How do you want to make your diagram?
24 diagram apps, sorted by the way you draw in them. Pick what you need and the ones that don't fit step back, each with the reason.
24
diagram apps
Pick what you need
Sketch by hand
6 apps
Drag shapes
16 apps
Write code
8 apps
flowchart LR
A[Idea] --> B{Ready?}
B --> C[Ship]
Describe in words
17 apps
"Idea to ship, with a check that it's ready."
AI draws it
FitsNot stated by the makerMisses, with the reason
Popular comparisons
Head to head, with the differences first.
vs
draw.io vs Lucidchart
The two best-known shape-based diagram apps. draw.io is free and open source with desktop apps that work offline; Lucidchart is a browser app with a 3-document free plan and Team at $10 per user a month, and it can export Visio files.
vs
draw.io vs Microsoft Visio
Free and open source against Microsoft's paid diagram app. draw.io opens Visio files and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux; Visio Plan 1 is $5 per user a month billed yearly, and only Visio itself saves VSDX.
vs
SVG Diagram vs Napkin AI
The two apps built around describing a diagram in words. SVG Diagram fills polished designs and exports clean SVG and PNG, with Pro at $12.50 a month for commercial use; Napkin turns selected text into visuals, with 500 free AI credits a week and Napkin branding on free exports.
vsLucidchart vs Microsoft Visio
The two paid business diagram apps. Lucidchart is browser-first with a small free plan and Team at $10 per user a month; Visio has no free plan, starts at $5 a month on Plan 1 and is also sold once as Visio Professional.
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Excalidraw vs tldraw
Two open, fast infinite canvases. Excalidraw has the hand-drawn look, an MIT licence and AI drawing from a prompt; tldraw is a clean canvas with desktop apps, a source-available licence and an SDK for building canvases into products.
vsdraw.io vs Excalidraw
Both free and open source, but they make different diagrams. draw.io is for precise shape-based diagrams with big shape libraries and Visio import; Excalidraw is a hand-drawn whiteboard with free live collaboration and AI drawing.
Four ways to make a diagram, four different jobs
Most apps do more than one. The way you start decides what's quick and what's a fight.
Sketch by hand
A freehand canvas: draw boxes and arrows the way you would on a whiteboard.
6 apps
Drag shapes
Shape libraries and connectors that snap: flowcharts, UML, network maps.
16 apps
Write code
Type text like A --> B and the app draws it. Diagrams live next to your code.
8 apps
Describe in words
Write what you want in plain language and AI draws the first version.
17 apps
Start from what you're making
Each shortlist states its reasons, taken from the facts on this site.
Free, for work
Which free diagram app am I allowed to use at work?
Diagrams as code
Which tool lets me keep diagrams next to my code?
AI from text
Which app turns a paragraph into a diagram?
Whiteboards
Which whiteboard is best for sketching diagrams together?
Visio alternatives
What can replace Visio and still open my .vsdx files?
Offline
Which diagram app works without the internet?
How every fact here is checked
1From the maker's own pages
Pricing pages, docs, help centres and licences. Never reviews or reseller listings.
2Silence stays "Not stated"
If the maker doesn't say, we don't guess, and it never counts as a match.
3No scores
Picks in the guides come with their reasons. Nothing is ranked by opinion.
All 24 apps
Filter by how you draw, free plans, exports and where it runs.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| App and maker | How you draw | Free for work | Exports | AI from text | Offline | Open source | Apps | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CacooNulab | Not statedFree plan | $6/user/moPro, billed monthly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Not stated | No | ||
 CanvaCanva | YesFree plan | $12/user/moPro, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Partly | No | ||
 CreatelyCinergix | Not statedFree plan | $4/user/moPro, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Yes | No | ||
 D2Terrastruct | YesOpen source | FreeOpen source | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Yes | Yes | ||
| draw.iodraw.io (JGraph) | YesOpen source | FreeOpen source | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
 EdrawMaxWondershare | NoFree plan | $8.25/user/moIndividual Annual (desktop and cross-platform), billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | No | ||
 EraserEraser Labs | Not statedFree plan | $15/user/moStarter, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | Partly | ||
| ExcalidrawExcalidraw | YesOpen source | $6/user/moPlus, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
 FigJamFigma | YesFree plan | $5/user/moOrganization (Collab seat), billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Paid plans | Partly | No | ||
 GliffyPerforce | Not statedFree plan | $3.80/user/moGliffy Diagrams for Confluence Cloud (11–100 users), billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | No | ||
| LucidchartLucid | YesFree plan | $10/user/moTeam, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Partly | No | ||
 Mermaid ChartMermaid Chart | Not statedFree plan | $10/user/moPlus, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | Partly | ||
| Microsoft VisioMicrosoft | NoNo free version | $5/user/moVisio Plan 1, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Partly | No | ||
 MiroMiro | Not statedFree plan | $8/user/moStarter, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | No | ||
 MuralMural | YesFree plan | $9.99/user/moTeam+, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Paid plans | Not stated | No | ||
| Napkin AINapkin AI | YesFree plan | Not stated | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | No | No | ||
 OmniGraffleThe Omni Group | NoTrial only | $149.99 onceOne-time licence | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Not stated | No | ||
 PlantUMLPlantUML project | YesOpen source | FreeOpen source | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | No | Yes | Yes | ||
 SmartDrawSmartDraw | NoTrial only | $10.95/user/moIndividual, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | No | No | ||
| SVG DiagramSVG Diagram | NoFree plan | $12.50/moPro, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | No | ||
| tldrawtldraw | Not statedFree plan | FreePaid price not stated | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Not stated | Yes | Partly | ||
 Visual Paradigm OnlineVisual Paradigm | NoFree plan | $4/user/moStarter, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Paid plans | Partly | No | ||
 WhimsicalWhimsical | Not statedFree plan | $10/user/moPro, billed yearly | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | No | No | ||
 yEdyWorks | YesFree plan | FreePaid price not stated | SVGPNGPDFVSDX | Yes | Not stated | No |
Sketch by handDrag shapesWrite codeDescribe in wordsExport badges:green, every planamber, paid plansstruck, not offereddashed, not stated