Indie Alternatives

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Indie alternatives to Microsoft Visio

4 products made by independent developers and small teams that do what Microsoft Visio does, 3 of them with a free plan. Free and open-source options come first.

At a glance

ProductPriceOpen sourceSelf-hostPlatforms
draw.ioFree––Web, Windows, Mac, Linux
yEd Graph EditorFree––Mac, Windows, Linux
CreatelyFree plan––Web
CacooPaid––Web

The alternatives

1. draw.io

Free diagramming tool for flowcharts and architecture

A free diagram editor for flowcharts, UML, network and architecture diagrams that works online, offline and inside other tools.

Free · Web, Windows, Mac, Linux · Website ↗

2. yEd Graph Editor

Free desktop diagram editor with auto-layout

Desktop application for creating diagrams such as flowcharts, org charts and network diagrams with automatic layouts.

Free · Mac, Windows, Linux · Website ↗

3. Creately

Visual workspace for diagrams and planning

Online diagramming and whiteboard tool with templates for flowcharts, org charts and mind maps.

Free plan · Web · Website ↗

4. Cacoo

Online diagram and flowchart maker

Collaborative online diagramming tool from Nulab for flowcharts, wireframes and network diagrams.

Paid · Web · Website ↗

Not quite what you need?

Anonymous: only the text and the date are kept. /wanted

Questions

Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Visio?

Yes. 3 of the 4 indie alternatives listed here have a free plan or are free: draw.io, yEd Graph Editor and Creately.

Which Microsoft Visio alternatives work on Mac, Windows, iPhone or Android?

On Mac: draw.io and yEd Graph Editor. On Windows: draw.io and yEd Graph Editor. On Linux: draw.io and yEd Graph Editor. On the web: draw.io, Creately and Cacoo.

What makes these alternatives to Microsoft Visio “indie”?

They are built by independent developers or small teams rather than large companies. Each one is listed because it does the same core job as Microsoft Visio.

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Related

Browse: Diagrams · Design

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