Octopus

Octopus.do is the visual sitemap builder + website planner for designers + developers + project managers, founded as a focused tool for early-stage website planning before development begins. The pitch is direct: most sitemap tools are old-school text-based or complex enterprise tools (FlowMapp, GlooMaps); Octopus.do provides modern visual sitemap building optimized for collaboration + presentation + handoff to development teams. For agencies + freelancers + product managers planning websites before building, Octopus.do is one of the most-recommended visual sitemap tools. What makes Octopus.do distinctive is the visual-first approach + collaboration features + designer-friendly interface + freemium pricing. Most sitemap tools target enterprise IA practitioners with complex feature sets. Octopus.do simplifies to drag-and-drop visual building with focus on presenting + collaborating on sitemaps with stakeholders. The visual presentation is genuinely useful for client meetings + internal stakeholder alignment vs traditional text-based sitemaps. The trade-off: less feature depth than enterprise IA tools for complex information architecture work, but better collaboration for typical web project planning. The core feature set: • **Visual sitemap builder** — drag-and-drop node-based sitemap creation • **Multiple sitemap types** — high-level overview + detailed structure + flow diagrams • **Real-time collaboration** — multi-user editing with comments + cursors • **Page thumbnails** — visual mockup attachments to sitemap nodes • **URL + meta tags** — capture URLs + meta titles + descriptions per page • **Custom annotations** — notes + comments on pages + sections • **Templates** — pre-built sitemap templates for common site types • **PDF + image export** — share sitemaps in standard formats • **CSV import** — bulk import pages from CSV • **Sitemap analytics** — page counts + structure metrics • **Custom colors + branding** — branded sitemap presentations • **Sharing via link** — share sitemaps with non-account stakeholders • **Public + private projects** — visibility controls • **Version history** — track changes across iterations • **Mobile-friendly** — view + edit on mobile devices • **Free tier** — substantial features at $0 • **Pro features** — advanced collaboration + branding + features For agencies + freelancers + product managers + UX designers the use cases: • **Pre-development website planning** — plan sitemap before coding begins • **Client stakeholder presentations** — visual sitemaps for client approval • **Information architecture** — plan content structure + navigation • **Site redesign planning** — visualize current + future site structures • **Cross-functional team alignment** — designers + developers + content teams align on structure • **Agency client deliverables** — sitemap deliverables for client work • **UX research synthesis** — translate research into IA recommendations • **Content strategy planning** — map content to site structure • **SEO + URL planning** — plan URL structure during sitemap phase • **CMS migration planning** — visualize site structure before migrating CMS The pricing is freemium with Pro upgrade. Free tier covers small projects (up to 50 pages per sitemap) + basic features (useful for evaluation + small projects). Pro at $12/month (or $99/year) unlocks unlimited pages + advanced features + branding + collaboration features. Team at $24/user/month for advanced team workflows. Compared to FlowMapp (enterprise-focused $99+/month), GlooMaps (free but limited), Mindmeister (mindmapping with limited sitemap focus), Octopus.do is competitively priced for the visual sitemap niche. Where Octopus.do wins clearly: visual-first approach is more presentation-friendly than text-based sitemap tools; collaboration features (real-time editing, comments) match modern team workflows; designer-friendly interface vs enterprise IA tool complexity; pricing accessible for freelancers + agencies vs enterprise alternatives; the focused scope serves specific use case well without overwhelming feature creep. Where it loses: less feature depth than dedicated IA tools (FlowMapp, Optimal Workshop) for complex information architecture work; smaller community + ecosystem than category leaders; for simple sitemaps, Miro/Whimsical generic whiteboard tools may suffice; some workflows benefit from card sorting + tree testing that Octopus.do doesn't provide. My take: for agencies + freelancers + product managers planning websites — Octopus.do is genuinely useful and the visual sitemap approach + collaboration features serve client work well. The Pro tier ($12/month) is reasonable for active web project planning. For one-off small projects, free tier sufficient. For enterprise IA work with card sorting + tree testing + research integration, dedicated tools (FlowMapp, Optimal Workshop) more appropriate. For most web project planning use cases, Octopus.do's focused visual approach is well-positioned. The trajectory of agencies + freelancers wanting visual collaboration tools suggests continued relevance.