Start with what you have: a PDF paper, meeting notes, or a YouTube lecture. These are different inputs into the same MindLM editor. Choose a route below, check the Free limits, and inspect a saved example before uploading your own material.
Check the file size and text range before generation. Compare branches with the paper and add section or table references to figures you plan to cite. AI can merge sections; the map is a reading aid.
Use text input when you already have notes. Check owners, deadlines and conditions before renaming nodes. The tutorial includes a source and downloadable outline to practice with.
Generate from accessible captions and select Chinese or another output language. Revisit the video for formulas, diagrams and demonstrations. Branches are not timestamped video links. Free includes one trial up to 20 minutes.
MindLM includes Markdown export on Free. Save your edits, download the .md file and move it into your vault. Add the source and your questions. It is a text outline, with no automatic visualization or two-way sync.
Credits and daily limits are separate. You get 10 credits on signup and 1 per daily login. Free allows at most 3 maps/day, each requiring sufficient credits; it does not grant 3 free maps every day. Check the quote before generation.
Inputs have different limits. Without an account: 3 lifetime tries shared across text, webpages and small uploads (4 MB files, PDFs up to 20 pages, 5,000 characters each), plus one separate no-sign-in YouTube try (up to 20 minutes) on the YouTube tool page. Signed in on Free: text, webpages, PDFs/documents, eBooks and images; documents up to 10 MB and 100,000 extracted characters, plus one YouTube trial up to 20 minutes that does not reset daily. Ongoing YouTube, audio, podcast and X-thread input requires Pro/Max; generation still uses credits.
Editable does not mean every editing action is free. Free supports renaming nodes and PNG, Markdown and XMind exports. Add/delete nodes and SVG require Pro/Max. You can try text without an account 3 times, up to 5,000 characters each; sign in to save, edit and export.
Check all plan and credit details →Separate AI source summarization from manual mapping, then check input, editing and export access together. Compiled by the MindLM team from official pages, checked 2026-10-10. This is not a same-source generation benchmark, and providers' credits are not interchangeable.
Swipe the table to see editing and export limits.
| Tool / official source | When it fits | Free allowance | Editing and exports |
|---|---|---|---|
| MindLM | PDFs or notes that need a downloadable Markdown outline | 10 signup credits; +1 per daily login; at most 3 maps/day, each requiring sufficient credits | Free: rename nodes, export PNG / Markdown / XMind. Add/delete nodes and SVG require Pro/Max |
| MindMap AI | Ongoing manual mapping with occasional AI text generation | Free: 50 AI credits/month; unlimited manual mapping | Free includes Markdown export. PDF upload is listed on paid plans; free manual maps do not mean free PDF conversion |
| Mapify | Multiple input formats with paid exports or video timestamps | Free: 30 one-time AI credits, not a monthly allowance | Free lists map editing; Markdown / PDF / SVG exports are listed on Basic, audio/video timestamps on Pro |
| Markmap | An existing Markdown outline that only needs visualization | MIT-licensed tool; the renderer does not generate content with AI credits | Renders the Markdown hierarchy; source extraction and AI summarization are separate steps |
MindLM currently does not fit live collaborative editing or clicking nodes to seek within a video. If you already have a Markdown outline, try rendering it with Markmap before paying for another AI summary. Markmap source and license
Paste meeting notes, a draft, or a chat transcript and get it back as a mind map organized by topic. It is the quickest way in: nothing to upload, and you get three free tries without creating an account.
Turn long text into a mind mapDrop in an article or documentation URL and MindLM strips navigation, ads, and comments before mapping the body text. Useful for long reads you want to skim before committing an hour to them.
Turn a webpage into a mind mapTry a text-based PDF without signing up (4 MB, 20 pages, first 5,000 characters) or sign in to upload up to 10 MB with no page cap. Free reads up to 100,000 extracted characters; Pro and Max raise that to 300,000 and 600,000. Compare the outline with the source—AI may regroup or omit sections.
Summarize a PDF into a mind mapUpload a Word file, plain text, Markdown, subtitle file, or an EPUB book and get one editable outline back. Free reads up to 100,000 characters per file, enough for a long report; Max reads up to 600,000, roughly a full-length nonfiction book.
Summarize a document or eBook into a mind mapUpload a screenshot, slide, or photo of a printed page. Without an account, try one image up to 4 MB as part of your 3 shared tries. Signed in: PNG, JPG, and WEBP up to 10 MB on every plan, included in Free.
Turn an image or screenshot into a mind mapBuild a lecture or tutorial outline from readable captions, then check visuals against the video. Try 1 video up to 20 minutes without signing up (no credits), or sign up for 1 more try (uses credits); ongoing use requires Pro or Max.
Convert a YouTube video to a mind mapUpload a lecture, interview, voice memo, or meeting recording and MindLM transcribes the speech before mapping it by topic. Files up to 20 MB in MP3, M4A, WAV, and seven other formats. Available on Pro and Max.
Turn an audio recording into a mind mapSearch a show by name, pick one episode, and MindLM maps it from the episode’s show notes, so there is no transcription wait. Works best for shows that publish detailed notes. Available on Pro and Max.
Turn a podcast into a mind mapPaste a thread URL and the posts are regrouped by idea instead of by posting order, so a long thread reads like an outline. Available on Pro and Max.
Convert a Twitter thread to a mind mapWe compared MindLM and Mapify head to head on inputs, editing, exports, and pricing.
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