XMind 3.0 is a hybrid online/offline mind-mapping tool which offers free and Pro services alongside a full open source code option. The tool works on Mac, PC and Linux and comes with all the usual productivity features you’d expect to find. We’ve recommended Mindmeister in the past, but I’ve got to say that I now find it a little too cumbersome to use, whereas XMind is simple enough to use in a matter of seconds.

There are a couple of nice touches too, like the built in outliner view which gives you a conventional outline mode alongside the graphical map if you’re happier working that way. The hybrid upload function to share maps is also an excellent option. The interface is nice and easy to use, with lots of right mouse click flexibility, but not at the expense of click and drag speed. Tabbed project sheets, plug-ins and multi-language support, a lovely set of graphical icons and auto-save options round out a really excellent feature set.

The only caveat I would make is the slight bugginess of the code, make sure you save often, as you’re likely to lose your sheet at times which can be v annoying. The bugs are noted on the Readme, so it’s clearly a work in progress.