ClearWork

ClearWork is a web-based process discovery and documentation tool for project leaders, business analysts, process excellence teams and consultants. Its strongest case is work that needs validated process maps with evidence attached; teams that depend on live delivery-tool updates should look elsewhere.

Overview

ClearWork turns documents, recordings, transcripts and other unstructured material into editable process maps, flowcharts and swimlane diagrams. Its discovery agent interviews people who perform the work to expose gaps between written documentation and actual practice. A person confirms findings before they enter the record, and conflicts, variations and unknowns are surfaced separately. That human checkpoint suits consequential process work better than an unreviewed, prompt-to-diagram tool, though it adds a validation step for users who only need a quick sketch.

Every generated line links to its supporting interview moment, document page or recording timestamp. That traceability helps analysts and reviewers check the basis for a process step. The validated record can also produce requirements, business requirements documents, traceability matrices, user stories, SOPs, work instructions, summaries and roadmaps, extending its usefulness beyond diagrams.

Key features

Editing and outputs

Diagrams can be changed with plain-language AI prompts or edited manually with a mouse and keyboard. Exports include Visio and draw.io for diagrams and Word and PDF for documents; Mermaid syntax is supported as well. These options make it easier to carry ClearWork’s work into other formats, but they do not replace a live connection to delivery tools: updates require export rather than native two-way sync.

Security and support

ClearWork says client data is contractually excluded from AI model training, with project-level isolation and role-based access. SOC 2 is underway. Founder-led support is included on every plan, a useful provision for teams adopting a specialist workflow.

Pricing

ClearWork has no general free plan, but its 14-day trial provides full platform access with unlimited use and requires no credit card. Paid plans are billed monthly and can be cancelled anytime where stated. Read-only access is a separate additive tier, while every core plan includes up to 10 read-only users.

Included read-only: free, up to 10 read-only users; included on every core plan. This lets stakeholders view work without occupying a core-user seat.

Solo: $200 a month for 1 core user, with up to 10 read-only users included. It is the entry point for an individual practitioner.

Workgroup read-only: $400 a month for up to 100 read-only users. It is an additive monthly band for broader viewing, not additional editing seats.

Boutique: $600 a month for up to 5 core users and 10 read-only users. Small consultancies or project groups can share authoring without moving to a larger team tier.

Department read-only: $1,000 a month for up to 500 read-only users, an additive band for department-wide access.

Team: $1,200 a month for up to 15 core users and 10 read-only users.

Practice: $2,000 a month for up to 30 core users and 10 read-only users.

Division read-only: $3,125 a month for up to 2,500 read-only users; it expands viewing reach without increasing core seats.

Enterprise-wide read-only: $8,000 a month for up to 10,000 read-only users.

Enterprise: custom pricing for 31+ core users, with up to 10 read-only users included.

The lower-priced core tiers cap authoring at one or five users, so larger groups must pay for a higher seat band. Read-only tiers scale audience access but do not add core users. The monthly terms and cancellation option make the listed core plans less restrictive than an annual commitment, but even Solo is a substantial recurring cost for a tool that exports rather than synchronizes with delivery systems.

Platforms

ClearWork runs on the web. Diagram exports to Visio and draw.io, document exports to Word and PDF, and Mermaid support offer paths to other workflows, though delivery-tool changes still need to be carried over by export.

Who it's for

ClearWork is best for project leaders, business analysts, process excellence teams and consultants who need to reconcile documented procedures with how people actually work, validate findings, and retain the evidence behind decisions. It is a weaker fit for individuals seeking a low-cost diagramming utility or teams whose process and delivery tools must stay synchronized automatically.

Pros and cons

Pros: Human confirmation and separate surfacing of conflicts, variations and unknowns make the process record more considered than a diagram generated without review.

Pros: Source links on each generated line let reviewers trace a process step to an interview, page or timestamp.

Pros: One validated record can produce diagrams and a range of related requirements and operating documents.

Pros: A full-access, unlimited 14-day trial requires no credit card, and founder-led support is included on every plan.

Cons: The $200 a month Solo plan is a high starting commitment for one core user.

Cons: Delivery-tool updates rely on exports rather than native two-way sync, creating extra work for teams that need current outputs in those tools.

Cons: The included 10 read-only users do not expand authoring capacity; broader audiences require additive paid tiers.

Alternatives

For a broader field of tools, see the AI Diagram Generators list.

Creately is a better fit for readers who want a free plan with unlimited canvases and collaborators, while accepting a 45-item limit per canvas.

Lucid Train suits readers who prefer an open-source CLI with local models or their own API keys and no account requirement.

Capci is worth considering for a free starting point that includes 50 lifetime generations shared across posts, diagrams and animations.

Mermaid Chart is a lighter-cost option for diagram-focused work, with a free tier of 3 diagrams and a Plus plan at $12 a month billed annually.

Nimbalyst may suit readers who want open-source desktop and iOS apps; its Individual plan is free with no feature limits.

OpenCharts offers a free forever plan with 500K AI credits, one of each project type, 10 GB of Drive storage and all export formats.

Splotch is a lower-cost diagram option whose free plan includes one project, 10 diagrams, two-way sync, editing, sharing, export and Google Docs import.

Archflow offers a free plan for a small project, with one project, three diagrams and user stories with a Kanban board.

Verdict

Choose ClearWork if your team needs a validated account of how processes work, with source-linked diagrams and related requirements or operating documents from the same record. Its human review and traceability are the reasons to pay for it. If you need inexpensive diagramming, many authoring seats at a low price, or live delivery-tool synchronization, its monthly cost and export-based workflow make another option the better fit.