8 Online Tools to Draw Diagrams and Flowcharts

Tools for flowcharting and diagramming are useful in a variety of situations. They can be utilised to produce team presentations, brainstorm ideas, mind maps, software designs, product roadmaps, and milestones.

If you’d prefer not to download and install a tool for drawing diagrams and flowcharts, there are plenty of online alternatives.

1. Lucidchart

One of those alternatives is Microsoft Visio, but if you’re seeking for a programme that isn’t from Microsoft, here are some additional choices.

You can simply create diagrams and flowcharts using Lucidchart without having to install any software. It supports a wide variety of diagrams and flowcharts, including process maps, wireframes, network diagrams, and simple flowcharts. Diagrams can be made from scratch or you can start with a template.

In Lucidchart, usability is essential. For instance, lines drawn between forms are automatically connected to their edges. Moreover, the lines remain connected and follow the moved shapes around.

With a three-document maximum, 25MB of storage, and 60 objects per document, Lucidchart provides a free tier. The free tier has no revision history and no mind-mapping, wire-framing, or mockup libraries. Moreover, you won’t be able to edit the imported Visio documents; only viewing is permitted. But, the free tier is definitely plenty if you only need to create simple charts and infographics. If you require more features, they also have paying plans available.

2. Draw.io

You can also make charts in your browser using the Chrome web app for Lucidchart.

Diagramming software available online, Draw.io, is totally free to use. To use Draw.io, there is no registration required. Simply visit the website and choose a location to store your diagram. You might need to log into your Dropbox, OneDrive, or Google Drive account. Instead, you could decide to save the diagram to your personal hard drive. If you want to share your diagram with others, you can even save it to Trello or Github.

You can start with a template or a blank diagram after deciding where to save your design. Onto your diagram, drag and drop shapes, arrows, and other components.

Diagrams from JPG, PNG, SVG, Gliffy (described in #4 below), Lucidchart (mentioned in #1 above), and VSDX can be imported into Draw.io (Microsoft Visio format). Your diagrams can be exported in JPEG, PDF, PNG, SVG, and XML formats in addition to HTML, which is how they are saved by default. Exporting a link to your diagram is an option.

3. Cacoo

Draw.io, as we previously mentioned, has a number of desktop and web versions and is integrated with a number of services. Except for the interface with Confluence Server, the majority of versions and integrations are free.

Cacoo is a user-friendly online diagramming tool that offers more than 100 templates to get you started. You can design Venn diagrams, flowcharts, wireframes, and many other types of diagrams. Cacoo provides a wide variety of forms to pick from when constructing flowcharts. Onto your chart, drag and drop the shapes, arrows, and other diagram components.

Cacoo has you covered if you’re seeking for real-time collaboration when drawing diagrams. The same chart can be worked on by multiple individuals simultaneously. To keep in touch with your team as you work, there is an integrated chat option. To keep track of who is associated with the current diagram, project folders, and security settings for team members, Cacoo also offers memo fields.

A fantastic tool for both teams and lone users, Cacoo. 1000 sheets of storage, limitless sharing, SVG import and export, and more are included. Nevertheless, to use these features, you must subscribe to a subscription plan. A single user account is $49 annually, and a team package for three users starts at $180 annually. A year-round Enterprise subscription with Cacoo that starts at $600 is available if you need to use it on a private server. For all tiers, there are also monthly choices. A 14-day free trial is offered for each package.

4. Gliffy

Create a free account to get access to six sheets, restricted sharing, and PNG exporting. The free account should be sufficient if all you want to do is draw some diagrams and you don’t worry about the collaboration tools or other file types.

Gliffy is an easy-to-use online diagramming tool that enables you to create diagrams, flowcharts, floor plans, technical drawings, and more in a professional manner. There are accessible fundamental templates that make getting started simple. Moreover, Gliffy interfaces with Confluence and Jira.

Although you can work on diagrams with others, this capability isn’t as robust as other online diagramming tools.

An HTML5 cloud app that also functions offline is called Gliffy.

Gliffy offers some restricted capabilities for free. With a free account, you have access to all the tools, but you can only export diagrams in the Gliffy format and save your creations to their servers.

5. Sketchboard

To access more features, upgrade to a Personal account for $7.99 per month, payable annually. Each user on a Team plan pays $4.99 per month when invoiced annually. There is also an Enterprise plan; however, the cost must be inquired about directly with Gliffy.

With the help of more than 400 sketch shapes and a limitless online whiteboard, you can draw freehand and create diagrams and flowcharts using Sketchboard. They stress concepts over aesthetics despite the fact that the interface is not particularly attractive.

In Sketchboard, you double-click on the backdrop to open a palette of shapes to place instead of toolbars or sidebars. For unrestricted drawing on your diagram, use the Freehand option at the bottom.

6. Creately

For public projects, Sketchboard is available without charge. Upon registration, you are immediately placed on a free plan with three private boards for a maximum of five members. Choose a premium subscription for unlimited private boards and additional features. Plans for numerous users start at $14 per month and cost $7 per month for the Personal plan.

Creately is an online diagramming tool made to make it simple to translate your ideas into graphic representations. Draw shapes and the lines connecting them all at once by dragging and dropping the shapes. For the forms you’re using, Creately can automatically choose the proper connector types and arrowhead types.

Using the context toolbar, aligning, scaling, and grouping shapes is simple. Creately additionally provides intelligent sending and receiving of shapes. Enter words on the diagram if you’re unclear which shape to use, and Creately will generate a shape when it makes sense from the content.

Further features offered by Creately include real-time collaboration, inline comments and discussion threads, and a complete revision history of all changes.

With restrictions, you can use Creately for free. You can collaborate with two other people on the free plan’s one project and five public diagrams.

7. DrawAnywhere

Join the Personal plan for $49 per year paid yearly or the Team plan for $249 per year for limitless diagrams and projects, more contributors, and more features (five users).

An internet diagramming tool called DrawAnywhere has the same interface as a desktop application. You may make and share flowcharts, process diagrams, organisational charts, and more.

Publish your diagrams to your blog, forum, or website, or distribute them to others. Your diagram can also be exported as a JPG, PNG, GIF, or TIFF image. You need to sign up for a free trial account in order to save your diagram.

8. Google Drawings

Join a premium plan starting at $30 per year to get rid of the free trial account’s restrictions.

The opportunity to create diagrams in Google Drawings is totally free if you have a Google account.

Go into your Google Drive account and click New on the left to utilise this free feature. Visit More > Google Sketchup. To your empty canvas, add shapes, arrows, callouts, and even equation symbols. You can resize, rotate, and organise the elements by dragging them around.

Invite others by email and grant them access to the diagram so they may read, change, and/or comment on it.

Export your diagram as an image file or publish it to the web.

Visualize Your Ideas in Diagrams and Flowcharts

If you have enough space in the 15GB of free storage in your Google Drive account, Google Drawings won’t cost you anything. A Google Drive storage plan is available for purchase if you require additional space.