Martin JørgensenScapple – A simple, flexible tool for brainstorming on Mac and Windows
Scapple is a visual brainstorming tool from the makers of Scrivener, aimed especially at creatives, writers, and students who want a freer alternative to traditional mind mapping. While apps like XMind and MindNode use fixed hierarchical structures, Scapple instead offers a blank, unlimited canvas — and that’s precisely its biggest strength.
Mind maps without structure: How Scapple works
In Scapple, you start with a blank canvas where you can double-click to add a thought, idea, quote, or keyword. You decide how to organize these elements and can draw connection lines between them if you want — but it’s entirely optional.
You’re not tied to a central topic or a fixed structure. That makes Scapple especially well-suited for:
- Plot development for authors
- Lecture notes
- Concept development for projects
- Gathering research and sources
You can add notes in different sizes, fonts, and colors, and move anything around with the mouse. It feels like working with sticky notes — only digital and clutter-free.
Full-screen focus – especially strong on Mac
On Mac, Scapple supports full-screen mode and Mission Control, so you can work without distractions on one screen without being tempted by emails, social media, or news sites. This feature is ideal for deep focus and is unfortunately missing in many similar apps.
The Windows version has the same core features, though the overall Mac integration is a bit more polished. In practice, that difference is minor.
Comparison: Scapple vs. XMind
| Feature | Scapple | XMind |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $12 (one-time purchase) | Free and Pro versions |
| Structure | Freeform, no hierarchy | Classic mind map structure |
| Ease of use | Highly intuitive | More features, but more complex |
| Export | PDF, text, image | PDF, PNG, DOCX, etc. |
| Target audience | Writers, creatives | Business, education, personal |
Although XMind offers more features for free, Scapple is much faster and easier for creative workflows. It’s ideal when you don’t need presentation-ready diagrams but want to capture and organize ideas quickly.
Top 5 tips for Scapple
Use colors for categories
Create clarity by color-coding your notes — e.g., red for problems, green for solutions, and blue for ideas in progress. You can set the background color for each note so you can quickly distinguish different types of information. Colors work especially well on larger boards with many elements.
Zoom and pan
Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) and use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out. On a large board, this quickly becomes indispensable. Right-click and drag to pan around — it’s like moving the paper on a physical whiteboard. That way you keep the overview without moving the elements.
Create groups without borders
When you hold Shift and drag a rectangle around multiple notes, they’re temporarily grouped. That lets you move or edit many elements at once — perfect if, for example, an idea has several sub-points. You can also use this to temporarily group related notes without drawing visible boxes.
Export as PDF for sharing
Scapple supports export to PDF, images, and text files. If you need to share your ideas — for example with a project team, in class, or in an editorial setting — PDF export is ideal. You can export the entire board or just a selection and adjust the size to fit the purpose.
Combine with Scrivener
Do you use Scrivener to write stories, theses, or scripts? Scapple is made by the same company and integrates seamlessly with Scrivener. For example, start brainstorming in Scapple, drag your notes into Scrivener, and then build your project from there. It makes the writing process more dynamic and organized — especially for larger projects.
