Although teams are increasingly looking for tech-driven solutions in place of manual tasks, you'll always need quality brainstorming tools to throw around ideas and come up with innovative breakthroughs.
Yes, we've moved on from A3 sheets of paper and a few felt tips to more sophisticated creative thinking software, but the essence is the same: A focal point to spark, gather, and decide on ideas.
In this article, we're going to look at 10 online brainstorming platforms that work equally well for remote teams as they do for office-based organizations. Each facilitates better communication, idea generation, and problem-solving for companies of all sizes. Artificial intelligence (AI), integrations, and automations are breaking into uncharted territory where more and more blockers are being removed, allowing productivity and creativity to take center stage.
So, if you feel like you're lacking a bit of inspiration, see how these team idea generation tools can inject a new lease of life into your business.
1. Bitrix24 — The best brainstorming software on a fully integrated system
Bitrix24 has had excellent brainstorming tools for some time now, with the Mind Map integration providing customizable templates to clearly display collaborative efforts on screen. A series of interconnected nodes make models easy to follow, even for team members who weren't part of the initial discussion.
However, the introduction of our AI-powered CoPilot has taken Bitrix24’s functionality to the next level. Much like a hyper-intelligent co-worker, CoPilot is always there to assist you across all of your tasks, from coming up with ideas for marketing campaigns and writing company announcements on your feed to auto-filling CRM deals and leads.
As a brainstorming tool, CoPilot’s natural language processing technology will expand your fledgling ideas, offer constructive criticism, find logical fallacies, and more to help you craft better solutions. CoPilot stays by your side throughout the session, offering relevant information, statistics, and insights to help you refine your ideas on the fly. So, throw ideas back and forth with your GPT colleague in a chat, weigh up the pros and cons together, and choose an optimum solution.
It even enhances more traditional team brainstorming applications. For example, you can record video call sessions, and CoPilot will transcribe every word and draw out key talking points for a quick, effortless summary.
Of course, video conferencing is at the heart of remote brainstorming sessions, and Bitrix24 provides a series of features to get those creative juices flowing. Breakout rooms help to ensure the originality of ideas and virtual whiteboards create a visual reference point to guide discussions.
Unlike more dedicated software, Bitrix24 gives you a spectrum of extra tools for brainstorming. Shared documents are great for asynchronous building of ideas, while group instant messenger chats are the perfect place for quick-fire collaboration between multiple people.
Bitrix24 provides AI-assisted brainstorming tools as part of a wider business ecosystem
Build on ideas, throw suggestions at a mind map, schedule and run meetings, create visual resources with Bitrix24
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2. MindMeister — An easy interface with advanced integrations
MindMeister is one of the more purist mind-mapping tools for groups with an easy interface for beginners to pick up and start moving.
The small learning curve puts MindMeister among the best brainstorming tools for teams that want quick results without too much process. Real-time updates mean remote workers don't have to wait for a series of suggestions to be sent via email; they can watch as they appear on the screen and reply in kind.
It's fair to say that MindMeister’s simplicity also spreads to the options it gives you. Nowhere near as rich as Bitrix24 for techy features, it at least has a comprehensive list of integrations to exploit. For example, the native integration with MeisterTask converts brainstorming notes into a series of tasks to be executed. This stops great ideas from falling through the cracks while drawing very few resources away from your more creative work.
3. Miro — Specialist boards for ambitious organizations
Miro provides brainstorming tools for teams that run large-scale sessions where ideas run wide and deep. With a virtually limitless canvas, you can explore the broad strokes before going down the hierarchy into the finer details of every branch. The result is fully formed projects, rather than vague suggestions that never go into production.
Pre-built templates jump-start your sessions by putting most of the key elements in place before you start customizing. Choose from SWOT analysis, Lean Canvas, user story maps, and more. Facilitation features like voting, timers, and screen sharing help moderators manage sessions effectively, ensuring that every participant’s voice is heard and that the discussion remains focused and time-efficient.
Although its brainstorming tools don't have in-built project management options, Miro has extensive integrations with some of the top project apps, so you can transfer your ideas sessions into actionable steps. This helps to overcome one of the most common pitfalls of online brainstorming platforms: Coming up with great ideas but providing no roadmap to implement them.
4. Brainstormer.online — The creative’s choice for collaborative brainstorming
Unleash your creativity and find innovative solutions with Brainstormer.online, a free tool for collaborative online brainstorming. Start by configuring session details like title, description, privacy, and invitations. Pose a question or challenge to spark idea generation. Participants contribute by writing ideas on the virtual whiteboard, attaching images, links, and comments.
Ideas are then voted on to identify the most relevant or interesting ones. Organize ideas by grouping similar ones or creating categories to aid decision-making. Export the ideas in PDF or CSV formats for sharing or record-keeping.
The free version of Brainstormer.online includes unlimited sessions and invitations, a virtual whiteboard, idea voting, and idea export in PDF or CSV. It allows privacy settings, time limits for idea generation, and customization of the whiteboard background. Limitations include no history of previous ideas, no templates for sessions, and no integration with other productivity tools.
Brainstormer.online is a simple, practical tool for team-based online brainstorming, providing essential functions for idea generation, organization, and decision-making. For additional features, consider subscribing to the paid version.
5. Ideament — Clean, simple mind maps and flowcharts
Ideament is quite a niche in the world of brainstorming tools as it is rather difficult to find on the internet, accessible mainly through third-party download links. It is a basic creative thinking software, available for free, although you need to upgrade to remove the limit on the number of ideas.
This app is a space to draw diagrams such as mind maps, concept maps, or flowcharts and convert them into a text outline for clarity. You also have the option of working the other way around by inputting text and producing visual representations of it. The thinking is that you can copy text from a document or email, paste it into the app, and automatically create an idea.
Even the upgraded price is very affordable, so there’s little risk in giving Ideament a go. However, due to the limited functionalities it provides, Ideament is mainly recommended for teams with the most restrictive budgets.
6. Stormboard — AI-driven brainstorming with a wealth of practical applications
Like other leading brainstorming tools, Stormboard has injected AI into its services, turning unstructured human interactions into organized summaries that make sense when you look back at them. Aimed at data-heavy companies, their collaboration tools for brainstorming can absorb and sort big data sets and export accurate reports in multiple formats.
Wherever they are in the world, team members can add text, videos, files, freeform drawings, images, or index cards, giving you a great deal of creative freedom. People can add to the whiteboard whenever inspiration strikes, meaning less time is dedicated to meetings. Then, you can create connections between related ideas to make sense of your collaborative boards.
Timers can add structure to your virtual brainstorming sessions and stop them from overrunning, while voting features give instant feedback without opening up to a discussion forum. Post-meeting, Stormboard allows you to export your data in a vast array of editable formats, giving you a clear, reliable summary.
7. SimpleMind — Beautiful mind maps for design-focused thinkers
SimpleMind’s name summarizes exactly what it does: Simple mind-mapping tools for groups and individuals who need to make sense of complex thought processes. The limited free version is good to get you off the ground, whereas the paid version gives you far more functionalities such as auto-layouts, integrations with cloud-based storage devices, labeling, and checkboxes.
Where SimpleMind really stands out among brainstorming tools is in its look and feel. Aesthetically minded teams can add color, images, and photos; customize topics and lines; and add notes and links to ideas. This is more than just a pretty interface. Cluttered mind maps can be counterproductive, putting people off using them because of the navigational headache.
If you’re convinced you’ll use it long into the future, SimpleMind’s one-time payment is a great advantage, but it does put off short-term users. In that time, you’ll always be able to sync your mind maps across all devices, keeping you up-to-date wherever and whenever you get to work.
8. Coggle — Browser-based brainstorming tools with version history
Like other collaborative creative tools such as shared documents, Coggle‘s mind maps don’t just autosave, they offer version history so you can jump back in time to revisit ideas that had previously been left out. All of this takes place in your browser — there’s no need to download any software, as is the case with other team brainstorming applications.
Coggle’s team idea generation tools allow you to create extensive diagrams, zooming in and out depending on the level of detail you need. Each item offers options to change the color, attach a link, drop a comment, and much more. For general feedback, instead of calling a meeting, use the built-in messenger app which will record all your updates.
Paid tiers offer logical flowcharts for you to map out processes and algorithms. Teams use this feature to break concepts down into visual aids that stakeholders can understand, regardless of their technical expertise.
9. MindNode — Practical, user-friendly software for Apple users
Available only on iOS and Mac, MindNode is nevertheless a sleek, powerful app with an impressive range of functions. Like Bitrix24, it goes beyond simple mind-mapping and links up with task management tools so you can track your progress.
It is clear that MindNode has studied the needs of its users, as it enables you to:
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Capture thoughts as they arrive with the Quick Entry option that appears on your menu bar and Apple’s Today View.
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Listen back to your work, making it more accessible for those with limited sight.
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Customize the design from an aesthetic and accessibility standpoint, with extra-large fonts available.
MindNode’s Focus Mode is a standout feature among brainstorming tools, helping you to concentrate on one specific part of the mind map at a time. This is particularly useful for dealing with complex information or detailed projects in bite-sized chunks. Similarly, you can navigate effortlessly with visual tags and categories to prioritize your ideas.
MindNode may be among the best brainstorming software we’ve encountered, but its limitation to the Apple ecosystem is disappointingly restrictive. Many solopreneurs and small businesses choose to save costs with cheaper operating systems, making MindNode out of reach.
10. Popplet — A basic solution for all ages and abilities
From classrooms to boardrooms, Popplet is a great option for teams that want a visual copy of their collaborative work. Although it hasn’t jumped on the AI bandwagon, Popplet provides a clean, easy-to-use interface for mapping out ideas.
That simple interface is its unique selling point, making it accessible for young users in a school setting and for team members who aren’t at their peak in terms of technology. It works by placing multi-colored popples that categorize and separate ideas visually. This helps with clearly distinguishing and prioritizing different themes within a project.
You can enrich your popples with content including images, videos, and drawings to improve presentations and add extra context to group sessions. So, while Popplet doesn’t have the most extensive feature list, it still provides engaging collaborative creative tools for lively mind mapping.
Choosing the best online brainstorming tools
Now you know the top tools on the market for virtual brainstorming sessions, you’re in a strong position to get the right one for your organization.
From the simplicity of Popplet to the extensive capabilities of MindNode, there’s something for everyone.
However, leaders who think big-picture tend to prioritize powerful brainstorming tools that fit seamlessly into their current systems.
Bitrix24 strikes the perfect balance, providing AI-assisted ideation features as part of a wider business ecosystem. This means you can build on ideas, throw suggestions at a mind map, schedule and run meetings, create visual resources, and convert your sessions into tasks all from the same app.
So, if you’re looking to add a creative spark without rocking the boat, sign up for Bitrix24 today.
Bitrix24 provides AI-assisted brainstorming tools as part of a wider business ecosystem
Build on ideas, throw suggestions at a mind map, schedule and run meetings, create visual resources with Bitrix24
Register Today
FAQs
What are the benefits of using brainstorming tools for teams?
The main benefits of brainstorming tools for teams are enhanced communication, more creativity, and streamlined idea-generation processes. They allow teams to visually organize thoughts, capture insights in real-time, and facilitate collaboration across locations and time zones, boosting productivity and innovation.
How do brainstorming apps enhance creativity and collaboration?
Brainstorming apps enhance creativity and collaboration through instant sharing of ideas, real-time editing, multimedia integration, and interactive voting. These all remove blockers to communication, leading to more focused creativity and stronger team cohesion.
Can you use mind-mapping software for remote team brainstorming?
Yes, mind-mapping software is ideal for remote team brainstorming. It allows team members to contribute simultaneously from different geographies, visually connect ideas, and track changes both in real-time and asynchronously.
