Is HEY or Xmind better?

Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Xmind at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, HEY or Xmind?

Xmind has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Xmind.

Does HEY or Xmind run on more platforms?

HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Xmind runs on Web.

Can I use Xmind for free?

Yes. Xmind has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.

What is HEY best used for?

HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Xmind is typically brought in for.

What can HEY do that Xmind cannot?

HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Productivity · head to head

HEY vs Xmind

HEY

Productivity

Flat annual subscription email service from 37signals, with its own hey.com domain and a distinctive Screener

From: $99/year
Rated: -

Full review Website

Xmind

Productivity

For anyone to explore classic and essential mind mapping features to organize their ideas easily

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only Xmind has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: HEY there is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.; Xmind free plan limited to 10 maps
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which HEY and Xmind actually diverge.

Attributes where HEY and Xmind differ
Attribute	HEY	Xmind
Starting price	$99/year	Free
Pricing model	Per user per month	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android	Web

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in HEY

The Screener
Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
Reply Later stack
Focus and Reply mode
Screen sharing style clips
No tracking pixels

Only in Xmind

Nothing recorded that HEY does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

HEY

Someone who wants to replace Gmail or iCloud Mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inboxnot Xmind
A user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversationnot Xmind
A family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plannot Xmind
A small company wanting HEY for Work on its own domain with the Screener model for the whole teamnot Xmind

Xmind

Team mind mapping and brainstormingnot HEY
Project management with Gantt chartsnot HEY
Real-time collaborative planningnot HEY

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

HEY

There is no free tier and no monthly billing option, so trying it beyond the trial means committing to a full year upfront.
Adopting HEY means changing your actual email address, not just installing a new client, which is a bigger migration than switching apps on an existing address.
The Screener and categorisation model is a real departure from a standard inbox, and some users take time to adjust or find it gets in the way for high volume mail.
Short vanity addresses carry steep additional annual fees, up to 999 US dollars a year for a two character address.
It does not connect to or manage existing Gmail, Outlook or iCloud accounts, so it cannot be used as a general client the way Mimestream or Apple Mail can.

Xmind

Free plan limited to 10 maps
7-day free trial only available for annual Premium subscriptions, not monthly
Pro plan limits collaboration to 50 maps

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

$99/year

HEY for You$99/year
- One hey.com email address
- Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail
- Billed annually only, no monthly option
HEY for Families$179/year
- Covers up to five family members
- Same features as HEY for You per member
HEY for Work$12/month
- Per user, for organisations on a company domain
- Admin controls for a team

Xmind

Free

FreeFree
- Up to 10 online maps
- Basic themes and stickers
- 3-day version history
Pro$4.92/month
- Up to 50 online maps with basic collaboration
- Links, numbering, and attachments
- Custom themes
Premium$8.25/month
- Unlimited collaborative maps
- Real-time collaboration
- 30-day version history

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

You need the screener.
You work on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
You also want imbox, feed and paper trail.

HEY review

Choose Xmind if

You want to start without paying.

Xmind review

Questions people ask

Is HEY or Xmind better?: Neither clearly leads. HEY starts at $99/year and Xmind at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, HEY or Xmind?: Xmind has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for HEY and Free for Xmind.
Does HEY or Xmind run on more platforms?: HEY runs on Mac, Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Xmind runs on Web.
Can I use Xmind for free?: Yes. Xmind has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. HEY starts at $99/year.
What is HEY best used for?: HEY is most often used for someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox, a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation, a family that wants shared but individually addressed email under one annual plan, a small company wanting hey for work on its own domain with the screener model for the whole team. Of those, someone who wants to replace gmail or icloud mail entirely with an email service built around approving senders before they reach the inbox and a user overwhelmed by newsletters and receipts who wants them automatically separated from person to person conversation are not what Xmind is typically brought in for.
What can HEY do that Xmind cannot?: HEY covers The Screener, Imbox, Feed and Paper Trail, Reply Later stack, Focus and Reply mode.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

HEY: Can I use HEY with my existing Gmail address?

No. HEY provides its own hey.com email address; it is not a client layered over an existing Gmail or other account.

Xmind: Can I use XMind free?

Yes, free plan includes up to 10 online maps, basic themes, 3-day version history, map publishing, and 50 AI credits.

Source

HEY: Is there a free plan?

No. HEY offers a trial but bills annually only, with no free tier and no month to month option for individuals.

Xmind: How much is the Premium plan monthly?

Premium plan is $8.25 per month with unlimited collaborative maps and 500 monthly AI credits.

Source

HEY: What is the Screener?

A feature that holds mail from any new sender until the user explicitly approves them, before it appears in the inbox at all.

Xmind: Does yearly billing save money?

Yes, yearly billing offers up to 50% off compared to monthly pricing on all paid plans.

Source

Xmind: How many devices can one subscription cover?

One subscription covers up to 5 Mac/PC devices and 5 mobile devices simultaneously.

Source

HEY vs Xmind

HEY

Xmind

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in HEY

Only in Xmind

What people use each for

HEY

Xmind

Where each one falls short

HEY

Xmind

Pricing, plan by plan

HEY

Xmind

Which should you pick?

Choose HEY if

Choose Xmind if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on HEY

More on Xmind

Keep looking

Other head to heads