What Is Drawio and Unbiased Review of Drawio and Best Alternatives

November 18, 2022Ashley Mae

Nowadays, data has become an essential asset for both the individual and business. However, it is impossible to understand the data for average people. Therefore, data visualization becomes an important skill. The diagramming applications can help people to turn data into graphics and charts for presentations. This article will review one of the popular diagramming tools, Draw.io. So that you can get the key information, such as features, benefits, and more, before using it.

Part 1. Review of Draw.io
Part 2. Best Alternatives to Draw. Io
Part 3. FAQs about Drawio

Part 1. Review of Draw.io

Draw.io is a fully featured diagramming application designed to serve enterprises, small businesses, agencies, and individuals. As a free online platform, it makes diagram drawing portable. Therefore, it is an excellent option for both professionals and average people to create visual content for free.

Main Features of Draw.io

Import data from a hard drive to create charts quickly.
Include a wide variety of customizable templates for free.
Come with collaboration tools to work with a team.
Draw charts with templates or blank canvas.
Support plentiful types of charts, like flowcharts, mind maps, network diagrams, etc.
Offer interactive elements, such as web links.
Publish your flowcharts and diagrams directly.
Completely work online and is available to most web browsers.
Convert text, images, or other elements to charts.
Connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

Briefly Review Draw.io

Pros

Draw.io is free to use and does not have any limitations.
The lightweight design allows users to access and draw charts smoothly.
The built-in real-time collaboration support is excellent for teamwork.
There are plenty of templates and layouts to help beginners visualize data easily.
It also supports a lot of output formats, such as PDF, PNG, and more.
Draw.io can integrate with Google Docs, Jira, and Confluence.

Cons

Draw.io lacks tutorials and technical support services.
The interface looks outdated and could be more refined.
The collaboration support requires Google apps.
It may be unsuccessful when importing some file types.
Draw.io lacks a desktop application for PCs or Mac computers.

The Cost of Draw.io

As mentioned previously, Draw.io is completely free and users won't find any options for a paid plan or an account for extra features. It is available as a web-based application. After chart drawings, you can download them from Draw.io without watermarks or other restrictions. Moreover, there is a Chrome app to draw charts offline.

In another word, all you need to do to start using Draw.io is head over to the website, select where to store the graphics on your disk or cloud storage, and begin designing.

If you are already running a Confluence server for Draw.io in an enterprise context, you can purchase a premium integration license. Bear in mind that it won't bring any additional features. A single integration package of Draw.io costs from $10 to $1,800 supporting between 10 and 250 users.

Bottom Line

Although Draw.io is not a perfect diagramming application, it is a nice choice for beginners and people who do not like to sign up for a subscription service or purchase a software license.

Part 2. Best Alternatives to Draw. Io

Top 1: MindOnMap

Much like Draw.io, MindOnMap is a free diagramming application online. You can create an account, pick an appropriate template or a chart type, visualize your data and ideas, and then you can share the charts or download them to your computer.

Main Features of MindOnMap

Draw flowcharts and mind maps online.
Completely free of charge without limitations.
Integrate a lot of templates and themes.
Stylize flowcharts with text, color, icons, etc.
Available to all major web browsers, like Chrome.

How to Use Draw.io Alternative

Step 1:

Visit the Draw.io alternative app in your browser, and sign up for an account for free. Then log in to the platform.

Step 2:

Hit the Create Your Mind Map button to enter the home page. Click the New tab and pick a type of chart or a theme.

Step 3:

Then you will be presented with the chart editor page. Here you can add the main node, nodes, sub-nodes, images, links, and other elements to your chart.

Step 4:

The toolbox on the right side allows you to add personal items to your chart, such as icons, shapes, colors, etc.

Step 5:

When you are done, click the Export button and choose an appropriate format, or hit the Share button to post the chart online directly.

Top 2: Lucidchart

When it comes to Draw io vs. Lucidchart, both of them are used to draw, create, and share diagrams, charts, and graphics online. The former supports a lot of integrations, but the latter consists of extensive shape libraries.

Key Features of Lucidchart

Collaborate in real-time.
Offer enterprise end-to-end security.
Automate diagrams with data links.
Controls by administrators easily.

Top 3: Creately

Creately is another alternative to Draw.io to manage projects with a smart visual canvas. Many organizations and teams use it to brainstorm, plan, and manage projects, and present ideas in a single space.

Key Features of Creately

Integrate data-linked visual workspaces.
Manage tasks and custom workflows.
Support diagramming, Wiki, integration, and more.
Offer both a free plan and paid plans.

Top 4: Diagrams.net

Diagrams.net, previously Draw.io, is a free online diagram drawing application for workflow, BPM, charts, UML, network diagrams, and more. It is available without login or registration. It is popular among developers due to the code support.

Key Features of Diagrams.net

Generate diagrams from code.
Come with a customizable interface.
Decorate charts with emojis and icons.
Store diagram files on cloud platforms.

Top 5: SmartDraw

When assessing Draw.io and SmartDraw, we found the latter is easier to use, set up, and control, but the former is more affordable. Professionals prefer doing business with SmartDraw overall, but Draw.io is popular among average people.

Key Features of SmartDraw

Make designs for all sizes of businesses.
Add, delete, and move shapes easily.
Draw and print architectural and engineering diagrams.
Create diagrams from data instantly.

Extended Reading:

Part 3. FAQs about Drawio

Who uses draw.io?

The most common users of Draw.io are enterprises that have more than 1,000 employees and the computer software industry.

Is Draw.io free to use?

Yes, Draw.io is completely free of charge. It does not include any option to ask you to subscribe to a plan or pay for anything. Draw.io Confluence integration is not free, although it does not offer extra functionalities.

Is Draw.io better than Visio?

Overall, Draw.io might not be a powerful alternative to Visio out there, but for quick and portable diagrams, Draw.io is a good choice due to free to use and excellent integrations.

Conclusion

Based on our review and introduction, you should understand what Draw.io is, its benefits and shortcomings, its costs, and the best alternatives. Following our review, you should make the best decision. All in all, it is a great option to create diagrams, charts, and graphics online for free. MindOnMap and other alternatives are available to visualize your ideas and data. If you have other questions about Draw.io, please feel free to write them down below this post.

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