Visio is a free online tool by Microsoft that is used to create excellent flowcharts and other diagrammatic representations of text content. The tool was first developed and introduced in 1992 by Shapewear Corporation and was taken over by Microsoft in 2000. It was then included and integrated with the prevalent MS office software as people started taking advantage of the seamless connectivity between Visio and other MS Office tools like MS Powerpoint, MS Word, MS Access, and more. With this context, we'll here be thoroughly examining the top 5 Visio equivalents for macOS that are widely appreciated across the world.
Free Flowchart Maker For Mac Download Windows 10 Flowchart Maker is a cross-platform flowchart design program which is compatible with Mac OS X, Windows and Linux systems. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a large variety of built-in symbols for flowchart, data flow diagram. Creating flowchart, business diagrams, organizational charts, network diagrams, mind map, and infographics on Mac. Free examples and diagram software Download. Among the greatest visual aids depended upon to represent complex process flows is a flowchart. 18+ Free Flowchart Software Download Reviews When you want to explain the flow of a process or show how one step moves on to the next one, then you will have to create a flowchart. If you use some intuitive tools that are available on software like Flowchart Maker Software you will be able to make the chart more interactive and creative. Free Diagram and Flowchart Software: There are many cloud based diagramming software for Mac and PC that allow a certain amount of free use and in some cases unlimited free use. However the catch is often that your diagrams and flowcharts are made public – you have to subscribe or buy the app to make it private.
The reason for such a topic is, everyone seems not pretty confident or comfortable working with MS Office, and also with Windows set-up. Considering the fact our discussion goes on here. If you are in the same boat, stick around till the end as we'll cover all the important features, pros & cons, pricing, and more of the best 5 Visio Replacement for macOS.
The Availability of Diagramming Tools of Mac Version
When it comes to macOS, there are no such options to use any diagramming tools for free. It's hard to believe, but really there is none of them. To beat the heat, you can use a few popular online tools for free and there are EdrawMax, ASCII Flow, Draw.io, etc.
But if you are still looking for a desktop application, then you can use these applications in offline mode. With the quantity of using MacBook over the world, the users who got used to Visio to make diagrams and other jobs will be disappointed that Visio could be able to utilize on the Mac version, at that time, the replacement or alternatives of Visio on the iOS system seem to be urgent to satisfy users’ demands.
What to Consider before Choosing Visio Equivalent for Mac?
Selecting a tool for personal/professional purposes requires a lot of research through online surveys and 'trial and error' methods. To help you find the best Visio equivalent for MAC, I have enlisted a few important points to consider before selecting the one.
- Usability
Irrespective of how powerful the tool is, you need to check out whether the tool meets your requirements. The Visio alternative software for Mac must be able to cater to your diagramming needs.
- Connectivity/ Portability
To sustain in today's fast work environment, only being powerful doesn't work anymore. Apart from the software abilities, it should also be well-integrated and portable with other platforms (example, just look at MS Visio for an example, it's not highly mobile, and that's why you are reading this). So the tool should produce such outputs that can be integrated and ported on other platforms.
- Pricing
Try for a free tool if your budget is not sufficient. But also check with your requirements. Based on the needs and pricing, select the one that suits you the best.
- Security
Sometimes you might need to work on very sensitive/confidential data that has to be highly secured. So check carefully with the security as well, then make a decision.
Best 5 Free Visio Equivalent for Mac
1. EdrawMax
Source:EdrawMax
The software is available to download for free and use it as a desktop version. You can create unlimited flow charts, mind maps, org charts, network diagrams, and stunning floor charts in just a few clicks. Choose your favorite templates from the dashboard equipped with plenty of options.
Pros:
- Platform Independent
- Output available in PDF format
- User-friendly interface
Cons:
- Lack of online help on “how to use EdrawMax
- Relational databases are not appropriately functional while creating complex flowcharts
Why We Picked It:
- Highly recommended by professionals and beginners who are interested in diagramming, since its substantial icons, charts and templates, as well as its strong storage.
| Price |
|
| Link of official website | https://www.edrawsoft.com/edraw-max/ |
Free Flow Charts
EdrawMax
All-in-One Diagram Software
- Superior file compatibility: Import and export drawings to various file formats, such as Visio
- Cross-platform supported (Windows, Mac, Linux, Web)
2. Omnigraffle
Source:Omnigraffle
This sophisticated data management tool and customizable diagramming software are highly portable, consisting of hundreds of customizable templates to efficiently work with the complex management data. Engineering designs, infographics, and highly complex business models can be created with ease.
Pros:
- complex data-based drawings, flowcharts, mind maps, etc
- An easy drag-and-drop mechanism
Cons:
- No free version is available
- Features are very limited in the free version
Why We Picked It:
- Many people look for purchasing a premium tool that charges a one-time payment with life-long validity and support. That is the reason this premium super-powerful data management, and the diagramming tool is in our top 5 Visio alternatives for MAC OS list.
| Price | 14-day free trial available for Omnigraffle |
| Link of official website | https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle// |
3. Dia Diagram Editor
Source:Dia Diagram Editor
One of the best Visio equivalents for macOS using an extremely professional interface with lots of features to create awesome flowcharts and vector diagrams. Ease of use is its priority for the users, especially for the beginners.
Pros:
- Dia editor is open-source software, download for free
- Platform independent
- Easy user interface
Cons:
- Hard to find the download link
Why We Picked It:
- When we did online surveys on feedback about MS Visio equivalent for macOS, we received excellent feedback about the Dia diagram editor, which is freely available across all platforms. Hence, it ranks in our top 5 MS Visio alternatives for macOS list.
| Price | Open-source tool |
| Link of official website | http://dia-installer.de/download/macosx.html.en |
Free Flowchart Mac
4. ConceptDraw
Source:ConceptDraw
A highly advanced diagramming tool for use in creating flowcharts, business mapping, managing and maintaining business data, charts, workflow models, and also integrating them seamlessly through the cloud environment. Stuffed with plenty of useful, robust templates for using multiple times with designing accurate data-driven use cases, charts, infographics, and architectural models.
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use
- Plenty of in-built templates
- It can create infographics starting from the scratch with customizable designing templates.
Cons:
- Keyboard shortcuts are too complex
- Rearranging the set-up in case of business scaling is not easy
Why We Picked It:
Free Flowchart Templates For Mac
- We found the cons of ConceptDraw are not that superior, having an overall good score ConceptDraw retains its position in the top 5 list of Visio equivalent for MAC.
| Price | Licensing price |
| Link of official website | https://www.conceptdraw.com/ |
5. Lucidchart
Source:Lucidchart
One of the best free MS Visio equivalent for Mac users, that comes with lots of features, online help, and a very simple User interface. You will not require any kind of technical skillset to use this tool. It’s so easy to use and step-by-step explanations with images are available as a complete tutorial/guide! Does bluestacks work on mac.
Pros:
- Available for free
- Easily Portable
- A bunch of ready-to-use templates is available
- Simple User Interface
Free Flowchart Maker
Cons:
- Many features are available only in the paid version
- Extremely complex data cannot be handled perfectly
Why We Picked It:
- The software extremely easy to use, with a simple yet powerful user interface. Moreover, the tool is available for free across all platforms. The software is also voted as the top 5 Visio replacement for Mac in our online surveys. Thus, it has appeared on the list.
Free Flowchart Program For Mac
| Price | $9.95 month to month |
| Link of official website | https://www.lucidchart.com/pages// |
Recommendation
Though it is not easy to suggest a single tool to the users with a variety of requirements, especially when it is the Aternative to Visio for MAC users. But still, from our top 5 list of MS Visio replacement for Mac, I would recommend you one software which I liked the most - Edraw Max. Snap-hack. I recommend the tool due to its user-friendliness, portability, and robustness. Unlike the other tools with similar functionalities, Edraw Max’s UI(User Interface) is more comfortable with excellent online user manuals that guide the beginners correctly in a stepwise manner explaining each step thoroughly. I also am a satisfied user of Edraw Max, and can assure you with the security and performance.
Flow Chart Maker Free Download
So, with the advent of flowchart software, it becomes really simple to design your flowcharts according to your needs and demands.
Here's a list of top flowchart software for your varying needs.
1. Gliffy
This software can be used for various needs like documentation of a decision flow or the approval process, illustrate a particular software or product development and production process, create an infographic etc.It is an HTML 5 based diagramming tool so it is twice as fast as Flash and can be operated on any type of modern web browser. It supports an easy drag and drop interface. Even while being on the browser itself, you can edit your flowcharts and share them by just sending your URL to the required people.
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They even come with various types of templates and themes that can help you get started on developing a software. On the free account, you can afford up to 5 free diagrams (2 MB limit) and after that you need to shift to the paid versions whose price starts from $3.99.
2. XMind
This is one of the old and most recognized chart creating tool that offers you a lot of varieties and features and can work correctly on Linux, Windows and Mac OS, X. It has 10 new amazing fonts and themes that are cross-platforms and open-sourced and thus can help you beautify your maps and charts looks.The three essential parts are relationship, boundary and summary where the relationship between and two topics on a graph on a map can be shown with the help of customized lines, Boundaries let you emphasize on a certain topic or content by making a closed area over those contents and the summary provides you with a lucid overview of those topics.
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This software makes use of marker to highlight any relevant matter or any type of priority or progress, etc. For each subject, you can give a single or numerous label depending upon your uses and needs. Presenting your job or slide becomes even easier with the help of slide-based presentation.
It does come with a free plan that is useful for very basic use, but if you intend to use it with more advanced features then you can purchase a license to extend their functionalities.
3. yED
This powerful desktop application can run for free on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and all other Java Virtual Machine Supported platforms. Along with the intuitive user interface, it also allows you to import data from .xls or XML files.See Also: - 10 Best Clothing Design Software To Download for Mac
With the help of pre-made templates, the entire process of designing a flow chart will be made even easier. You can bring in various documents, images and designs from other sources into yED and the software will arrange them into a full-fledged top quality flow chart. Even if your diagram consists of the many complexities and diversities, the software will untangle them and give you a simpler looking layout to make your understanding better.
yED makes it easy to create, edit and handle diagrams by making use of simple mouse, touch and keyboard gestures. It also covers a broad range of deployment and platforms so that you can run it on your own platform.
4. Lucid Charts
Lucid Charts come with an intuitive and collaborative diagramming solution that attends to all your varied types of diagramming worries. It also offers high compatibility with other programs like google apps and also provides support with Microsoft visio documents.See Also: - 10 Best Car Designing Software | Both Free & Paid
It has separate categories and functionalities for making flowcharts for producing engineers, business related work and to design related work. As it is not a software, but an online web page, so you need not have any updating software problem or no additional downloads, etc.
The simple drag and drop options and scalability option really perk up your flowchart making experience. Also, as it is built on HTML 5 and web standards so, it can function correctly on almost any major browser or Internet-enabled device.
5. Creately
This offline tool supported by WYSIWIG based software come with over 1000 ready made templates and examples that can serve almost every type of your need, just to make your flowchart creating experience really free from problems.With the help of one-click create, drag and drop shapes, easy arrow heads and styles changing, simple aligning, sizing and grouping etc. the flowchart becomes very easy to draw. Sometimes when it's difficult for you to draw a shape to represent some idea or text in your flowchart, then you can just write it down as a text and the software will change it to complex forms accordingly.
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With the help of connectors, lines and shapes can be matched correctly to the linking forms. With the aid of real-time collaboration, you can invite anyone to collaborate with your flowchart and if they make any change to your flowchart then it will be visible to you simultaneously and they can even leave you their own comments and reviews regarding the necessary modifications in the flowchart.
Also, if you want hen you can import visio and visio stencils directly to your working field on Creately. You can also import your flowcharts to Abode Illustrator, Inkspace, MS, Visio etc. for modification. It is compatible with Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and the price is free for up to 5 diagrams and then you will be charged with minimum $5 per month.
6. Smart Draw
This notable drawing software comes with varied range of applications and features, thus making it one of the most sought after drawing tool. You can also include shapes, photos, images and diagrams using keystrokes and keyboard. With nearly 100 of templates and 70 different types of diagrams, charts, and other visuals, your whole process of flowchart creation becomes really simple.See Also: - 10 Best Transcription Software for Windows (Free+Paid)
With the help of Smart Draw cloud, you can create and edit diagrams in modern browsers on both Mac and Windows. As it offers high compatibility, so you can export your diagram to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook and can also save your drawing to Dropbox, Google Drive or One Drive. Furthermore, with the help of built-in examples and drawing tools, the process of creating a complex flowchart becomes extensively straightforward and easy.
7. Draw.io
This diagram application is free to use and offers excellent solutions and offers to build your flow charts. It is made on Google Drive (TM) using which you can create not only flowcharts but also UML, entity, relation, network diagrams, etc.With the help of simple drag and drop techniques, it becomes easy for anyone to use this free application. As soon as you visit the website, you can get on with drawing your flowchart without wasting any time on unnecessary registration information, login details, advertisements, etc. The files get saved as a .xml file and can be used by various other programs.
You can export your diagrams in the format of .jpg, .png, .pdf, .gif and .svg so as to enable the method of sending the file via e-mail or sharing them with others. One of the most attractive capability of draw.io is the availability of basic vector graphics.
Your diagrams get saved to the Google Drive, so you don't have to be afraid of losing them. You can also resize, move or copy the images in your diagram according to your needs.
8. Cacoo
This software comes with lot many varieties of clip art and simple vector images to ease the process of flowchart creation. Furthermore, with the help of the option 'Find Stencils On the Cacoo Store,' you can search for even more clip arts and vector images. It can work on any PC and is also available as an app for Android users.See Also: - 10 Best Transcription Software for Mac [Both Free & Paid]
With the help of the free account, you can save up to 25 sheets of diagrams. Then to continue using the services you can pay a minimum amount of $4.95 per month and become a premium user. Your charts are sure to be saved, secured and synced so that you can open them or use them whenever you need.
Also, it offers you the option of viewing real-time changes in your app and gives you the option of in-app chat. Your diagrams can be exported to various other formats like jpg, png, pdf, etc.
9. Lovely Charts
It is used for creating a professional looking layout. Using this software, the creation of flowcharts, sitemaps, wireframes, basic symbols, etc. is possible. It works fine with Desktops, the web, and iPad. The Android version of this software is currently in progress and will be available soon. The user interface is too excellent and easy to understand and use.With the help of simple drag and drop option, you can add desired contents and images to your flow chart. The files and flowcharts can be exported in .png and .jpeg format.
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The desktop version comes free of cost, but it has a particular disadvantage that the features on the desktop version are limited compared to the web and iPad version. The paid version plans start with a minimal amount of $3.99/year.
10. Dia
This free, open source online diagramming software functions correctly with Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Linux and Mac OS X. This software carries features that are highly similar to Microsoft Viso app. With the help of this software, you can easily create various diagrams like Flowcharts, UML diagrams, Assorted Diagrams, Circuit to Network Diagrams, etc. on the go.It is also a storehouse of a large variety of symbols and tools that can ease out your process of diagram creation. Also, you can work simultaneously on more than one flowcharts or diagrams on multiple tabs. Your layouts get loaded and saved to a custom XML version which can then be exported to several formats such as XFIG, PNG, EPS, WMF or SVG. Moreover, if necessary the software allows you to take a printout of your diagrams too.
It is the overall list of all the flowchart creation software, which can give you a well looking professional flow chart for any your need.