It is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The downside is that there is no online web editor, so you will need to download the software to your desktop to use it.
There are dozens of shapes, arrows, call-outs, and more you can add to your drawing. You can also add a text box and customize the text by changing the font, size, alignment, etc. You can drag and drop shapes or resize them, and you can do the same for text boxes. You can add text inside shapes, for example. It has the same general layout as Google Docs and includes similar editing options. You can also simply keep it in your online Google account. All of your drawings will automatically be saved to the cloud for you to access later, from any device, with your Google account.
You can make the document available offline as well. If you do that, you will be able to continue editing while offline, and changes made offline will be synced and saved once you get your internet connection back.
Google Drawings is also perfect for collaboration. Like all Google documents, you have a multitude of sharing options. You can get a link to the document by clicking on the blue Share button in the top right corner of the screen. You can then choose to let anyone with the link access the document, or only people you specifically add. Even if you let everyone with the link access the document, you can choose between three levels of access: viewer, editor, and commenter.
In other words, you can let people who have the link view the document only, add comments, or edit it. I will be honest and say that the interface feels a bit outdated. The latest versions work on Windows XP to Windows 8. Despite the somewhat outdated user interface, Dia works. It has a wide selection of shapes, icons, and arrows you can add to create diagrams and charts.
Pencil Project is a free Visio alternative. Unlike Visio, it is open source, and it supports the creation of diagrams. There is a wide selection of shapes and arrows available in Pencil Project. In addition, since the project is open source and community-driven, there are a lot of third-party shape collections on the internet that you can import into Pencil Project and use in your diagrams.
You can check the Pencil Project download archive to find some of these collections. Others can be found in various corners of the internet through a quick Google search. In addition to all that, I liked that Pencil Project has a browser extension for finding clip art from OpenClipart. Various flowchart shapes are available as well, making creating flowcharts a breeze. Since Pencil Project introduced wire connectors to connect shapes, creating diagrams with PP is easy.
A cool feature of Pencil Project is the inter-page linking feature. You can link from an element to another page in the same document.
When you export the document into a web form, those links will automatically be converted into standard HTML links, so you can use them on your website. Unlike Visio, Graphviz is not only free but open source as well. I would recommend Graphviz if you have some more technical experience or are prepared to go through a bit of a learning curve.
If you want something quick, simple, and easy, there are other Visio alternatives for that. Creately is the final Visio alternative on our list. Unlike Visio, it offers a free although somewhat limited plan. Using the free plan, you can create up to three private workspaces. The free plan does allow for collaboration! As long as the main creator of the document is online, five other collaborators can access the document as well.
Support is not available on the free plan. As unattractive as the Dia UI may appear, many of its users appreciate a wide array of its applications as being adequate for a free tool. All these are available for absolutely free. However, this is not without its opportunity costs. For instance, there is no support for Dia users, unlike Visio users who can reach out using many options such as email, phone, and chat and are supported with FAQs, a rich knowledge base, and many video tutorials.
Continuity is a downloadable desktop diagramming app. Of all the diagramming tools we sampled, none gives attention to model building as Continuity does. At the same time, none is able to produce the same quality output both on screen and on paper as this app does. Perhaps, the most visible advantage of Continuity over Visio is pricing. So far, however, the collaborative outlook of Continuity is still limited compared to Visio. Unlike MS Visio, LibreOffice Draw is freely available and is backed by a community of developers that ensure it is regularly updated.
This is the sense in which it is categorized as open-source. However, LibreOffice Draw is not built for real-time collaboration between remote teams or team members. But an upside to this is that this software runs completely offline, which is an advantage in case your internet connection is poor or if you are in an offshore location without internet coverage.
Another edge that LibreOffice Draw has over Visio is its versatility of deployment. While we do not recommend this software for sophisticated or highly professional use cases, it is among the best available options for beginners and those whose jobs only require simple diagrams from time to time. Upon a visit to the ASCIIFlow platform , you are immediately presented with a simple interface that spots selection functionality, free form elements, shapes, arrows, lines, texts, and more that are readily available for your design needs.
The beauty of tech is an improvement. Then, competition tops the list of the factors that fuel that improvement. As a result, we had a really tough time trying to decide which of these diagramming options could be a worthy open-source replacement for age-old Visio to help those who are looking to spend less and still get design values that are enough to meet their needs or those who are looking to share ideas.
Quite honestly, even I never expected some of the items that made this list eventually. Creately, for example, may seem to have emerged out of the blue to top this list.
Yet, the software has not gotten this far on pure luck. Instead, as already highlighted, Creately has thrown up some of the most futuristic diagramming features we have seen — such as going mobile across three operating systems. In this mobile era of the internet age, an era when working on the go keeps gaining traction with each dying second, that is an absolutely irresistible aspect that Creately spots.
Tom has been a full-time internet marketer for two decades now, earning millions of dollars while living life on his own terms. We are reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Best Open-Source Visio Alternatives 1. Pencil Project. Google Drawings. Dia Diagram Editor. LibreOffice Draw. Creately is another online diagramming tool which you can use for free. Creately uses the freemium business model.
Which means, you can use it for free, but with limited features. Creately itself is projected to be a collaboration tool. You can invite your team members to work on the diagrams together. Free version of Creately allows you to invite three team members. The Visio Import feature allows you to import diagram files you created with Visio.
If you use the free version of Creately, you are only allowed to create 5 public diagrams. Desktop edition of Creately is also available, but no free version is offered. Lucidchart is also an online diagramming tool which has a compatibility with Visio. Lucidchart also uses freemium business model so you can use it without spending a dime.
Other free alternative to Visio you can use to work on diagrams is Cacoo. Just like most online tools, Cacoo also uses a freemium business model. Although you have to deal with some restrictions, but Cacoo gives you a chance to work on diagrams without spending a dime.
The number of diagram you can create using free version of Cacoo is only 6. But, you are allowed to add up to 15 team members, which is great to work collaboratively on a diagram with your team.
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Sign in. Log into your account. Forgot your password? Password recovery. Recover your password. Get help. Better Tech Tips. By Haula. Updated: May 22,
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