Big Hairy Goal 2026: Benefits, Features & Pricing

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On this page

Overview
Pricing and Plans
Features
User Reviews

Overview

Big Hairy Goal

4.8

(19)

Pricing

Starting at $4.99 per month

About Big Hairy Goal

Big Hairy Goal is a brainstorming and mind-mapping application for creative professionals. It lets users collect and organize ideas. Teams can plan workflows, concepts, and events according to requirements. It supports the creative thinking process.

Big Hairy Goal offers a Kanban board that helps users track progress.

Big Hairy Goal Screenshots

Big Hairy Goal Pricing and Plans

Starting price: $4.99 per month

Free Trial

Free Version

Basic

$4.99

per user, per month

No plan information available

Big Hairy Goal Features

Popular features found in Mind Mapping
Brainstorming
Collaboration Tools
Diagramming
Flowchart
More features of Big Hairy Goal
Action Management
Commenting/Notes
Data Visualization
Drag & Drop
Graphical Data Presentation
Idea Ranking
Ideation
Mind Maps
Multiple Projects
Organizational Charting
Planning Tools
Presentation Tools
Project Planning
Strategic Planning
Task Management
Templates
Whiteboard
Workflow Management

Big Hairy Goal User Reviews

Overall Rating

4.8

Ratings Breakdown

84%

11%

Secondary Ratings

Ease of Use

4.7

Value for money

4.6

Customer support

4.6

Functionality

4.4

Have you used Big Hairy Goal and would like to share your experience with others?

Marvin B.

Verified reviewer

Computer Software

2-10 employees

Used weekly for less than 12 months

Reviewed October 2023

Great tool to visualize your projects and brainstorm ideas

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

I absolutely love BigHairyGoal! This software empowers me to craft comprehensive project overviews effortlessly. As a visual thinker, being able to align multiple roadmap steps and brainstorm ideas on a whiteboard-style canvas is incredibly effective. BigHairyGoal's seamless feature for adding connections and groupings, along with its intuitive interface, makes my ideation process smooth and efficient. I never have to search for functions; they're right where I need them.

Cons:

I'm a big fan of the software, and I have just one minor suggestion for improvement. Occasionally, I've noticed that the alignment of arrows can be a bit off. It would be fantastic if you could consider adding more alignment options, such as the ability to hold the Shift button to move elements on only one axis at a time or enabling horizontal and vertical distribution. Currently, the distribution option is greyed out for groups. This enhancement would make aligning multiple groups much easier and enhance my overall experience as a true Monk (for the non-Germans: someone with OCD who overemphasizes neat structures.)

Adri C.

Verified reviewer

Broadcast Media

Self-Employed

Used daily for less than 2 years

Reviewed November 2024

All in one for creative visual thinkers

I was a subscriber for a year in 2020. I liked it but some thing were missed, specially a proper automatic mindmap branching. It has been added since, and I'm a subscriber again. That means a lot to me. The developer is working on it and shows his willingness to do it moving forward. I give some more ideas: - Would be nice if user could select in settings how ENTER should act: as a new line in the same note o as an end of editing the card they are at the moment. - The possibility to export as OPML - A journal option: the app creates a new file for each day. That would make shine the "linking to a card" feature, as a web of notes would refer from one day to another. - The possibility to search in all bhg files so you can use Big Hairy Goal as a pkm software (a like like Heptabase) But the product as it is is still excellent.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

That it is an all in one for visual thinking. It fits mindmaps, flow charts, brainstorms, and free flowing notes. And it does it in good looking and very smooth handle.

Cons:

Little things that can be improved in next versions: 1.- In flow or chart group, when moving a card all his children should move with it. It's the logic behind every mindmap and should be doable in BHG. 2.- Also in flow or chart groups, the branches should be collapsable 3.- A little delay between CMD-ENTER new card and editing it's text is annoying. When taking notes I write quickly and if I not wait that half of a second other card is selected and I lose the flow. 4.- Mobile app should match the gestures. For example, hold a card and drag it to another should create a connection the same way long click and drag does it on desktop.

Reasons for switching to Big Hairy Goal

Wanted more options and a good combination of mindmapping with other forms of visual note taking.

Dane S.

Verified reviewer

Wine and Spirits

11-50 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months

Review source

Reviewed May 2023

Sub-PAr but I do like the interface

Overall I will not continue after my trial ends. I mainly use this for financial roadmaps and personal business. I think this is a basic app and doesn't provide anything more than a simplistic UI.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Functionality

Pros:

I like that you can move the arrows around and change the format of how you want the bubbles to be arranged

Cons:

The lack of features for the price, There should be an ability to use templates, search user generated templates, maybe a community feed. There should be more with a monthly price for such basic features. In addition there is no 'free' version you have to pay first to decide if you link it, yes the trial is useful, however I think that there could be more features for having to purchase it.In addition to the simplistic features, the text wrapping, box snapping, and overall accessibility of the app is pretty basic and robust. The text isn't centered and it pisses me off.

Gary S.

Verified reviewer

Research

2-10 employees

Used weekly for less than 6 months

Reviewed August 2025

Great Value, Simple Diagramming, High Productivity

When I need to create a diagram quickly, for example, I'm in a meeting and trying to capture ideas and relationships quickly, Big Hairy Goal excels. The ease of creating documents and documenting relationships really excels in this app. You need to spend a bit of time with it to figure it out, but when it' clicks, it's really easy to use. It's also an incredible value for the money. I've spent 10X more on apps designed to create diagrams or mind maps. While those apps may have more options for shapes and arrows, I find myself spending more time arguing with the formatting or trying to get something to work than actually creating a diagram.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

While it starts simple, once I figured out that this was more of a diagramming tool than a simple mind map, it became one of my go-to apps for creating flow charts, diagrams, and brainstorming.

Cons:

The app needs more shape options. I would also appreciate more text format options within process boxes.

Reasons for switching to Big Hairy Goal

I was looking for something fast and lightweight.

John W.

Verified reviewer

Non-Profit Organization Management

51-200 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months

Reviewed October 2024

Love Big Hairy Goal

Love using the app for brainstorming and breaking down complex issues.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Functionality

Pros:

Flexibility and ability to create many different flowcharts and mind maps.

Cons:

Nothing so far. The app has been stable.

Reasons for switching to Big Hairy Goal

Ability to build flowcharts and freedom to place data in specific places

Christian P.

Verified reviewer

Cosmetics

51-200 employees

Used daily for less than 6 months

Reviewed April 2025

Great and helpful every day gimmick

Ím new and trying every day now. It is intuitiv.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

The easy way to use it. It makes fun and is helpful.

Cons:

At the moment nothing. There is no problem to use it.

Igor S.

Verified reviewer

Information Technology and Services

Self-Employed

Used daily for more than 2 years

Reviewed August 2024

happy user

very positive, my number one tool for thinking

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

Minimalistic approach

Cons:

I like everything

Christian M.

Verified reviewer

Child Day Care Services

51-200 employees

Used weekly for less than 2 years

Reviewed August 2024

Best concept and kanban app out there

I use it often. You can learn and teach with BHG. Great work!

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

I like the user friendly system and the clear an beautiful forms. BHG ist very effective and it is fun to use the program. I love the possibility to create kanban boards and concept maps (and integrate pictures)! If you are a student or teacher - buy it!

Cons:

I would be happy if the organization of the projects could be more structured.

Pramod J.

Verified reviewer

Information Technology and Services

Self-Employed

Used daily for free trial

Review source

Reviewed February 2023

One of the Best Visualization & Note taking Tools

BHG fares really well against the competition. There is no other app that can match the overall features of BHG. It feels like Scapple on steroids. These are the type of features that Scapple should have had, atleast as a consideration, but did not. I would recommend it to people, but I don't suppose many would purchase it due to the high cost and lack of family sharing.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Functionality

Pros:

BHG has the ability to rapidly brainstorm, connect cards, and group them. The grouping mechanism sets this app apart from the rest of the competition - it can quickly arrange cards into tables, rows and columns, and flow-charts (processes and flows), which is unique to this app. Having Kanban style boards is a plus, as it can quickly be used to visualise the state of a project. Overall, the app is very easy to use, and has some minor quirks (the cards in a table become misaligned, and require us to reselect the table grouping, when the align once again, etc.)

Cons:

BHG currently lacks dates and card attributes (thinking along the lines of Tinderbox) - implementing these would really help make BHG THE tool for note taking. The inability to mix processes and flows for flowcharts is a pain point. The inability to customize the arrows is a pain point - I'd like to make them curve around, rather than pass through other cards while connecting between two cards. This improves readability. At the price point ($50 for a license), it should have included family sharing (absolutely essential, since most apps feature family sharing nowadays) - since otherwise, being a mac app store app, its not easy to even test the collaboration/sharing functionality. Not to mention a separate price for the mobile apps (on iPad and iPhone) make it a rather expensive package. I would say that the cost is reducing the apps reach to, and usefulness for, many people.

Reasons for switching to Big Hairy Goal

Actually, I'm waiting for the developer to enable family sharing, after which I will purchase the lifetime license. Otherwise, I will stop at the free trial, unfortunately - since it’s a bit unaffordable.

Liana R.

Verified reviewer

Hospital & Health Care

10000+ employees

Used daily for more than 2 years

Reviewed September 2022

Flexible visual thought elaboration

Big Hairy Goal is very helpful to me, and having tried several other mindmapping software packages, it is definitely my favourite. It has the ease and flexibility to let you explore ideas in a nonlinear way, but then makes it easy to find the thread that runs through the ideas, so you can communicate them in a linear way when writing papers or proposals.

Ratings Breakdown

Ease of use

Value for money

Customer support

Functionality

Pros:

My go-to tool for brainstorming, expanding on ideas, linking to notes, and then helping me organise my thoughts to make it easier to write papers, grants and lectures. Network/map structure can be hierarchical but also freeform, allows for ideas to expand, but then makes it easy to restructure as you go along. Useful formatting options make it more intuitive to refer to in the future. The developer is responsive and incorporates feedback into future versions. Many keyboard shortcuts allow the ideas to flow without awkward interface interruptions. The MacOS and iOS versions work together well with iCloud integration.

Cons:

Sometimes the map automatic restructuring will move things in a slightly surprising way.

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