Apache OpenOffice is a free open source office suite that includes six applications: Writer (word processor), Calc (spreadsheets), Impress (presentations), Draw (diagramming and graphics), Base (database), and Math (formulas).
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draw.io
Score 7.3 out of 10
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draw.io is an online diagramming tool with integrations with Jira, Google, and Confluence available free online or at cost depending on integration chosen.
In my opinion, Apache OpenOffice is best suited for writing, editing and proofreading texts in any language. You can also download additional language packages that really take up little space in your PC's storage. Of course, Apache OpenOffice is comprehensive of spreadsheet-/drawing-/database-related softwares and so on, but I primarily use it for writing and editing my own texts. I don't see any scenarios where it is less appropriate, at least so far.
If you need to create a diagram in the cloud, I haven't found a better tool yet. If you need further customizability or export options not offered, then a larger tool might make more sense, but wherever Draw.io can fit in, I think it's the ideal solution.
OpenOffice is ideal to have as an application on your PC versus utilizing an online word archive application like Google Docs.
OpenOffice can deal with an assortment of document types like [.doc, .rtf, .xml] , making it a fundamental apparatus for the individuals who don't approach Microsoft Word.
OpenOffice is a more profound programming than Word and is more open. I know, openness for a record composing programming, I know. In any case, OpenOffice takes into account rapidly evolving edges, typeface, size, and so forth, and I think shows improvement over Word, and in a simpler arrangement.
OpenOffice can deal with bookkeeping pages, essential information bases, introductions, and fundamental drawings. It handles the entirety of the typical Microsoft Office instruments inside one application.
One element that was hard to use was converting pre-existing drawings and workflows from Gliffy to Draw.io once our company made the change. While we were able to complete the migration, when going back we noticed, oftentimes, some formatting and dependencies did not make it or were not compatible.
While the template repository is vast, it has a heavy focus on network style maps. It would be ideal for added diversity in the templates with a focus on workflows just as much.
While the integrations are strong, the cloud collaborative environment could still use some work. While you can save and edit in the cloud. Group editing and live dynamic sharing/editing similar to Microsoft office are still missing.
Draw.io could add some version control functionality for ease of rollback, auditing, & comparison.
It is a cheap alternative; however, with Microsoft 365 licenses also dropping significantly, we might opt to go in that direction to maintain uniformity.
It's good overall, just the UI it's not the prettiest, feels like an older version of MS office, but gets the job done. Once get the hang of it it's easy to use, besides it has great documentation on how to use it and there are many forums that discuss many related topics.
Is there really support? There is a user forum but I do not see much developer input. Support options are limited. The most recent (Sept 2019) version of the product seems to have issues operating under Windows 10, yet there are few recent comments in the community forum, most comments are regarding older versions.
The support for draw.io is pretty decent, considering it is a free website. I had a question one time when I was trying to do something, so I sent an email to their support email and got a response fairly quickly with an answer to my question. They also have some excellent support tools on their support website for helping you get more familiar with their program, and I found that very helpful.
The big benefits that OpenOffice gives us is the flexibility, the cost, and the ease of licensing. We do have some Office users, and we keep licenses for them. We looked at Office 365, and that was a good way to work for some people, but the requirement to be constantly connected to the internet was difficult for some of our field staff. Same with Google Drive, though that was more popular than Office 365. We don't do a ton of collaborative work, so the lack of online collaboration wasn't a dealbreaker for us, though I can see how 365 or Google Drive would be much more helpful for a team of people working on a single document.
Draw.io is a free online diagram drawing application for workflow, BPM, org charts, UML, ER, network diagrams. No login or registration are required and features include the ability to save locally (including svg), a range of stencils, .vsdx, Lucidchart and Gliffy import and real time diagram sharing. When I compare draw.io to Lucidchart, it's natural that the first point of comparison will be templates. Lucidchart provides many more templates for both beginners and professionals than draw.io but draw.io has all the essential tools and templates for both business professionals and students (engineering drawing, floor plans, etc). Lucidchart lets you import all the three Microsoft Visio formats — .vdx, .vsd, and .vsdx as well as diagrams from Gliffy, Draw.io, and Omnigraffle. Draw.io lets you import Google Drive, Dropbox, Trello, Gliffy and GitHub. Overall, if you plan to make simple drawings, Draw.io is perhaps the best tool for you. All you need is a Google account to upload and save documents. If you can live with the three documents and sixty objects rule of Lucidchart, you may want to give it a try instead.
