12 Best Flowchart Software Tools in 2023 | ClickUp

Is there anything more powerful than the humble flowchart?

Whether you’re visualizing complex processes and data sets or mapping out a customer journey, these tools allow you to think through problems, spot issues, and create stellar products your customers will love. All it takes is the right idea, a bit of work, and a piece of flowchart software that’s right for you. 

But with so many choices on the Internet today, how do you choose which one is best for your needs? In this article, we’ll look at 12 of the best flowchart software tools in 2023 and explore some of their key features so you can walk away with a tool that’s capable of handling anything you throw at it.

What You Should Look for in Flowchart Software

Flowchart tools can run the gamut from basic to super advanced. Despite this, there are some common features you should expect from your flowchart software.

These include:

• A user-friendly interface
• Ability to add images, shapes, and text
• Option to create multiple diagrams from one template 
• Support for real-time collaboration & sharing within a team 
• Integrations with other tools
• Built-in libraries of symbols, templates, and themes
• Smart looking designs 

With these traits in mind, let’s look at the 12 best flowchart software tools available to you in 2023. 

Creating diagrams and flowcharts is something a business will need to do every day. In this list, we break down all the most important factors to consider in flowchart software so you can find the tool that is truly right for you. 

Convert shapes into tasks on your ClickUp Whiteboard to instantly start putting your flowchart into action

ClickUp may not be the first name you think of when it comes to creating flowcharts, but we think it really should be. 

With ClickUp’s Mind Maps feature, you have everything you need to make smart, collaborative, and good-looking flowcharts in minutes.

Plus, teams can use our interactive Whiteboards to work together in real-time to make a chart that reflects the collected experience of your team.

Create collaborative mind maps and flowcharts with the ClickUp Whiteboard

You can even take advantage of our many templates to get the job done quicker. This includes ClickUp’s process flow chart template, which is perfect for mapping out your business operations. 

Features: 

• Tons of templates and diagram examples to learn from
• Interactive whiteboard makes it easy to work in real-time with colleagues from around the world
• Intelligent flowchart creation system means anyone can quickly make professional-looking visual assets

Pros:

• Integrates directly with our task management software for even better workflow management
• Flexible system and series of templates means you can make flowcharts, mind maps, and more
• Able to easily add images and links to your flowchart

Cons: 

• It’s far easier to do on a desktop than mobile
• Takes time to learn all of ClickUp’s features

Pricing:

• Free Forever
• Unlimited: $5/month per user
• Business: $12/month per user
• Business Plus: $19/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.7/5 (6,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,000+ reviews)

2. Miro

via Miro

When it comes to creating great flowcharts, Miro is considered one of the industry’s most reliable options.

With Miro, you get access to a competent design system, a ton of templates, and enough features to satisfy nearly any business. This means you can draft up a flowchart, org chart, or any other visual asset in minutes.

One of the best parts about Miro is its collaboration features. Whether your team is in New York or Sydney, they can work together to make top-notch flowcharts. Miro’s whiteboard system allows multiple people to edit at once with clear cursor indicators so everyone knows what everyone else is doing.

Plus, with the Miro app, your team can work and collaborate from literally anywhere. All of this makes Miro a truly compelling flowchart software option.

Features: 

• A whole host of templates to get your flowcharts off the ground quickly
• Share with your team and collaborate on the flowchart together
• Integrates with some task management software so action items can be added to workflows

Pros: 

• Easy to build smart-looking flowcharts, mind maps, and more
• Simple to collaborate with teammates wherever they are
• Intuitive UI makes it easy to use

Cons: 

• Sometimes hard to import or export content from Miro
• Large accounts can quickly become difficult to navigate 

Pricing:

• Free
• Starter: $8/month per user
• Business: $16/month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.8/5 (4,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (1,000+ reviews)

3. Lucidchart

via Lucidchart

Lucidchart is another powerful flowchart maker that your company should take a good look at.

First off, Lucidchart comes with lots of different templates and features. For instance, you can import data or customize chart shapes to create truly unique flowcharts for your business.

Lucidchart is also incredibly easy to use. Its auto-formatting feature means that as you create a flowchart, it will automatically adjust the design so everything looks perfect.

When it comes to collaborating, Lucidchart also has a few tricks up its sleeve. You can share your work with all your team members and even add comments to each individual shape so everyone is on the same page.

All of this comes together to make Lucidchart a compelling option for most teams. 

Features: 

• Simple drawing tool automatically aligns items, giving the whole thing a more professional look
• Available on Mac, Linux, and Windows
• Integrates with major platforms you’re probably already using, like Office or Google Workspace

Pros:

• Great auto-formatting features make it a joy to use
• Can create tons of different kinds of charts and diagrams
• Plenty of templates to cut down the time you need to create a flowchart

Cons: 

• Free account can be quite limiting
• Data linking feature is cool but difficult to use

Pricing:

• Free
• Individual: $7.95/ month
• Team: $9.00/ month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.6/5 (1,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (1,000+ reviews)

4. Canva

Creating designs via Canva

Canva is another excellent flowchart maker to consider, especially if you’re looking for a more creative option.

With Canva’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor, you can create beautiful flowcharts from templates in just minutes. Plus, with its large library of illustrations and icons, it’s easy to customize your design and make it truly unique.

Canva also focuses on making collaboration with your team a simple affair. In Canva, you can add comments, share designs, and even create versions of the same design so everyone can use them.

Overall, Canva’s features make it a fantastic option for creating flowcharts quickly and easily. As a bonus, since it’s such a popular program, you may already have a Canva account ready to use right away.

Features: 

• A large selection of free icons and tools to create any number of charts
• Tag colleagues for feedback on your designs
• Can easily turn presentations into flowcharts with the click of a button

Pros:

• Ideal for any kind of visual project
• Most people have some experience using this platform
• Lots of templates to choose from

Cons: 

• Not as intuitive as other purpose-built flowchart makers
• Can be slow to load and difficult to keep organized

Pricing:

• Free
• Pro: $12.99/ month per user
• Teams: $14.99/ month per user

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.7/5 (1,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (11,000+ reviews)

5. SmartDraw

SmartDraw Pert Chart Example

SmartDraw is a powerful flowchart software tool that’s designed for people that need to make a lot of visual assets for their business. 

With SmartDraw, you can create over 70 kinds of diagrams, ranging from flowcharts to schematics. Plus, it has powerful customization and collaboration options, so drafting these designs is a breeze.

One of SmartDraw’s stand-out features is its ability to create CAD drawings. These allow your company to design floor plans or architectural drawings. Most companies looking for flowchart software probably won’t need these features, but if you do, SmartDraw may be the flowchart software you’ve been looking for.

Features: 

• CAD feature allows for professional design capabilities
• Designer templates look smart and modern
• Create diagrams straight from your data with built-in extensions

Pros:

• Fantastic customer service is there to help you with your questions
• Powerful engine allows for professional charts and diagrams
• Flowcharts practically make themselves as the chart automatically realigns itself as more gets added

Cons: 

• Includes a lot of features that won’t be required if you only need a flowchart creator
• Advanced features may be hard to learn for non-technical users

Pricing:

• Individual: $9.95/ month
• Team: $5.95/ month per user
• Site: $2,995/ year

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.6/5 (186 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.1/5 (110 reviews)

6. Whimsical

Via Whimsical

Whimsical is a flowchart maker that focuses on giving users the ability to create truly original and creative flowcharts. 

It has all the basic features you’d expect, like drag-and-drop editing, real-time collaboration with team members, and integrations with other popular apps. 

However, it also has some unique features not seen in other products. For instance, Whimsical has an integrated AI mind-mapping tool that suggests new topics you can add to your mind map. It may not be the most important feature, but it’s definitely a nice-to-have, and it helps this product stand out from others on this list. 

Features: 

• Plenty of premade icons make it easy to create a better-looking flowchart
• Allows you to easily create wireframes for new products
• Integrates with tools like Figma, Slack, and more

Pros:

• Incredibly intuitive
• Convenient that you can do your brainstorming, flowcharts, and wireframes all in one place
• Customizable templates save you a heap of time

Cons: 

• Lack of project management features means you’ll need to find something else to do this
• Doesn’t allow you to create custom colors

Pricing:

• Starter: Free
• Pro: $12/ month per editor
• Organization: $20/ month per editor

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.6/5 (120 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (49 reviews)

7. ConceptDraw

Via ConceptDraw

If you’re looking for a more serious and professional flowchart tool, then ConceptDraw is the option for you. 

ConceptDraw offers features like vector drawing tools, detailed design templates, and even support for popular file formats such as SVG, PDF, and PNG. It also comes with plenty of collaboration options so teams can work together to create a complex flowchart.

The only downside to using ConceptDraw is that it can be a bit complicated for beginners. However, if you’re comfortable with technical tools and have some time to learn the basics, ConceptDraw is an excellent choice for creating professional-grade diagrams for your business.

Features: 

• Fully-functioning suite that allows you to create flowcharts, complex diagrams infographics, and pretty much any other visual asset
• Exports to multiple file types and programs
• Single purchase instead of a recurring subscription cost

Pros:

• Includes a fully native MacOS and Windows version
• High-quality graphics help it stand out from the pack
• More features than many of the competitors

Cons: 

• Some people don’t like the pricing structure
• Not web-based

Pricing:

• ConceptDraw PROJECT 13: $299 per license
• ConceptDraw DIAGRAM 16: $199 per license
• ConceptDraw MINDMAP 14: $199 per license
• ConceptDraw OFFICE 9: $299 (Includes Project, Diagram, and Mindmap)

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.4/5 (24 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)

8. Draw.io

Draw.io is the most basic free flowchart tool on this list. However, the beauty of this program is its simplicity. 

No need to log in or even pay—just start it up and bat out a great little flowchart right away.

It comes with all of the basic icons and features you’d want. It’s also easy to export what you create to your computer or other programs like Google Drive.

The biggest downside to Draw.io is that it lacks the features of other software options. That makes it perfect for people who only need to create a basic flowchart once a month but a less-than-ideal choice if your team needs a bit more than that.

Features: 

• Web-based, free diagramming software
• Scratchpad features allow you to import your own shapes
• Save to multiple places or programs like Drive or GitHub

Pros:

• No login is required, and it’s totally free
• So simple that nearly anyone could use it
• Flexible enough that you can create pretty much whatever you need

Cons: 

• Fewer features than other options
• Looks less professional than many businesses would like

Pricing:

• Free

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.3/5 (380 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.5/5 (670 reviews)

9. Google Docs

via Google Docs

Be honest, did you even know you could make flowcharts on Google Docs?

Despite being as popular as it is, not many people use its flowchart software, which is a shame because it does have its upsides.

For instance, it’s convenient that it’s already a part of Google Docs, so you don’t have to download anything to get started. Plus, it’s a platform most people already know how to use, so you can easily jump in and have people use it with little to no training.

However, at the end of the day, Google Docs is not a dedicated flowchart creator. For this reason, it lacks a lot of the advanced features and customization options you’d get with other offerings. So, if you’re looking for a familiar and simple option, give Google Docs a try.

Features: 

• Free templates from numerous add-ons make it simple to create flowcharts
• Easy to place these diagrams straight into your Google Docs
• Upload your own shapes or icons for future use

Pros:

• Probably a tool you’re already using
• Fantastic free product
• Frequently updated by Google

Cons: 

• Doesn’t look terribly nice
• There are easier tools on this list to use

Pricing:

These plans are for the entire Google Workspace suite, which includes Google Docs, Gmail, Drive, and more.

• Free
• Business Starter: $5.40/ month per user
• Business Standard: $10.80/ month per user
• Business Plus: $18/ month per user
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.6/5 (40,000+ reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (14,000+ reviews)

10. Cacoo

Via nuLab

Cacoo is for businesses that want their flowchart creation process to be hassle-free. This cloud-based program has all the standard features you would expect in a flowchart platform, plus some extras like in-app video calls for collaboration and smart team management options for organizations.

Plus, it’s incredibly easy to use and has plenty of tutorials, so you and your team can quickly become experts.

The key thing that sets Cacoo apart from the competition is its organization. Cacoo allows you to create team groups and edit sharing settings so you can find all of your team’s charts in one place. 

This is great for larger companies that need that extra organization to get full use out of a tool.

Features: 

• Import data and automatically create visual charts with the Dynamic Charts feature
• Collaborate with team members in full video
• Smart organizational system keeps your team’s flowcharts easily accessible

Pros:

• Charts look smart and modern
• In-app video really helps with collaboration efforts
• Team management features help keep charts organized at the team-level

Cons: 

• Steep learning curve to uncover all of its features
• Doesn’t include as many integrations as you’d like

Pricing:

• Free
• Pro: $6/ month
• Team: $6/ month per user 

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.4/5 (162 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.7/5 (145 reviews)

11. Creately

via Creately

If you’re looking for a powerful, easy-to-use flowchart maker, look no further than Creately. Creately has all the features you’d want in a great flowchart program, with plenty of design templates and customization options to get your chart just right.

One stand-out feature is its ability to seamlessly incorporate rich text into a chart. This lets your team easily add extra detail and context to a chart so everyone knows exactly what’s happening.

All in all, Creately provides a comprehensive flowchart creation experience that your team will love. So if you’re looking for a reliable, powerful tool, try Creately.

Features: 

• Real-time cursors simplify creating a document with multiple people
• Over 8,000 templates and 200,000 examples
• Add rich text to your diagram flawlessly

Pros:

• Customizable flowchart templates
• Fantastic value for its free-to-use account
• Charts are very professional looking

Cons: 

• Can be difficult to discover all this tool can do
• Search function could be improved for a better experience

Pricing:

• Free
• Starter: $8/ month per user
• Business: $149/ month
• Enterprise: Contact for pricing

Ratings and reviews:

• G2: 4.3/5 (523 reviews)
• Capterra: 4.4/5 (162 reviews)

12. Microsoft Visio

via Visio

Microsoft Visio is a powerful application for creating diagrams.

With Microsoft Visio, you can quickly and easily create flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, floor plans, engineering designs, etc. It even includes templates to help you get started. You can also customize shapes and add your own text labels or images to make the perfect diagram.

Features

• Change Excel spreadsheets into charts
• Ready-made network diagrams and templates
• Customizable shapes, colors, and connectors 

Pros

• Can utilize thousands of symbols from various categories like devices, flows, etc.
• It has several features that are easy to use
• The integration with other Office products is great
• It is easy to find Visio resources online.

Cons

• Formatting is a challenge when you have large projects, and it’s difficult to view all of them
• Cost is higher compared to competitor tools
• Has fewer integrations than other diagramming tools

Pricing

• Visio Plan 1: $5/ month per user
• Visio Plan 2: $15/ month per user

Find the Best Free Flowchart Software Solution For Your Team

Overall, this list is just scratching the surface of all the great options available when it comes to creating flowcharts. Regardless of what kind of features you’re looking for, there’s a program out there that fits your needs—you just need to find it.

One way to see if a flowchart platform works for you is to give it a try. ClickUp is ideal for creating flowcharts, managing projects, and tracking team tasks. Try ClickUp’s Interactive Whiteboard & Mind Map features today for free and see how ClickUp can be your one-stop shop for all your flowchart needs.