SmartDraw vs yEd Graph Editor
SmartDraw
smartdraw.com
yEd Graph Editor
yworks.comSide by side
| Figure | SmartDraw | yEd Graph Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.75/mo | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 9.3 (#2) | 8.2 (#24) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 8.6 (#8) | 7.4 (#33) |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 8.6 (#15) | 7.4 (#42) |
| Spec score · Flowchart Software | 8.6 (#6) | 7.4 (#16) |
| Diagram types | Templates and tools cover flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML, ERD, timelines, mind maps, Gantt charts, cause-and-effect diagrams and technical drawings. | Supported diagram types include BPMN, semantic networks, family trees, flowcharts, social networks, and UML class diagrams. |
| Founded | 1994 | 1998 |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | The Woodlands, Texas, USA | Tübingen, Germany |
| Support | SmartDraw offers free in-house email and chat support; enterprise customers receive dedicated support representatives. | The license says yWorks is not required to provide maintenance or support; the product page directs bug reports to [email protected] and links to a manual and Q&A forum. |
Plans
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
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.
yEd Graph Editor
yEd Graph Editor is a free desktop application for creating diagrams manually or importing data and arranging it with automatic layouts. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports diagrams including BPMN, flowcharts, semantic networks, family trees, social networks, UML class diagrams, entity relationship diagrams, and swimlane diagrams. Its palette includes common diagram elements, with options to add custom graphics and Visio VSX stencils. Layouts include hierarchical, orthogonal, organic, circular, tree, radial, swimlane, and flowchart arrangements. yEd imports GraphML, Excel XLS, GEDCOM, GML, and XML transformed into GraphML with XSLT. Export formats include PDF, SVG, EMF, JPG, GIF, BMP, PNG, HTML image maps, and EPS. The interface supports English and German. The Java Swing application is based on the yFiles for Java diagramming library and requires a suitable Java Runtime Environment. Its license permits one installed copy for personal or commercial use, but bars redistribution and use in automated processes. The listed plan costs nothing.