A Freeplane alternative with AI
If you already have years of Freeplane .mm files, you don't want to start over — you
want the maps you've built to get smarter. MindMap Chat imports them and gives
every node an AI you can talk to.
Keep your maps, add the AI
Import a .mm file and it comes across with its structure, notes, tags and styling
intact. From there, every node is a first-class AI context: ask a focused question about one
concept, generate an explanatory note that stays pinned to it, or have the AI extend a branch —
reviewing the change before it's applied, and undoing it in one step if it isn't right.
Still yours, still local
Freeplane's great virtue is that it's a local, file-based tool that doesn't spy on you. MindMap Chat keeps that bargain: the AI runs against a local model (Ollama or LM Studio, set up for you), your database is AES-256 encrypted at rest in a folder you choose, there is no account, and it all works offline.
| Freeplane | MindMap Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (open source) | Free |
| AI | None | Local AI on every node |
| Search | Text search | On-device semantic search |
| Storage | Local .mm files | Local database, encrypted at rest |
| Mobile | — | Android |
Opens your .mm files | Native | Imports them |
Where Freeplane still wins
Freeplane is genuinely open source, endlessly scriptable, and has two decades of features — conditional styles, scripting, add-ons, formats MindMap Chat has no answer to. If you live in those features, keep using it.
Use MindMap Chat when you want to learn from a map rather than just build one — and note that the import is one-way today, so treat it as a companion, not a replacement, until it earns more.
Try it on a real map
Free, no account. Download and import one of your existing .mm files.