When comparing Creately vs Freemind, the Slant community recommends Freemind for most people. In the question“What are the best mind mapping tools?” Freemind is ranked 7th while Creately is ranked 30th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Professionally designed templates
The templates are well thought-out and actually helps you get started. Not like many other sites where the details are already filled in.
Pro Easy and simple to use
Consist with an example diagram which we can use to draw the diagram.
Most required diagrams are available.
Pro Works across all operating system (Windows/MacOS/Linux)
Does not require flash.
Pro Intuitive UI
Easy to use drag and drop interface and a contextual toolbar that shows you all the important actions when you select an object. The automatic creation and connecting of next object alone saves tons of time.
Pro Real time collaboration
You can invite anyone by their email addresses to collaborate with your diagram. You can see others' changes to the diagram real time with the Creately Online and Desktop app.
Pro Visio Import
Pro iSO and Android apps to view diagrams
You can't edit diagram using the apps but provides a nice clean interface to view, share and comment on them.
Pro SVG import and export
Creately supports SVG (Scalar Vector Graphics) import and export to make your diagrams more attractive. It allows you to re-size your diagram as much as you want without getting it messed up.
Pro Free and open source
Pro Intuitive UI with drag and drop support
For the most part, navigating the editor is pretty intuitive - moving around is done by clicking and dragging the background, clicking on nodes will expand/collapse them, dragging and dropping in files will add them, etc. It also offers shortcuts for power users. For example, ctrl + up/down will rearrange ideas up/down, alt +up/down will zoom in/out, etc.
Pro Lots of export options, including html with folding
Freemind offers many choices when exporting. It allows exporting the project as Java Applet, Flash file, Open Office Writer document, picture (png, jpg), PDF, SVG, multiple variants of (x)html, among other options.
Pro Can copy entire hierarchy to/from Word with a simple copy/paste action
Freemind allows quickly copying over structure of the mindmap as a bulleted, tab-indented list starting at the node selected. It can also take a bulleted, tab-indented list and create a mindmap from it.
Pro Fullscreen mode available with a patch
A user-contributed patch is available that adds fullscreen mode to FreeMind.
Pro Good documentation
Pro Cross-platform desktop and mobile
Works on Windows, OS X, Linux, iOS and Android.
Pro Revision control
Pro Supports media files, recognizes URLs and commands
Freemind accepts drag-and-drop for any kind of file, URL or command as part of the mindmap. Files it recognizes, like images, will be displayed. Other files will open in a separate, appropriate application. URLs, links to folders, and executable commands pasted in will be recognized and turned in to clickable links.
Pro Supports node and map encryption
Pro Multi-user support
Cons
Con Watermark on export for free users
If you are a free user, exporting a document will create a watermark.
Con Web version requires Flash
Flash is known to have security flaws and use high resources.
Con Dekstop version is commercial
If you want to use dekstop version, you need to pay $75.00/ user.
Con Unintuitive interface
The interface and shortcuts are unintuitive and difficult to customize.