When comparing Freeplane vs The Brain, the Slant community recommends Freeplane for most people. In the question“What are the best mind mapping tools?” Freeplane is ranked 3rd while The Brain is ranked 8th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Free and open-source (FOSS)
Pro Supports most used *.mm file format
Pro Easy to use
Pro Possesses all Freemind pros and more
Pro Developed by veteran FreeMind devs
Pro Cloud syncing
With an account for syncing on their servers, you can run the brain on multiple computers.
Pro Good support
Worthwhile support is offered, especially for those that pay for a subscription.
Cons
Con Not as beautiful as XMind
Con Does not have a mobile counterpart
You have to find yourself other tools (using the interoperable mm) on mobiles.
Con Expensive
There is either a $15 a month subscription fee or a license that ranges from $219 to $299. There is a 30 day free trial for those who would like to test it before subscribing or purchasing, but overall to use this app it can be pricey.
Con High learning curve
There is a little bit of a learning curve with all software, and this is no exception.