Heptabase
Mural
| Feature | Heptabase | Mural |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $11.99/mo | Free / from $12/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.6 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | researchers, students, visual-thinkers, phd-students | design-teams, facilitators, consultants, enterprise |
| Founded | 2021 | 2011 |
| Whiteboards | ✓ | ✗ |
| Card System | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mindmaps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Journal | ✓ | ✗ |
| Tags | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pdf Annotation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sticky Notes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Templates | ✗ | ✓ |
| Facilitation Tools | ✗ | ✓ |
| Voting | ✗ | ✓ |
| Timers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrations | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Heptabase Pros
- Visual-first approach to note-taking
- Whiteboards for spatial thinking
- Card-based system is very flexible
- Great for research and learning
✗ Heptabase Cons
- No free plan
- Mobile app is limited
- Steeper learning curve than simple note apps
✓ Mural Pros
- Great facilitation tools
- Extensive templates
- Design thinking focus
- Enterprise ready
✗ Mural Cons
- Expensive
- Can be slow
- Learning curve
The Verdict
Heptabase is built for researchers and students, with a focus on whiteboards and card-system. Mural targets design teams and facilitators and leads with sticky-notes and templates.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($11.99/mo for Heptabase, $12/mo for Mural), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
Mural has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Heptabase requires a paid subscription from day one.
Bottom line: Heptabase has a slight overall edge — but if great facilitation tools matters most to you, Mural may still be the right call.