Markmap

Open-source tool that turns Markdown outlines into interactive mind maps.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 4
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Markmap

Markmap takes an ordinary Markdown document and renders its heading and list hierarchy as an interactive, zoomable mind map in SVG, with branches you can fold and unfold. Because the source is plain Markdown, you can write your outline in any editor, keep it in Git, and regenerate the map whenever the text changes. It can be used on the project's online try-it-out page, in VS Code through an extension, from the command line with markmap-cli, in Vim or Neovim, or embedded in web pages and apps with its JavaScript packages, and several note-taking and docs tools integrate it. It is MIT licensed and free. The trade-off is that layout and styling are automatic and limited, and you edit the text rather than the map, so it suits people who already think in outlines rather than those who like dragging branches around.

Best for: Developers and writers who want mind maps generated from Markdown outlines.

What works

Maps generated from plain Markdown
Works in VS Code, the CLI and web pages
Free and MIT licensed
Interactive folding and zooming

Why people leave

Can't edit the map directly
Limited styling and layout control
Needs some technical setup outside the online page

Top Markmap alternatives

See all 4

1
Xmind
Full visual editor if you want to drag and style branches directly.
66.5
2
Freeplane
Free desktop mind mapper that also handles Markdown in nodes.
62.6
3
MindNode
Has an outline view and Markdown import with a polished Apple app.
59.6
4
Mapify
Uses AI to turn documents and videos into maps instead of Markdown.
57.2

Why people left Markmap

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Markmap: common questions

Is Markmap free?

Yes. Markmap is free, open-source software.

Is Markmap open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at markmap/markmap.

What platforms does Markmap run on?

Markmap is available for Web, Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Markmap?

The highest-ranked Markmap alternatives right now are Xmind, Freeplane and MindNode. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 4 Markmap alternatives

Markmap facts

4 of 4 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Input: Markdown; Checked Oct 25, 2026markmap.js.org(opens source in a new tab); “Markmap is a combination of Markdown and mindmap.”
Editor support: VS Code, command line, Vim/Neovim; Checked Oct 25, 2026markmap.js.org(opens source in a new tab); “You can also try it in: VSCode 🚀 command-line: see markmap-cli Vim / Neovim”
CLI: markmap-cli creates a map from a Markdown file; Checked Oct 25, 2026markmap.js.org(opens source in a new tab); “Create a markmap from a Markdown input file”