draw.io is an online diagramming tool with integrations with Jira, Google, and Confluence available free online or at cost depending on integration chosen.
$5
per month
SmartDraw
Score 5.9 out of 10
N/A
SmartDraw is a diagramming and flow chart building tool from SmartDraw Software in San Diego, California.
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.
As a developer i use it extensively for sharing ideas specially related for system design and application flows. Entire team finds it comfortable to use it, understand it and make changes swiftly. We use it for High Level System design. While discussing the only missing thing we find about it is the integration of an ide for Low Level Design but in my opinion this tool isn't made for that purpose.
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.
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.
They are always very helpful, we get computers every two years and I have to call them to move the license from one computer to another and they do it with a smile in their voice!
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.
As noted in first question, SmartDraw has them beat in every category I can think of (except for price; but need to keep in mind the old adage "you get what you pay for"!). This product allows for VASTLY-improved uploading of data than the Lucidchart product, and customer service is real, tangible service... they understand that when you have a question and need an answer, waiting 2 or 3 days for an email response is not acceptable.
SmartDraw has provided good return for our internal purposes. Using it to understand an organization's structure and inner workings has been valuable. On the client side, creating steps and businesses processes has also been a big plus. It has helped decrease confusing reporting structures and has provided a detailed map for individuals to understand where they fit within their organization.
Unfortunately, SmartDraw has been somewhat inefficient with some of the more complex projects on our plate and has really deterred certain employees from even wanting to use it.
