Recommendation: Start with diagrams.net – it’s immediately usable in your browser with no signup, and it’s the closest experience to Visio without any limitations.
All these applications serve the same fundamental goal: to create visual diagrams that communicate complex information more clearly than text alone.
- diagrams.net (Draw.io) – Fully Free – No account needed, browser/desktop, integrates with cloud storage, most Visio-like
- Excalidraw – Fully Free – Hand-drawn style, simple interface, collaborative, open source
- yEd – Fully Free – Desktop app, advanced auto-layout, requires download
- LibreOffice Draw – Fully Free – Part of office suite, basic but functional, requires download
- Lucidchart – Free Tier – 60 objects/doc limit, 3 editable docs, polished web interface
- Miro – Free Tier – 3 editable boards, collaborative whiteboarding, team-focused
- Canva – Free Tier – Flowchart templates available, design-focused, limited free features
Common Use Cases:
Business Process Documentation
- Flowcharts showing workflow steps
- Process maps for procedures and policies
- Decision trees
Technical Documentation
- Network diagrams (servers, switches, topology)
- Software architecture diagrams
- Database schemas and entity relationships
Project Planning
- Organizational charts
- Timelines and Gantt charts
- Mind maps for brainstorming
System Design
- UML diagrams for software development
- Wireframes and mockups
- Infrastructure planning
Why Use These Tools?
- Clarity – A diagram can explain in seconds what might take paragraphs to describe
- Standardization – Uses common symbols (diamonds for decisions, rectangles for processes, etc.)
- Collaboration – Easier for teams to review and understand systems
- Documentation – Creates permanent records of how things work
- Problem-solving – Mapping things visually often reveals issues or improvements