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VERDICT

Should I use Flowchart Maker and Online Diagram Software?

draw.io is free online diagram software for flowcharts, UML, ER diagrams, BPMN, and more. Imports .vsdx, Gliffy, and Lucidchart files. - draw.io

Worth it. Anyone who needs flowcharts, UML, or architecture diagrams should use it — it is free, open source, and imports Visio, Gliffy, and Lucidchart files. Teams wanting polished collaboration, templates, and vendor support should pay for Lucidchart or Miro instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 10+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated title echoes, limiting depth.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo usable evidence found
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence found
  • Security postureSecurity page unreachable; no findings

Pricing

$0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Engineers drawing UML and architecture diagrams
  • Teams migrating off Visio, Gliffy, or Lucidchart
  • Students and individuals wanting free diagramming
  • Process docs: BPMN and ER diagrams

Not for

  • Teams needing vendor support or SLAs — none exist at $0
  • Guess: teams wanting real-time co-editing and polished templates out of the box
  • Buyers wanting AI-generated diagrams — rivals advertise that; this tool doesn't

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Free tool means no support SLA; user-reported file bugs may sit unresolved

medium

Third-party mirrors and lookalike domains host the app; use official

low

Official security page returned Not Found during review

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free — no paid tiers advertised anywhere
  • Open source diagramming tool
  • Imports Visio (.vsdx), Gliffy, and Lucidchart files
  • Appears on reviewer lists of best free flowchart tools
  • Switching from Visio cited as a cost-saving game changer

Cons

  • Some users report .drawio files getting stuck and failing to reopen
  • Product security page returned Not Found at review time

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/29/2026 - 8 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x2review x5security x1

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free; Visio switchers cite cost savings
  • Ease of use. No usable evidence found
  • Feature depth: 5/5. Flowcharts, UML, ER, BPMN, network, circuit diagrams
  • Support quality. No support evidence found
  • Security posture. Security page unreachable; no findings
  • $0 Price Free online diagram software
  • Yes Free tier Open source; no paid tiers listed
  • 3 formats Imports Visio .vsdx, Gliffy, Lucidchart

Pricing

Free

$0

  • Full diagramming app
  • Visio, Gliffy, Lucidchart import
  • Web and desktop use

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

Users recommend it as the go-to free diagramming tool, especially as a Visio replacement; complaints center on occasional file-opening bugs.

“Opening a .drawio file gets stuck and reopening doesn't fix it”
GitHub, vscode-drawio issue #141

Alternatives

Compare Flowchart Maker and Online Diagram Software with each alternative.

  • Lucidchart

    Paid; polished collaboration and templates draw.io lacks

  • Miro

    Team whiteboarding and workshops, not just diagrams

  • Mermaid

    Diagrams-as-code that live in your repo

  • Microsoft Visio

    Enterprise standard; draw.io imports its .vsdx files

Companies that use it

  • College of Eastern Idaho
  • University of Presov
  • University of Pennsylvania (Penn Frameworks)
Full analysis

Based on 10+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated title echoes, limiting depth.

Free, open-source diagramming that imports Visio and Lucidchart files. At $0 it's a near-default yes.

Methodology

Based on 10+ public sources; many search snippets were truncated title echoes, limiting depth.

Sources

  1. draw.io — Flowchart Maker and Online Diagram Softwaredraw.io
    official
  2. Flowchart Maker & Online Diagram Software (app)app.diagrams.net
    official
  3. What are some of the best free flowchart and diagramming softwarequora.com
    review
  4. From Visio to Draw.io: A Game Changer for Architecturelinkedin.com
    review
  5. Free diagramming tool: draw.io reviewlinkedin.com
    review
  6. Opening a .drawio file gets stuck and reopening doesn't fix itgithub.com
    review
  7. Purple-Team-Resources Tool References (Draw.io — open source)github.com
    review
  8. draw.io product security pagedraw.io
    security

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