checklist for onboarding program.
  • Easy to use and edit existing mindmaps which attracts many new users to signup.
  • Ability to share across HTML and embed in SharePoint is great feature.
  • The use of checklist option for our onboarding program is quite useful.
  • Web version still not very stable.
  • Good use more Online training and webinars.
  • More technical savvy sales team.
I think is great mind map program but not for document control. I could see it competing with Prezi at some point.
Kevin Crichlow | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use MindManager to plan all my courses. MindManager facilitates non linear thinking (which in reality is how most courses get built.). This means that I can jump in and out of different courses that are at different stages of development. Mind maps are the main type of diagram that I produce. The ability to collect information in different forms against the various parts of the diagram is invaluable to the data collection and prioritization part of course development. I also use MindManager to build concept maps and onion diagrams or venn diagrams when necessary.

The ability to publish my mind map as an html page without writing a single line of code is also another great feature. This gives me maximum flexibility when disseminating information to my team. I also use the direct to word document and power point presentation quite frequently.

Finally the other hidden gem in MindManager is that there is a template for querying your desktop outlook. If you get a lot of email then this is a tool for you, to boost your productivity.

We currently use MindManager in one department but others have taken interest.

I highly recommend MindManager !
  • Planning and Data Collection. - You can attach multiple types of documents, links and pictures to the various parts of your diagrams.
  • Brainstorming - You can follow your mind wherever it needs to go with the flexibility of the diagrams that Mind Manager contains alongside the Brainstorming wizard that it contains.
  • Publishing - MindManager's ability to publish into a variety of commonly used formats is unparalleled.
  • You should be able to connect to Sharepoint from the desktop version. Currently this only exists for those organizations that use the Enterprise version.
  • Mind manager should be able to connect to GIS software directly. It would be great to link geo - enabled content to my Mind Maps and Concept maps. Start with establishing business relationships to ESRI Canada and Boundless.
  • Please add auto bibliography capability.
Information exchange as well as problem decomposition and visualization.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is great, it allows our teams to do value stream mapping easily. It also is able to be used for making network maps of our corporate infrastructure. I would recommend this product to anyone - it was a great move to make switching from Visio to MindManager. This has made our team more effective and productive.
  • Value stream mapping
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to deploy from an it level
  • Great service
  • Slightly high priced
Manufacturing and process mapping is the best use case we have for this product. It is so easy to use and does a great job. We are extremely satisfied.
September 25, 2018

MindManager just rocks!

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
It is being used by some departmets. MindManager gives us the freedom to share team ideas, structure presentations, dissertation schemes, compile the contributions of a work session to generate possible solutions for the generation of scenarios and, even more, its organization and layout to share with other users. In my personal experience, it´s been useful for planning web pages structures and for organanizing lessons for my pupils.
  • It has an awesome interface, which is prettyr desirable in this kind of apps.
  • MindManagers's friendly UI makes mind mapping easier.
  • It has a huge set of tools.
  • Excellent tool for brainstorming sessions.
  • It'd be very nice to convert the products in animations or, at least, make them interactive (yes, I know there are other apps, but still!)
It is very appropriate for synchronous an asynchronous work of teams in brainstorms and for the organization of the products generated in very specific opinion exchange sessions, to extract the essence of each contribution. Likewise, for the hierarchy and presentation of agendas -either for study or for dissertations- it is ideal, as it facilitates the distillation of discourse and allow you to focus on the core points.

I see it less suited in business spaces where the brainstorm technique is still not handled properly, but it is not something inherent to the app but to the uses potentialities and profile.
Jack Rosenfield | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I purchased my own copy of Mindjet for my personal and work use. At work, since I don't have others at work using the product, I cannot use the project management features. I use it as an amazing knowledge/documentation store.

We recently lost our accounting employee so I built a map itemizing all the responsibilities (day to day, monthly, special) with appropriate sub-topics with appropriate notes and attachment documents and videos explaining how to do each task.

For certain periodic tasks, I create a map showing the high-level workflow with notes and attached sample reports. The consumer gets the high-level view plus the details required to accomplish the task are just a click away. I export the map with HTML5, store the links in SharePoint so that the user always has access to the latest documentation (i.e. Sharepoint documents can change and the map reflects the latest changes).

This documentation helps the individuals understand their roles and gives them an aid in executing their responsibilities. Training a new Accounting staff member becomes much easier as their role is all laid out for them.

  • It's a great place to hide details but have them accessible with a click.
  • There is so much visual feedback possible with the use of intelligent icons (can click on icons to show project on a task), conditional formatting, image insertion, relationship lines, tags
  • The use of filters permits seeing various aspects of your map (e.g. show only the portion of a map for a particular resource, or a particular ranking, or conditional color).
  • Ability to add properties to the map topics, adds to the calculating ability.
  • Automatic task rollup means that progress at lower levels in tasks can roll up to higher level progress icons. Same with calculations rolling up to higher levels.
  • Full project development capabilities, with task defined, resources and appropirate visual feedback. Gantt chart etc.
  • The flowchart capabilities are good but rather basic in terms of availability of flowchart shapes. Swim Lane Diagrams are available but adjusting the number of lanes takes more work than it should.
  • There's a program language available (looks kind of like VBA) but there isn't a getting started manual to describe it. There is a user who is thinking of developing a course and and some pre-course download material but at this point nothing formal for explaining the capabilities of the integrated scripting language.
  • Can't say anything else negative because I'd need to play more with the features I haven't yet used to comment.
Well suited
  1. Knowledge base
  2. Documentation base
  3. Project Management
  4. Project Development (including Agile)
Less appropriate
  1. More sophisticated flowcharts
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
MindManager is currently being used by my team and one other within the IT structure. We use it for many reasons, recently to formulate ideas which help in the development of technical white papers and to gather thoughts and ideas in the development of a team SharePoint site.
  • We use MindManager for gathering thoughts or brain storming. It is particularly good at this and allowing ideas to be shuffled around as needed.
  • I used MindManger in the creation of a technical white paper. It allowed me to add categorized topics and thoughts as I researched the paper.
  • I have used MinManager to capture and categorize business requirements during the initial phases of projects I was working on. And using the icons, I was able to check when they were validated, and what percentage of work completed.
  • The latest version allows for some data modeling capabilities, however they are not up to the level we currently use in Visio.
  • I wish it was easier to create separate groups that could be built upon, instead of one main group and smaller other groups.
  • I wish the linking between groups could be improved. You can add lines between the different topics, however it gets quite messy quickly. Maybe if alternative hierarchy structures could be created between topics, and allow the switching between layouts.


Well suited

  • Brain storming
  • Gathering thoughts and ideas

Less appropriate

  • Data modeling
  • Alternative hierarchy structures
Greg Cimmarrusti, PMP | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I have used MindJet MindManager since 1997 with version 3.0 of the software. I am in project management and it is a trusted tool in my toolbox. I use it for writing meeting notes, presentations, brain storming, and even developing a project plan. It thinks the way that I do and it is very easy for people to follow along either on a projector on on a WebEx.
  • Note taking on very complex subjects. Think of typical meetings that can dart from one topic to another and back again, with traditional note taking this is very hard to do, with MindJet it all part of the process. I particularly like exporting my notes out to MS Word with the MindMap on the cover and a Table of Contents and then a full display of my notes in a hierarchy.
  • Brain storming . . . nothing comes close. Get a room with a projector and your team and you are ready to go without the hassle of some software and since it is visual it is easier for others to make additional associations.
  • Project Planning. Yes you could build out a full project plan and then visually see the Gantt chart created. Work with the teams to do a Work breakdown structure (WBS) and then assign tasks and duration and resources. For small 100 or so line projects, it works great.
  • In version 5 of the software, it integrated with the tasks in MS Outlook. I would create a weekly task list by project and then sync this with Outlook. In version 6 it lost this capability.
  • I am sorry, but I do not see any other weaknesses of the product. Each version has added additional functionality and I plan on upgrading to the latest version shortly.
There are so many uses for MindJet MindManager, but I have to say it makes its home nicely in project management. When comparing against other products of its caliber, I would confirm the easy import/export and sync capability with standard MS products. Also, make sure that the product works on all the different platforms that you may use (e.g. iPad, PC, MAC, etc.).
Christine Hehre | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I currently use MindJet for both personal and professional use. At work, its used for taking meeting notes, making agendas, and mapping out websites. Personally, I use MindJet to take notes in class and map out content so I can see the relationship between ideas and concepts in my grad school classes.

MindJet allows me to see all the items relevant to a topic in one screen and map out the solution or organize the content to make sense for the particular application.
  • Provides an easy way to visualize all relevant aspects of a topic.
  • Ease of editing and moving "ideas" around.
  • Great toolbox for noting differences (colors and fonts, icons) and relationships (groups and relationship lines).
  • Cross-platform compatibility (desktop and tablet/mobile versions) that all work WELL.
  • Formatting can get a little "wonky" at times; colors are sometimes hard to apply.
  • Option for "layered" files (notebooks with each map being a "note") would be nice.
  • Better process for saving templates based on previous maps.
Some applications where it would be well suited include:

  1. Well suited for taking a "data dump" and organizing it more coherently
  2. Shows visual hierarchy well (data that needs to show relationships)
  3. Making notes on a topic quickly that may not follow sequentially (MindJet allows entries to easily be added in any order using a "branched" approach)
Steven Williams | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use MindManager daily and I am in the process of evangelizing it to other groups and departments. I use it to create project plan drafts, interactive job aides, status dashboards, as well as a way to create graphics for instructional materials. For me, MindManager allows me to quickly organize my thoughts and then turn those thoughts into action plans.
  • First and foremost, it is a great way to brainstorm and bring ideas together in a visual way. You can quickly organize these thoughts and idea, link them, prioritize items if needed and add graphics and call-outs to give more direction on what needs more focus and refinement.
  • As a Manager, I need to be able to report on progress to my internal customers and stakeholders. MindManager lets me create project status reports and dashboards that are well organized and easy to read. The ability to then export to an interactive PDF for delivery via email is a great feature. The person reviewing the PDF doesn't need MindManager, yet they can interact with the elements as you designed them.
  • I have been creating instructional materials for various types of businesses and MindManager is a very good tool for laying out the steps in a business process or showing the process flow of a particular application or software project. MindManager lets me create these steps visually while being able to show relationships and other details. I can then save these as PNG files for use in other documents and web pages.
  • When I first started using MindManager, it was very easy to add main topics to the Central Topic. Floating topics were easy to align and use. With the newer versions, some of that control seems to have been lost. It is harder to align and move your main topics around like before.
  • When you exported to the MindManager Viewer ( interactive PDF ) everything stayed aligned just as you had created it. The Viewer document doesn't seem to keep things as aligned. As you expand items, they jump around forcing you to scroll more.
  • In order to keep up with the times, I would like to see more of an effort to be able to export to something more portable such as HTML5 and JavaScript. While Flash will be around in other fashions, the need to have information on mobile devices is pushing the use of other technologies.
I can't really speak to a scenario where I haven't found a use for MindManager. The flexibility of the tool lends itself to all sorts of creative uses. If you compare it to similar tools, one of the first things you need to ask is "what is the learning curve and how quickly can we get up to speed?" The tool is quick to learn and in many cases, I have seen people up and running with it in just a couple of hours. I have reviewed many products like this and nothing really comes as close to having all the features as MindManager.
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