Most diagram software seems to only allow you to give a shape a title.

I want something where each shape has it's own note pane attached to it - similar to how many mind-mapping tools work where you add the main title, but can add a bunch of text to each node.

However, I want to be able to arrange these shapes freely.

Does anyone have a recommendation?

A quick google search turns up this option:

https://lucidchart.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/206027123-How-do-I-add-notes-to-shapes-

Does that correspond to what you had in mind?

Freeplane allows you to add free floating nodes and move them anywhere on the page. You can add connection arrows at will, and move those too.

yED does that : https://www.yworks.com/products/yed and it's free.
Another option ( but Mac/iOS only and quite expensive) is Omnigraffle : https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle

Both allow you to move shapes freely, and can have notes attached to each shape.

iThoughts is mind mapping software for both Mac and Win. It allows you to add notes to each node.

... before you complain that I did not read your request carefully enough ... the key is you can easily add free-form nodes that aren't connected to other nodes. Or you can connect later but in a way that doesn't conform to the regular mind map structure. Worth a look:
https://www.toketaware.com

There's also Eastgate Tinderbox. The idea that every shape has an associated rich text note, also capable of hypertext, is basically foundational to Tinderbox.

This may be overkill, but probably worth mentioning: in Aibase a very powerful though idiosynchratic software, every object has an associated note.

Aibase can do a lot more as can be read here https://www.aibase-cs.com/features.html

This is absolutely in Tinderbox’s wheel house. Plus, you’ve got a powerful outliner, hyperbolic link views, and lots of analytic power if you need it.

For light-weight tasks, perhaps Scapple will do what you want.

Both are currently on sale in the Festival Of Artisanal Software: https://www.artisanalSoftwareFestival.com/

thank you Alex,
aibase is great!
I tried it and will buy, simple yet powerful with vector output!
superb

Alexander Deliyannis wrote:

This may be overkill, but probably worth mentioning: in Aibase a very
powerful though idiosynchratic software, every object has an associated
note.

Aibase can do a lot more as can be read here
https://www.aibase-cs.com/features.html

A thought about Tinderbox, which I'm helplessly sliding toward purchasing afresh. I don't think I gave it a fair chance the first time around.

Applications that go about a common task in a unique way are usually branded as hard to learn. My word processor of choice, Mellel, is said to have a steep learning curve. In hindsight, I can't see it. It's not MS Word. That's about the extent of the difficulty, and not being Word is a big advantage for the writer. At least in this grump-bucket's opinion.

Over the last couple of days I've watched a few Youtube video tutorials about Tinderbox, particularly Michael Becker's.

The first big eye-opener was that agents, rules, and edicts are not mysteries. You don't have such things in OneNote, so if you're expecting OneNote you'll need to shift mental gears.

I think what surprised me is that when I first looked at Tinderbox, I didn't see where agents went or how to use them. If I understand Mr. Becker's tutorials correctly, an agent appears as a container of automatically gathered aliases. Not hard.

Clearly, one of three things is true:

1) I was, and perhaps still am, a cognitive Prius. Hopefully practical, but soft in performance.

2) Tinderbox gained a lot of nice improvements and usability in the last half decade.

3) My IQ has jumped about 70 points since first looking at Tinderbox.

I'm going with number 3, and I can prove it with a blindfold and an RC helicopter in the living room. Here, hold my beer...

eastgate wrote:

This is absolutely in Tinderbox’s wheel house. Plus, you’ve
got a powerful outliner, hyperbolic link views, and lots of analytic
power if you need it.

For light-weight tasks, perhaps Scapple will do what you want.

Both are currently on sale in the Festival Of Artisanal Software:
https://www.artisanalSoftwareFestival.com/

Thank you @mathew for reminding me of iThoughts. I am a very visual thinker and need to have notes linked with diagrams. iThoughts has this feature and is great with thinking that is non-linear, ie. not strictly following the mindmap flow of thought. When I first looked into this app, I somehow managed to miss these great features! The only feature iThoughts doesn't seem to have is the ability to add words on top of lines which are used in creating such things as concept maps. I will look into this further and, if it is indeed a missing feature, I will make a suggestion to the developer to include it in the future. For now, iThoughts has a paying customer. Thanks again @mathew. :)

mathew wrote:

iThoughts is mind mapping software for both Mac and Win. It allows you
to add notes to each node.

... before you complain that I did not read your request carefully
enough ... the key is you can easily add free-form nodes that aren't
connected to other nodes. Or you can connect later but in a way that
doesn't conform to the regular mind map structure. Worth a look:
https://www.toketaware.com

I have just come across Thinkcomposer that can do this: http://www.thinkcomposer.com/

It has been discussed here in the past. It's now free.