Microsoft Visio vs SmartDraw
Microsoft Visio
microsoft.com
SmartDraw
smartdraw.comSide by side
| Figure | Microsoft Visio | SmartDraw |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | $0.75/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 5 |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 8.8 (#10) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 8.3 (#14) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 8.3 (#20) | 8.6 (#15) |
| Spec score · Flowchart Software | 8.2 (#10) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Collaboration | Visio supports real-time collaboration, commenting, and sharing through its web app and Microsoft Teams app. | Teams can edit diagrams in real time, comment, share links and use version history. |
| Diagram types | Visio supports diagrams including flowcharts, network diagrams, mind maps, organization charts, UML diagrams, floor plans, and engineering diagrams, with availability varying by plan. | Templates and tools cover flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML, ERD, timelines, mind maps, Gantt charts, cause-and-effect diagrams and technical drawings. |
| Founded | 1975 | 1994 |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Headquarters | Redmond, Washington, USA | The Woodlands, Texas, USA |
| Integrations | The product page lists integrations with Teams, Power BI, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, OneDrive for Business, and Azure. | Integrations include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams, Confluence, Jira, Trello, SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, AWS, Azure, GitHub, Entra ID, ChatGPT and Claude. |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | 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
SmartDraw
- Individual$9.95 a month
- Team$8.95 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Team$8.95 a year
- Individual$9.95 a year
In their own words
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.
SmartDraw
SmartDraw is a diagramming tool for creating scaled floor plans and professional diagrams, from building layouts and evacuation plans to flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and mind maps. SmartDraw AI can turn natural-language prompts into editable diagrams and floor plans. Templates and automatic layout adjustment help shape diagrams as users add, move, or delete elements. Teams can edit together, comment, and review version history. The service supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web, though its desktop launcher opens the web app and requires an internet connection. Files can be imported from formats including PDF, Visio, Lucidchart, and common image files, then exported as JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF, or Visio. SmartDraw lists integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Confluence, Azure, AWS, GitHub, ChatGPT, and Claude. The paid product has a free trial but no free plan; Team requires at least three users. SmartDraw was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.