Visio ® is a Windows only product. SmartDraw offers a powerful and easy-to-use solution for those looking for a Visio ® alternative on a Mac. SmartDraw offers more templates, better tools, industry-leading automation — all while being more affordable and available on any platform, Mac or Windows.
Contents List
- 1 Best Free Visio Alternative List
Microsoft Visio is one of the best programs which you can use to diagram information. If you have worked for any business or company, then you may be familiar with this program. However, it’s a great program, but in order to avail this service, you have to spend money from your pocket. But there are a lot of free Visio alternative available which you can use without paying a single penny from your pocket.
Best Free Visio Alternative List
There are lots of people who don’t want to spend money in order to try a new service and if you are one of them, then here’s something special for you.
1. Draw.io – Free Visio Alternative
Draw.io is an excellent and free Visio alternative which you can use to draw your diagrams. It offers you all kinds of shapes, flowcharts, UML shapes and lot more things which you must have while drawing your next project. For the added convenience, you can also draw customized shapes by just editing the XML of an existing shape. You can save your work in the form of PDF, SVG or XML. It allows you to export and upload your work either into the Dropbox or Google Drive.
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2. OpenOffice Draw
The OpenOffice Draw is an open source software which works similar to the Visio and it’s one of the biggest competitors of Visio. It provides you a lot of basic and advanced features which will help you to create amazing diagrams. The interface is quite simple, clean and easy to use. Apart from these features, OpenOffice Draw doesn’t have any premium plans which means that you can use it for free. Since it’s not a web-based program, so you have to download it to your computer to start drawing your diagrams.
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3. Lucid Chart
Lucid Chart is a web-based program which will make the diagramming an easy task. The interface is quite simple, clean and easy to use. It features a drag and drop option which will help you to draw diagrams in an easy way. Similar to the Draw.io Program, it doesn’t have a login page which means you don’t have to fill lengthy forms to get started. All you have to do is just visit the website and start drawing the diagrams. For the added convenience, It has a feature which lets you work together with your friends and family.
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4. Dia
Dia is one of the free Visio alternatives which contains some of the common features available in Microsoft Visio. It features a lot of diagram shapes, flowcharts, UML diagrams, and lots more which will make the diagramming an easier task for you. The best part is that it allows you to diagram whenever you don’t have any internet connection available. So, what are you waiting for? simply download this program on your computer and start drawing diagrams easily and quickly.
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5. Pencil Project
Pencil Project is another free open source program which contains a lot of built-in shapes that can be used while drawing a diagram. It features a lot of fonts, borders, buttons which will help you to make attractive diagrams. The best thing is that it is linked with openclipart.org which means you can import clipart from there and then you can use them in your diagrams. In short, Pencil Project is an excellent and free Visio alternative which you must have on your computer.
Final Thoughts
So, these are the best and free Visio alternative programs which you can use to draw diagrams. I hope this post helped you to get what you were looking for. If you found this list helpful, then share it with your friends, family, and relatives who are looking for the same information. Also, Do you have any other Visio alternative which can be added to our list? If yes, then let me know in the comment section below.
Want a low-cost and high-performance P&ID program used on Mac similar to Visio? Edraw is a powerful and popular Visio substitute for making P&ID and other drawings easily on Mac system.
With some more powerful Visio alternatives out there for both Windows and Mac systems, why still empty your pocket for the expensive Visio? To benefit Mac users, Edraw has newly released a Mac version allowing users to create piping and instrumentation diagram easily on Mac OS X system.
Experience more at lower cost. All users can upgrade the program for more functions for free. If you want to save time and money, Edraw is just the right choice for you.
Download P&ID Software to Create P&ID on Mac:
Visio Like P&ID Software
Edraw is a vector based diagramming software containing similar features with Visio. It helps users at any level to create, modify and manage P&IDs faster and more accurately. Designed with an interface similar with Word, Edraw is familiar and easy to use. The P&ID symbols are comprehensive, accurate, and with a customizable capability available to be edited. With this Visio like tool, users can develop professional P&ID in a way easier than ever.
Features Comparison
Visio
About 100
About 5000 Symbols
About 20 examples
$299 +
Need pay to upgrade
Visio
Be able to insert a table same as Microsoft Word.
Available to collaborate with team members through Cloud sync.
Visio
Why Edraw is a Solid Visio Alternative for P&ID on Mac
- Drag-and-drop based interface to draw any kind of P&ID.
- A series of symbol libraries dedicated to creating P&IDs. Both black and white symbols and photorealistic colorful shapes are available.
- Each symbol is assigned with connection points. Some have attached floating action buttons for easier editing.
- A variety of ready-made templates and examples which are fully customizable.
- An advanced package of diagramming solutions including not only P&ID design tools but also about 200 kinds of chart creators.
Features of Effective P&IDs
To effectively accomplish the intentional purposes of P&IDs, a good set of P&IDs have the following features:
- Offers a clear and concise visual illustration of all facilities, including pipes, valves, sensors, instruments and so on so that all involved parties can have a solid understanding of the process.
- Inform readers about information that can facilitate analysis of risks, safeguards and potential faults. In this way, all kinds of errors can be identified as early as possible and be minimized and ideally eliminated.
- Be conducive to development of operating and maintenance procedures.
- Serve as an as-built record of the process so that changes can be planned safely and effectively using Management of Changes (MOC).
Use the Software as Other Visio Alternatives for Mac:
Besides P&ID, the program is also capable in making other diagrams such as org chart, flowchart, network diagram, mind map, infographics, workflow, gantt chart, etc.