It is very aptly said that seeing is believing. If the data is not easy to understand and appealing, it goes to waste, as no one pays any heed. Diagrams, besides being powerful, are a very versatile mode to get people to see the larger picture. It helps people envisage an activity down to the minutest details, and study plans comprehensively to foresee hurdles. Further, you can take pre-emptive action to overcome those hurdles well in advance to save time, money, and effort. Apart from Microsoft Visio, there are several other Visio alternatives online for users with various interesting features. Read on further to get to know Visio alternative open source software with a detailed features list for each.

20+ Best Free Visio Alternatives Online

A simple but powerful tool and ideal software named Microsoft Office Visio was designed by Microsoft to help visualize and understand data in its rightful concept. Following are a few points to know regarding Microsoft Office Visio.

Contents

  • 20+ Best Free Visio Alternatives Online

    1. Lucidchart
    1. yEd Graph Editor
    1. Pencil Project
    1. Google Drawings
    1. Gliffy
    1. Diagrams.net
    1. Dia
    1. LibreOffice Draw
    1. Creately
    1. EdrawMax
    1. ASCIIflow
    1. Graphviz
    1. Visual Paradigm Online
    1. OpenOffice Draw
    1. Continuity
    1. Coggle
    1. UMLet
    1. PlantUML
    1. Organimi
    1. Xmind
    1. Cacoo

  • Though this Microsoft Office Visio tool has certain limitations and does not work on mobile phones and mac operating systems, it still has a wide application with IT professionals and business managers in the corporate world.

  • However, there are many more such tools available on the web.

For those enthusiasts who want to make ER diagrams without many hassles and try something different and new on their PCs and mobiles, we have made a list of the best free Visio alternative online, along with their attributes. This list will help you better understand where they stand compared to Microsoft Office Visio. So, let us dive in and explore all the options.

1. Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a web-based tool boasted of being the most used diagramming software. It is also considered a good Visio alternative online and strong competitor because of the following features:

  • Lucidchart is an easy-to-understand excellent office tool and enables collaboration coherently.
  • It has a highly functional user interface.
  • It offers a huge collection of good-looking templates, shapes, and other connectors.
  • It supports Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
  • Lucidchart has many inbuilt floor plans and incorporates the drag and drop feature.
  • It can import or export your old Visio VDX files.
  • This software enables flexibility to delete a document once you have finished and uploaded it.
  • It enables complete security of your data in line with the General Data Protection Regulation.
  • Also, it requests feedback through a questionnaire to generate a detailed report.

This Visio alternative online software has a few plans for the subscription as follows:

  • Free plan: For personal use with a sufficient number of limited templates and shapes with the freedom to work simultaneously on three active documents at the same time.
  • Basic plan: At monthly charges of $4, it enables you to use unlimited shapes and documents.
  • Pro plan: $9.95 per month offers a huge library of unlimited shapes, templates, and documents and the freedom to download or upload any Visio files.

2. yEd Graph Editor

yEd Graph Editor is another high-quality diagramming tool and has the following features to be in this list of best Visio alternative online software:

  • It has a simple user interface.
  • yEd supports multiple platforms like Windows, Mac, Linux/Unix, and many other Operating Systems. It also supports mobile devices.
  • yEd Graph Editor has a vast repository of elements that it arranges in a single click of a mouse.
  • It also arranges itself for various data elements by making use of custom elements created by self or automatically importing images from elsewhere from other Visio files.
  • It also imports data from an Excel spreadsheet.
  • It gives you the choice of a variety of layouts and arranges the data sets.
  • It allows you to visualize your diagrams, flow charts, etc.
  • This best Visio alternative online software allows users to save the files in any PNG, PDF, SWF, SVG file format.
  • The saved file formats or images can be easily uploaded to websites or sent to friends, colleagues, and clients.

Also Read: 28 Best Free Photo Editing Software for PC

3. Pencil Project

Pencil Project is considered a mighty contender to the free Microsoft Office Visio because of the following attributes:

  • It has the best, clean user interface.
  • It has a variety of simple tools and icons.
  • It instantly searches the Web for more images using OpenClipart.org.
  • It enables flexibility to sketch on a specific page in the same document.
  • It supports multiple operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, and Ubuntu.
  • Using the Android and iOS platforms, you can export documents as a standard web page or in other formats.
  • Its single click and double click feature let you rotate or resize the elements.
  • It enables you to work on multiple projects at the same time.
  • You do not need to make any payment for using the tool.
  • It creates mockups and has a cool collection of GUI elements for PCs and mobiles.

4. Google Drawings

Another Visio alternative online software, Google Drawings is a cloud-based diagrammatic tool developed by Google. This application is considered to be a very handy and useful alternative to the free Visio tool because of the following features:

  • It enables the use of WordArt.
  • It helps to insert pre-designed diagrams.
  • Google Drawings has an array of shapes, lines, and callouts for making diagrams, maps, and flowcharts.
  • It helps save your completed work to Google Drive and other websites.
  • You can save the final diagrams, flow charts, spreadsheets, etc. as PDF, JPG, PNG, or SVG files.
  • It enables the addition of well-blended color overlays and textures.
  • It has a collection of templates, shapes, arrows, and scribbles that can be dragged and dropped.
  • It also enables the user the flexibility to resize, move, and rotate the objects.
  • The excellent Doc-like interface enables you to work offline too.
  • It is available as a cloud-based web application on the internet.
  • It enables you to share your documents.
  • Others can view and comment on your post and enable you to edit and improve your document.

Also Read: 16 Best Free File Rename Software for Windows

5. Gliffy

Gliffy, a Visio alternative open source tool, is available for people who are looking for a solid replacement for the Microsoft Office Visio tool. It has a flora of features to make good documents, as indicated below:

  • Gliffy is an easy-to-use, lightning-fast diagramming tool.
  • It needs no updates to be downloaded.
  • It enables the drag and drop facility to make use of a variety of elements.
  • It has a very neat, tidy, and uncluttered interface.
  • Gliffy has a blend of color overlays, engineering and architectural designs, textures, and even a set of custom themes.
  • It enables you to make a flowchart, augmenting effective communication among various members of the team.
  • You can delete any image or document simply by right-clicking on it.
  • It supports both Windows and macOS and is functional on both desktops and mobiles.
  • It enables you to easily share your diagrams.
  • It allows you to save your work and even make any presentations while on the move.

Subscription plans for this software are as follows:

  • Team plan: $4.99 per month for teams/agencies with moderate requirements.
  • Personal plan: $7.99 per month for small business enterprises.
  • Enterprise plan: incorporates the best features, with custom pricing at a high cost.

6. Diagrams.net

Diagrams.net is another open-source and very responsive platform. Using this platform, you can efficiently create and share diagrams and is a highly recommended alternative to Microsoft Office Visio due to the following reasons:

  • Diagrams.net has a very clean and tidy interface.
  • The interface works both offline as well as online.
  • It does not store any data on the server.
  • It enables support for Google Drive, Dropbox, GitHub, and other cloud-based services.
  • It endorses Windows, Linux as well as macOS.
  • It is also functional on desktops as well as Android and iOS mobiles.
  • Moreover, it enables you to work with multiple people at the same time.
  • It has a host of shapes and templates.
  • With a single click of a button, you can add or delete additional elements to your work.
  • It enables you to save and transfer your files in PDF, SVG, PNG, or XML formats.
  • Diagrams.net prepares your work using line quality, with the help of the latest tools.
  • It offers a 30-day free trial besides the basic pack starting at $20 and a pro pack at $200.

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7. Dia

Dia is an excellent, updated open-source diagramming tool that can be useful for your various diagramming operations with these features:

  • Dia can be run using a text-based command-line interface by entering commands quickly.
  • It can be used from anywhere with the help of a USB stick.
  • It supports multiple operating systems.
  • This Visio alternative online software enables the creation of files/diagrams using the default .dia file format besides SVG, PNG, JPEG, Microsoft Visio VDX format, or any other file format.
  • The various created files can be saved in Google Drive or any other cloud storage.
  • It enables you to change the background color of the canvas.
  • Further, it enables you to download and choose different shapes from a wide range of available shapes.
  • It enables you to work on all kinds of small to large projects.

8. LibreOffice Draw

LibreOffice Draw was first launched in 2010 and is amongst the best free Visio alternative online for the following reasons:

  • It is a free and easy-to-use open-source graphics editing tool.
  • You can indigenously open Visio files in LibreOffice.
  • It enables spell-check, autocorrect, and the use of a thesaurus.
  • LibreOffice Draw supports Java and multiple Operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • It also supports multiple platforms like Google Chrome and the Android and iOS systems.
  • It enables you to create files by default in the custom XML file format or any of the other various formats.
  • LibreOffice Draw enables you to connect to other groups.
  • Users can recover their documents.
  • It does not require signing up for an Office 365 membership.

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9. Creately

Creately is a web-based software, best for large enterprises because of the following matrix of quality traits:

  • It enables making diagrams faster than those on other platforms.
  • It hosts an intuitive interface with dozens of pre-made shapes, lines, smart connectors, etc.
  • It enables you to work remotely with your team.
  • It supports Windows, Linux, and macOS.
  • It enables you to save your files in PNG, JPEG, PDF, SVG formats.
  • It enables you to share your saved files.
  • It offers 30 days of free trial and a public or free application for personal use.
  • It also offers cheaper options at just $5 per month or $49 per year for the budget-conscious user or a small enterprise.
  • It enables a team offer at $25 per month for medium-sized teams with simple requirements.
  • It also enables a one-time fee-paid desktop app for personal use at $75 with a full year of free upgrades.

10. EdrawMax

EdrawMax has the following features that make this software stand out from the others in the market:

  • This user-friendly interface has a host of ready-made 26,000 vector symbols and more than 1500 inbuilt templates for use.
  • In addition to the above, the interface also has on offer a host of connectors not found in Microsoft Visio.
  • It also enables direct downloading of Visio files.
  • It enables you to save your created files in PDF, PPT, Word, HTML, and many other file formats.
  • It enables you to share these saved files over the internet.
  • It supports multiple operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS.
  • Besides the free plan, it also has paid plans at discounted rates.

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11. ASCIIflow

ASCII is the condensed form for the American Standard Code for Information Interexchange. ASCIIflow is a tool that creates ASCII diagrams. It was first developed and published in 1963 by the American Standards Association (ASA) committee. It is an excellent Visio alternative online because of the following features:

  • It is a standard enabling encoding of characters for electronic communication using numeric codes to represent characters and is the most extensively used standard for encoding text documents on PCs.
  • This encoding system enables the PC to store a document as a series of numbers.
  • It also enables the PC to share such documents with other computers using the ASCII system.
  • It helps to create drawings made up of texts.
  • It enables you to easily draw and quickly convey ideas in diagram form.
  • It enables you to copy your drawing to your clipboard to paste into Notepad or another text editor.
  • It enables you to work online, sync, and save to Google drive.
  • It enables you to send your small diagrams through email.

12. Graphviz

Graphviz is a program that allows you to create graphs using DOT data (Graph Description Language). Following are the features of this Visio alternative online software:

  • It features a web interface as well as an interactive graphical user interface.
  • You may create a diagram in a variety of formats, including SVG, PDF, and others.
  • It allows you to change fonts, colors, layouts, and line styles, among other things.
  • You may use this tool to create a diagram for web design, networking databases, and other topics.
  • It allows you to create layered graph graphics.
  • The command-line interface is also supported.
  • It runs on Windows, macOS X, and Linux.
  • It is a Visio alternative open source software that is free to use.
  • There are numerous forms to choose from with a large number of arrows to employ.

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13. Visual Paradigm Online

Visual Paradigm Online is a collection of web-based tools for creating diagrams, charts, and infographics, among other things.

  • It comes with a completely free version. There are 200 diagram templates included.
  • Your diagrams may be saved as JPG, PNG, or PDF files.
  • You may also use Microsoft documents and presentations to incorporate your assets.
  • It gives you access to a free online cloud repository where you may save your work.
  • You may work on a diagram, comment, and amend the work done by your teammates.
  • Its linear alignment tool ensures that all of your diagrams are in the same direction.
  • Drag and drop allows you to quickly construct diagrams.
  • For free, you can make charts, forms, posters, infographics, and much more.
  • If you’re using Visual Paradigm Online for educational reasons, you may join the Academic Partner Program to get free access to the whole platform.

14. OpenOffice Draw

One of the best free alternatives to Microsoft Visio is OpenOffice Draw. Read the features of this Visio alternative online software:

  • It’s a free and open-source program.
  • You can draw graphs, flowcharts, and timelines, among other things.
  • There are several formatting and stylistic options to choose from.
  • In your editing screen, you may alter, render, and rearrange objects.
  • You may add clip art to your diagrams from a built-in gallery.
  • You may also upload and add your photographs or artwork.
  • Your diagrams will be stored in the OpenDocument format, which is based on XML.
  • A flash version of your document can also be saved.

Also Read: 26 Best 3D Modeling Software

15. Continuity

IT experts may use Continuity as a diagramming tool. The features of this program are:

  • It aids in the creation of clear and appealing diagrams.
  • You may use this tool to write and draw freehand.
  • It allows databases and repository files to be encrypted.
  • This program allows you to create a 3D diagram.
  • It’s suitable for both business and personal use.
  • It enables you to draw visual models with ease.
  • It runs on Windows, macOS X, and Linux.
  • Freehand drawing, 3D diagrams, UML support, and a dozen various diagram themes are all included in this free program.

16. Coggle

Coggle is a web-based application for creating flow charts and mind maps. Many additional collaborative programs, such as Google Docs, allow either a spreadsheet or a text document format.

  • It supports mind mapping and basic process mapping.
  • You may create and share an infinite number of public diagrams, upload photos, and convert to text and Visio formats.
  • Coggle provides you with everything of this for $5 a month, plus additional item shapes and line control.
  • It allows you to quickly and conveniently create notes.
  • It enables you to collaborate in real-time.
  • In the figure, you can simply design loops and combine branches.
  • Coggle comes with a variety of flowchart shapes.
  • Without logging in, anybody may make modifications to the diagram.
  • It is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
  • Coggle is not required to be downloaded or installed. To use the interface, you must first log in.

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17. UMLet

UMLet is a UML product that runs on Java. This Visio alternative online program has these features:

  • You may export diagrams to PDF, SVG, JPG, and other formats.
  • This program is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.
  • You may use UMLet to create a diagram out of the plain text.
  • With a double click, you may add items to a UML diagram.
  • You may copy a schematic to the system clipboard with it.
  • It enables the usage of modified parts as templates.
  • You can construct your own UML components.
  • It also includes several keyboard shortcuts for quick access.
  • It allows you to rapidly and easily generate diagrams.
  • You may use UMLet in conjunction with Eclipse, a coding environment.
  • This utility allows you to create shortcuts for quick access.
  • It has a user interface that is both free and simple to use.
  • This program may be used in conjunction with Eclipse to write code.

18. PlantUML

PlantUML is an open-source UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagramming software.

  • Graphviz software is used to create the diagrams in this utility.
  • This software can run from the command line.
  • Plantuml may be saved in PNG format using this open-source program.
  • Plantuml is available 24×7.
  • This software runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
  • You can quickly generate and utilize diagrams such as deployment diagrams and sequence diagrams.
  • It also comes with ready-to-use templates that make creating diagrams simple and quick.
  • It aids in the creation of fast diagrams.

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19. Organimi

Organimi is a program that allows you to create an organizational chart. This Visio alternative open-source software has several attributes that assure its credibility and usefulness.

  • It’s available on any device at any time.
  • This program allows you to save a chart as a PDF or PNG file.
  • Organimi allows you to upload a CSV or Excel data file.
  • You may use this program to import images.
  • Custom fields, such as checkboxes, tags, and URL links, may be readily created.
  • Custom rules can be created in charts.
  • It allows you to send emails to your coworkers to share your work.
  • This Visio alternative open-source program is only compatible with Windows.
  • It is both simple to use and quite powerful.
  • If you’re a first-time customer, you may join up for a free trial to see what services they have to offer.
  • They have an easy-to-use interface that makes creating charts a breeze.
  • You may even print and export your charts.
  • Aside from that, they also provide bespoke formatting.
  • You have the option of sharing your work with your colleagues.

20. Xmind

Xmind is a brainstorming and mind mapping tool with an integrated platform, as it is made to spark creativity and produce new ideas. Let us see what this Visio alternative open-source software has to offer:

  • Tree diagrams, fishbone diagrams, spreadsheets, and other types of diagrams are supported by this program.
  • It also allows you to share and export diagrams in a variety of formats, such as Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF.
  • It also offers an easy-to-use interface that makes your job easier.
  • It is capable of producing any type of graphic design.
  • The Theme editor of this software aids in the editing of diagrams.
  • Xmind gives you access to visuals at any time and from any location.
  • It runs on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and ChromeOS.

Also Read: 28 Best File Copy Software for Windows

21. Cacoo

Cacoo is known as a tool for every diagram and the best Visio alternative open-source software, like the rest from this list. Here are some of the attributes of this software:

  • You easily review changes in the diagram you just created.
  • It allows you to discuss, chat, screen share, and video chat with your team from anywhere.
  • You can share and edit diagrams at the same time within a group.
  • Cacoo contains more than 100 templates that users can use to create the diagrams they want to.
  • This Visio alternative open-source software allows you to integrate any applications, like Google Drive, Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.
  • Cacoo enables deeper cross-functional teamwork to build amazing diagrams.

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We have provided some of the best Visio alternative online that can help you with your flowcharts to visualize activities and plan well to move ahead progressively. Let us know which Visio alternative open-source program you liked in the comments section below.