draw.io vs Microsoft Visio
draw.io
drawio.comMicrosoft Visio
microsoft.comSide by side
| Figure | draw.io | Microsoft Visio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 5 |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 9.0 (#5) | 8.8 (#10) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 8.7 (#5) | 8.3 (#14) |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 8.7 (#10) | 8.3 (#20) |
| Diagram types | flow charts,mind maps,org charts,Venn diagrams,infographics,network diagrams,architecture diagrams,floor plans,electrical diagrams,rack diagrams,UML diagrams,BPMN diagrams,Kanban boards,ER diagrams,Mermaid diagrams,Gitflow diagrams,C4 models,threat models | Visio supports diagrams including flowcharts, network diagrams, mind maps, organization charts, UML diagrams, floor plans, and engineering diagrams, with availability varying by plan. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Northampton, United Kingdom | Redmond, Washington, USA |
| Native Integrations | Integrations include Google, Microsoft, Atlassian, GitHub, VS Code, Notion, and Chrome. | The product page lists integrations with Teams, Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, OneDrive for Business, and Azure. |
| Real-Time Collaboration | Teams can work together with shared cursors. | Yes |
Plans
Microsoft Visio
- Visio Plan 1$5 a month
- Visio Plan 2$15 a month
- Visio in Microsoft 365Free
- Visio Plan 1$5 a month
- Visio Plan 2$15 a month
In their own words
draw.io
draw.io is a free, open-source diagramming tool for creating visual layouts, from flow charts and mind maps to network, architecture, UML, BPMN and floor-plan diagrams. It supports real-time collaboration, and files can be opened and edited across platforms. Users can choose their own storage or save locally with the desktop app; draw.io says it cannot access users' data. No sign-up or credit card is required to start diagramming, and the desktop app is free forever. Diagrams can remain editable or be exported to SVG, PNG or PDF. Supported imports include draw.io, XML, Gliffy, VSDX, Lucidchart, PNG, SVG and JPEG. Integrations include Google, Microsoft, Atlassian, GitHub, VS Code, Notion and Chrome. Interactive diagrams can be embedded in documents, wikis or applications. The listed platforms are web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Support is available through GitHub Discussions and Stack Overflow. The site says there is no Enterprise tier for SSO.
Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio helps users communicate complex information through diagrams. Its supported formats include flowcharts, process and cross-functional diagrams, organization charts, UML and ERD models, network and cloud diagrams, floor plans, timelines, Gantt and PERT charts, and business diagrams such as matrices and value-stream maps. The web and Microsoft Teams apps support real-time collaboration, comments, and sharing. Listed integrations include Teams, Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, OneDrive for Business, and Azure. Visio Plan 2 can link diagram shapes to Excel, SharePoint lists, and SQL Server data. The compared plans support Microsoft Information Rights Management and GDPR compliance; IRM permissions must be set in the desktop app, though they are honored for online files opened in the web app. Accessibility support includes Narrator, an Accessibility Checker, and high-contrast display. Visio is available on Windows and the web, but Microsoft does not offer a macOS desktop app. Plan 1 costs $5 a month billed yearly; Plan 2 costs $15 a month billed yearly. First-time trial users with a work or school account can try either plan free for 30 days.