COMPARED
Kialo is a well-known argument-mapping and debate site, with a free version for classrooms, Kialo Edu. A discussion starts from one thesis; people add pro and con claims under it, and each claim can have its own pros and cons, forming a tree. It is widely used to teach critical thinking.
True Causes maps something different: not reasons for and against one claim, but which of many problems influence which. The result is a network of causes, not a tree of arguments.
| Kialo | True Causes | |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | What are the arguments for and against this thesis? | What causes what? Which causes are deepest? |
| What people do | Add pro and con claims under a thesis, and under each other's claims | Everyone writes causes alone; the group then judges one pair at a time: does this cause significantly influence that one? |
| What comes out | A tree of arguments under one thesis | A map of causes, deepest first, with every disagreement kept on it |
| How a point counts | Claims are rated by participants | A link counts at three quarters of the votes cast; a split is published as disputed |
| Best known for | Debate and critical-thinking teaching | Root cause analysis by the whole group |
| Cost | Free, including for educators | Free up to 100 people per room; nonprofits free on approval; paid plans for organisations |
When the question is a yes-or-no proposition and you want its reasoning laid out: a class debate, weighing a proposal, teaching people to separate claims from evidence.
When there is no single thesis, only a situation with many problems, and the question is which of them drive the others. True Causes also has a small logic checker for the moment a dispute turns on whether one reason really follows from another.
Checked in September 2026. Product names belong to their owners. If anything here about another product is out of date or unfair, write to hello@mg.truecauses.org and we will correct it.