7 Best Flowchart Software in 2023 (Free and PAID)

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There are many different types of flowchart software available, and the best one for you will depend on your specific needs. In this guide, I ranked and reviewed the 7 best flowchart software, along with my top 4 choices, so that you can pick the best one.

The 7 best flowchart software are Microsoft Visio, Diagrams.net, Creately, SmartDraw, Gliffy, Lucidchart, and Cacoo. 

Choosing the best flowchart software for your needs might be challenging because there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It depends on what you need it for and what other tools you use in your workflows.

Flowchart software is used to create diagrams that show the steps involved in a process. These diagrams can be used to represent the processes within a company, or they can be used by programmers to create applications.

Flowcharts are an excellent tool for visually representing the process of how a system works. They can be used to solve problems in business and engineering, or just to describe how something works.

There are various types of flowchart software available, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Some are intended for business use only, while others are intended for programmers only. Flowcharts can be created using an online flowcharting tool or with a desktop application.

Let’s get started reviewing the best flowchart software available.

Comparison of Best Flowchart Software

Flowchart SoftwareBest ForFree TrialDeploymentPriceMicrosoft VisioSmall to large businessesNoCloud / on premise$5Diagram.netDevelopers, designers, and freelancersYesCloud / on premiseFREECreatelyFreelancers and small businessesYesCloud / on premise$5SmartDrawSmall teams and freelancersYesCloud$9.95GliffySmall teams and freelancersYesCloud$8LucidchartSmall to large businessesYesCloud$7.95CacooThis table compares the 7 best flowchart and diagram tools in terms of usage, pricing, free trial and deployment model

What is the best Flowchart Software?

Here are my picks for the best flowchart software that will give you visual clarity of your most important processes.

Microsoft Visio is a diagramming software that allows users to build a variety of diagrams including flowcharts maker, organizational charts, network topologies, and more. Organizations use it to create and document processes and procedures.

The Microsoft Visio flowchart maker software allows you to easily design flowcharts and diagrams. The simple interface allows you to design your diagram by dragging and dropping components onto the canvas and connecting them with lines. You can also use the built-in templates library, which has over 1000 pre-made shapes to get you started quickly.

Why I picked Microsoft Visio: As part of the Microsoft Office suite, it is widely used and includes interaction with other Microsoft products, making it easier to complete tasks in a timely manner. With a simple yet powerful interface, anyone can get started on their flowcharting projects in minutes.

Key Features

• Easy to model business processes
• Easy to draw organizational structure
• Availability of thousands of symbols
• Access to a wide set of data sources

Pricing

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

Diagrams.net is the best free flowchart software for drawing flowcharts and diagrams by simply dragging and dropping components from their built-in ready-to-use toolset.

This free and open-source program enables real time collaboration between members in order to facilitate and get the job done faster in simple steps. it also has an extensive list of integrations including Google Workspace and Drive, Sharepoint and OneDrive, Atlassian, VS Code, Git and Dropbox, and NextCloud. However, these integrations will have a preset price if needed.

This maker is available as a desktop application and full online.

Why I picked Diagram.net: If you are a freelancer, developer, or designer, this flowchart program may be the simplest approach to design and communicate the flow of a specific process.

Key Features

• No account needed
• Vast integration with other software
• Real time collaboration
• Free for personal and commercial usage
• Import and export
• Version tracking

Pricing

• Free for personal and commercial usage

Creately is an online flowchart maker that allows you build visually appealing diagrams and flowcharts. It includes a large number of built-in diagrams, org charts, flowcharts, process maps, and wireframes.

This flowchart program offers a simple interface allowing for drag and drop of a broad variety of blocks and shapes into the canvas, as well as real-time collaboration.

It also includes a collection of integration connectors that allow you to run the process and connect to other apps without writing any code. Creately has a free version and a premium version with more advanced features.

Key Features

• Real-time collaboration
• Flowchart maker
• Offline working desktop version
• Visual workspaces
• Custom databases
• Task management

Pricing

• Free: Limited storage with basic integrations
• Starter: $5 user/month
• Business: $89 user/month
• Enterprise: custom pricing

Because of its vast capabilities and simple interface, SmartDraw is one of the top flowchart software options on the market. It, like many flowcharting programs, includes a canvas with drag-and-drop functionality for quickly representing a business process or org chart.

This program also offers plenty of templates for different types of diagrams: website wireframes, process maps, logic models and more. It has so many templates for diagrams, org charts, flow charts, floor plans, and even legal documents that it’s difficult to go elsewhere, especially if you need something quickly.

Why I picked SmartDraw: This diagram tool offers integration with Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Confluence, and Jira. Making it the best choice for employees and organizations that rely on these technologies on their daily activities.

Key Features

• Customizable templates
• Supports wireframes
• Big pool of charts
• Export to PDF and images
• Affordable

Pricing:

• Individual: $9.95 user/month
• Team: $5.95 user/month (minimum 5 users)
• Site: $2.995

5- Gliffy

Gliffy is a diagramming program that is cloud-based and allows users to make professional-looking flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, and other diagrams.

It has numerous features like as drag and drop shapes, freehand line sketching, and a large selection of forms and connectors to choose from. You may also include text boxes and images in your diagram.

Why I picked Gliffy: This diagram tool has been trusted by big companies including Disney, Starbucks, and Nike and it is one of the best flowchart software that has full integration with Confluence.

Key Features

• Instant real time collaboration
• Integrate with Atlassian without leaving the app
• Rich set of templates
• Great integration into Google products, Slack, Trello, Jira, and others.

Pricing

• Professional (1 to 9 Users): $8 user/month
• Professional (10 to 50 Users): $6 user/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Lucidchart is also one of the best flowchart software on the market, thanks to its extensive capabilities and simple design. It is an online maker with intelligence capabilities that is used to bring together team members for a visualization project.

It has all the features of Visio but with an intuitive interface so even non-technical people can use it. Lucidchart has a clean and simple design that focuses on usability, the ability to work on numerous diagrams at once, and a collaboration module that allows multiple individuals to work on the same page.

Why I picked Lucidchart: This diagram tool maker has been trusted by big companies including Google, NASA, and Amazon. It makes it very easy to visualize diagrams and offers extensive integration with industry-leading apps.

Key Features:

• Real-time collaboration
• Intelligent diagramming
• Custom shapes
• Enterprise level security
• Export capabilities

Pricing

• Free
• Individual: $7.95 user/month
• Team: $9.00 user/month
• Enterprise: custom pricing