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Feature checklists make every tool look equivalent. This table leads with the three things that actually differ — what it costs you before it works, whether your files leave your device, and where the free version stops.
| Markmapmarkmap.js.org | Cogglecoggle.it | Excalidrawexcalidraw.com | Mermaid Live Editormermaid.live | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Turns a Markdown outline into a collapsible mind map as you type | Mind maps that stay readable as branches multiply | Hand-drawn-looking whiteboard that opens instantly with no sign-up | Write a diagram as text and watch it render beside you |
| What it costs you | No sign-upWorks the moment the page loads. No account, no email, no trial. | Free tierA genuinely usable free tier with paid plans for volume or team features. | No sign-upWorks the moment the page loads. No account, no email, no trial. | No sign-upWorks the moment the page loads. No account, no email, no trial. |
| Your files | Runs on your device | Runs on their server | Runs on your device | Runs on your device |
| Where it stops | The layout is generated from your Markdown nesting and cannot be rearranged by hand. | Only three private diagrams on the free plan — diagram four onwards is created public. | Local drawings have no version history — clearing browser storage loses them permanently. | Layout is decided by the renderer — if it routes an edge badly there is no way to drag it. |
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| Category | Diagrams & Whiteboards | Diagrams & Whiteboards | Diagrams & Whiteboards | Diagrams & Whiteboards |
| Last checked | 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 | 2026-07-29 |
| Open the site | Open | Open | Open | Open |
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