Free online mind map maker
Type your main idea, add branches with two keys, color them and rearrange them by dragging. Export as an image or a PDF. Free, no account needed, on computer and on mobile.
- Free
- No sign-up
- PNG, SVG, PDF export
- Templates included
100% private — Everything is processed directly in your browser: your files, voice, and image are never sent to Chatzam's servers.
How to make a mind map
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Write your central idea
A sample map is already on screen. Double-click (or double-tap) the middle node to type your topic, or load a study, project or brainstorming template, or a blank map.
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Add branches
Select an idea and press Tab to add a sub-idea, or Enter to add an idea at the same level. On mobile, use the Child and Sibling buttons. Type a keyword or a short phrase, then press Enter to confirm.
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Organize, color, export
Drag an idea onto another to move it with its whole branch, fold branches with the small circle, and change a branch's color. Then download the map as PNG, SVG or PDF.
Everything you need to think, study and present
Balanced automatic layout
Ideas spread out on the right and left of the center without overlapping, and each idea centers itself on its sub-ideas. Nothing to line up by hand: you focus on the content.
Fast with a keyboard, easy with a finger
Tab, Enter, arrow keys, Delete, F2, Space to fold, Ctrl+Z to undo. On touch screens: tap to select, double-tap to edit, drag to move, pinch to zoom.
Branch colors and templates
Each main branch gets its own color, passed on to its sub-ideas, and you can change it. Three ready-to-adapt templates: study notes, project plan, brainstorming.
Export and auto-save
PNG image, SVG vector drawing, PDF through the print dialog, and a JSON file to back up the map or move it to another device. The map saves itself in your browser as you work.
What is a mind map?
A mind map is a diagram that organizes ideas around one central topic. Main branches grow out from the center and split into smaller branches, so every idea is linked to the one it comes from. Popularized by Tony Buzan in the 1970s, the format works because it mirrors the way the brain connects ideas: you see a whole subject and the links between its parts at a glance, something a list or a block of text shows far less clearly. It is also called a spider diagram, a concept map or a brainstorm map.
How to make a good mind map
Start with the topic in the center, in just a few words. Then add the main branches: the key themes, five to eight at most so the map stays readable. On each branch, write a keyword or a very short phrase rather than a full sentence; details go on the next level of branches. Give each main branch its own color, which helps memory. Feel free to move ideas around: drag one onto another to attach it to a new branch. Finally, read the map from the center outward and fold the branches you no longer need to keep the view clean.
What can you use a mind map for?
Students use mind maps to study: summarizing a chapter, connecting the concepts of a course, or preparing a presentation or an oral exam. At work, a mind map helps prepare a meeting, plan a project, organize a marketing plan or outline a document before writing it. In a brainstorming session, you can jot down every idea without sorting it, then group them. It is also handy for planning a trip, a move or a family event. The built-in templates (study notes, project, brainstorming) give you a first structure that you adapt by renaming, adding or deleting branches.
Using the mind map maker on computer and mobile
On a computer, everything works from the keyboard: Tab adds a sub-idea, Enter adds a sibling idea, F2 or a double-click edits, Delete removes, the space bar folds a branch, the arrow keys move from idea to idea and Alt + up or down arrow changes the order. Ctrl + mouse wheel zooms. On a phone, the buttons above the map act on the selected idea, you move an idea by dragging it, and you pinch with two fingers to zoom. To share your map, export it as PNG or PDF (choose "Save as PDF" in the print window), or keep the JSON file to reopen the map later.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a mind map on my computer?
Double-click the central idea to type your topic, then press Tab to add a branch and Enter to add an idea at the same level. Type, press Enter to confirm, and repeat. Drag ideas to rearrange them and download the map as PNG or PDF.
How do I make a mind map on my phone?
Tap an idea to select it, then use the Child, Sibling, Edit or Delete buttons above the map. Double-tap an idea to edit it, drag it to move it, pinch with two fingers to zoom and drag the background to move around the map.
How do I save or export my mind map?
Use the download buttons below the map: PNG for an image, SVG for an editable vector drawing, PDF through the print window (choose "Save as PDF"). The JSON button saves the complete map, which you can import again later or on another device.
Is my map saved? Where?
Yes, automatically, in your device's browser: you will find it again when you come back to this page. It is not sent to a server. Since clearing your browser data deletes it, download the JSON file if the map matters to you.
How do I change the color of a branch?
Select the idea the branch starts from, then click a color in the row of swatches, or the rainbow swatch to pick any color. Sub-ideas without their own color take the color of their branch.
Is there a size limit?
A map can hold up to 2,000 ideas, which is plenty for a course or a project. Once you have more than a few dozen ideas, fold branches with the small circle to keep the overview readable.