Freeplane is a free, open source software application for creating mind maps (diagrams of connections between ideas), and electronic outlines. Written in Java, it is supported on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, and is licensed under the GNU GPL version "2 or later".
In 2007, Freeplane was forked from the FreeMind project. Freeplane maintains partial file format compatibility with FreeMind, fully supporting the FreeMind XML file format, but adds features and tags not supported by FreeMind, which FreeMind ignores on loading.
New features of Freeplane stable release (June 2010) include:
The first stable Freeplane 1.2.x was 1.2.20 released on October 20, 2012. It includes the following new features:
Version 1.3 was published ((date)). New features of 1.3.x included:
The latest stable release is 1.12.18 (February 10, 2026 8 months ago (2026-02-10)) [±].
What is Freeplane?
Freeplane by Open source (developed by Dimitry Polivaev) is open-source Windows software in the office suites category. It ranks 30th by popularity among office suites in this catalogue. It is written in Java. Besides Windows, it is available for cross-platform and Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (Inno Setup) installers for 64-bit Windows. The main installer is 107.3 MB. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.13.3, released on July 14, 2026. The version history goes back to September 20, 2021: 23 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 4.8 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (freeplane/freeplane) has 4,430 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 11 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .mm. Similar programs include TeXstudio, JabRef and Zettlr.
Project description on GitHub: “Application for Mind Mapping, Knowledge Management, Project Management. Develop, organize and communicate your ideas and knowledge in the most effective way.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Also runs on cross-platform and Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: Freeplane is an open-source office suite tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Freeplane safe to download?
- The file is served by sourceforge.net; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
AA47A3B097272D527260C9E92EADC53F03412DB462297FACE33F7C1B08B70E74· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the freeplane/freeplane repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Licence declared10
- No binaries in the repository6
- Code review0
- Restricted token permissions0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- Branch protection0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 23 versions ›23 versions over 5 years · about 4.8 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.13.3Latest | July 14, 2026 | 107.3 MB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.13.2 | February 23, 2026 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.13.1 | February 13, 2026 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.12.18 | February 10, 2026 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.12.16 | January 6, 2026 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.12.15 | January 4, 2026 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.12.14 | September 19, 2025 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 1.12.13 | August 22, 2025 | 1 KB | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup)64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Freeplane.Freeplane -escoop install extras/freeplanedownload /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask freeplaneflatpak install flathub org.freeplane.AppInformation
- Publisher
- Open source
- Developer
- Dimitry Polivaev
- Category
- Office suites
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/freeplane/freeplane
- Written in
- Java
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Other platforms
- cross-platform, Linux
- Version
- 1.13.3
- Released
- July 14, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- September 20, 2021
- Versions listed
- 23
- Updates / year
- 4.8
- GitHub stars
- 4,430
- GitHub forks
- 502
- Website
- docs.freeplane.org
- winget ID
- Freeplane.Freeplane
- Scoop package
- extras/freeplane
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Freeplane free?
Yes. Freeplane is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is Freeplane safe to download?
The download comes from sourceforge.net; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Freeplane with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Freeplane be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Freeplane run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Freeplane?
The versions page lists all 23 versions with links to their official installer files, back to September 20, 2021.
Can I use Freeplane without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Freeplane?
TeXstudio, JabRef, Zettlr, ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors and Zotero. The alternatives page compares them.
