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Productivity · head to head

MindMeister vs RowShare

MindMeister logo

MindMeister

Productivity

Collaborative online mind mapping, free for three maps in total

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
RowShare logo

RowShare

Productivity

Shared online table where each contributor sees only their own rows

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MindMeister has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: MindMeister the free plan allows three mind maps in total, and a map is a whole document rather than an item, so the cap is reached in a first afternoon of genuine use, making it a demonstration with no clock rather than a usable tier.; RowShare it is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • They diverge on capability: MindMeister covers Real-time collaboration, RowShare covers Row-level permissions.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which MindMeister and RowShare actually diverge.

Attributes where MindMeister and RowShare differ
AttributeMindMeisterRowShare
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 MindMeister

  • Real-time collaboration
  • Presentation mode
  • Free plan
  • File export
  • Attachments
  • Version history
  • MeisterTask handoff
  • Custom branding

Only in RowShare

  • Row-level permissions
  • Column-level permissions
  • Typed columns
  • Forms
  • Automatic reminders
  • Microsoft Teams integration
  • Zapier connections
  • Excel import and export

What people use each for

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

MindMeister

  • Running a live brainstorm with people in different places, where everyone edits the same map simultaneously.not RowShare
  • Teaching or training where the map doubles as the slide deck through presentation mode.not RowShare
  • Structuring a project or an argument visually before it becomes a document or a plan.not RowShare
  • Teams already using MeisterTask who want ideas to become tasks without transcribing them.not RowShare

RowShare

  • Collecting a recurring return such as timesheets, budget lines or stock counts where contributors must not see each other's entries.not MindMeister
  • Replacing an emailed spreadsheet that one person consolidates by hand at the end of every month.not MindMeister
  • A shared list where some columns belong to the contributor and others are only for the administrator.not MindMeister
  • A structured departmental table inside Microsoft Teams that does not warrant a full database or a heavier platform licence.not MindMeister

Where each one falls short

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

MindMeister

  • The free plan allows three mind maps in total, and a map is a whole document rather than an item, so the cap is reached in a first afternoon of genuine use, making it a demonstration with no clock rather than a usable tier.
  • Exporting is a paid feature, since the free plan cannot export files at all, Microsoft-format export begins at the Pro tier and compliance export at Business, so retrieving your own work in a portable form costs more than the entry subscription.
  • Pricing is per user and a map's value comes from being seen, so an organisation pays the same rate for people who only read and comment on maps as for the few who actually build them.
  • Attachments are rationed by tier at two per map on the entry plan, so using a map as a project hub rather than a sketch pushes you to a higher tier for a limit that has nothing to do with mapping.
  • Single sign-on and the administrative controls an IT department requires sit on the Business tier and involve a sales conversation, which is where a tool adopted quietly by individuals becomes an organisational purchase at several times the entry price.

RowShare

  • It is a table rather than a spreadsheet, so the formula and analysis capability people expect from Excel is not there, and anything requiring modelling or charting has to be exported and finished elsewhere.
  • It is a small independent product, so putting a recurring business process on it means a single vendor decision can end that process, and unlike the larger alternatives there is no ecosystem or partner network to fall back on.
  • Integration is largely through Zapier rather than deep native connectors, which adds an intermediary service, another subscription and another place for a data flow to fail silently.
  • The niche it occupies is increasingly covered by list tools included in Microsoft 365, so the purchase has to be justified against something the organisation may already be paying for and already administers.
  • Licensing in this category is per user, so if contributors need accounts rather than form links, an occasional contributor costs the same per head as a daily one, and it is worth confirming which model applies before planning a rollout.

Pricing, plan by plan

MindMeister

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 mind maps
    • Unlimited collaborators
    • Templates
  • Personal$6/month
    • Unlimited mind maps
    • 2 attachments per map
    • 7-day version history
  • Pro$10/month
    • Unlimited attachments
    • Unlimited version history
    • Multiple admins
  • Business$15/month
    • Group sharing
    • Compliance exports/backups
    • SAML SSO (contact sales)

RowShare

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the RowShare review.

Which should you pick?

Choose MindMeister if

  • You need real-time collaboration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want presentation mode.
MindMeister review

Choose RowShare if

  • You need row-level permissions.
  • You also want column-level permissions.
RowShare review

Questions people ask

Is MindMeister or RowShare better?
Neither clearly leads. MindMeister starts at Free and RowShare at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, MindMeister or RowShare?
MindMeister has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for MindMeister and On request for RowShare.
Does MindMeister or RowShare run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use MindMeister for free?
Yes. MindMeister has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RowShare starts at On request.
What is MindMeister best used for?
MindMeister is most often used for running a live brainstorm with people in different places, where everyone edits the same map simultaneously., teaching or training where the map doubles as the slide deck through presentation mode., structuring a project or an argument visually before it becomes a document or a plan., teams already using meistertask who want ideas to become tasks without transcribing them.. Of those, running a live brainstorm with people in different places, where everyone edits the same map simultaneously. and teaching or training where the map doubles as the slide deck through presentation mode. are not what RowShare is typically brought in for.
What can MindMeister do that RowShare cannot?
MindMeister covers Real-time collaboration, Presentation mode, Free plan, File export. RowShare covers Row-level permissions, Column-level permissions, Typed columns, Forms.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

MindMeister: What does the free plan allow?

Three mind maps in total, with unlimited collaborators, templates and presentation mode. It does not include file export, so maps made on the free plan stay in the browser.

RowShare: How is this different from a shared spreadsheet?

Sharing is per row rather than per file. Everyone works in one table, and each person sees only their own rows, which removes the consolidation step rather than speeding it up.

MindMeister: Can I export my maps?

On paid plans. The entry tier adds file export and printing, and Microsoft formats arrive at Pro. What comes out is an image, a PDF or a document, not an editable map another tool can open.

RowShare: Can I get my data out?

Tables export to Excel and CSV, so the data itself moves. The permission structure, forms and reminders that made the process work do not, so an exit means rebuilding the workflow.

MindMeister: Does it work offline?

Treat it as needing a connection. If you are running a workshop somewhere with unreliable network, export or print what you need beforehand rather than relying on the browser.

RowShare: Is it a database?

No. It is a permissioned table with typed columns, not a relational store you can query, so it collects structured data rather than modelling it.

MindMeister: How does it relate to MeisterTask?

Same vendor, separate products and separate licences. Map branches can be sent into MeisterTask as tasks, which is the main reason to prefer it over a general whiteboard tool.

RowShare: Who is behind it?

A French vendor with named enterprise customers. It is a small company, so weigh continuity carefully before making it the home of a process you expect to run for years.

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Related pages

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