Microsoft Visio AlternativesOnly Free apps categorised as Mind Mapping Tools

The best free Mind Mapping alternative to Microsoft Visio is draw.io, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft Visio and many of them are free Mind Mapping Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Mind Mapping Tool alternatives to Microsoft Visio are LibreOffice - Draw, yEd Graph Editor, Lucidchart and Excalidraw.

filter to find the best alternatives

Microsoft Visio alternatives are mainly Mind Mapping Tools, but if you're looking for Diagram Editors or UML Modeling Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Android, Android + Mind Mapping, Diagram Editor and Android Tablet. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Microsoft Visio.
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Alternatives list

  1. draw.io icon

    draw.io

     1021 likes

    Feature-rich diagram editor offering privacy-focused, ad-free experience with real-time collaboration, offline usage, dark mode, and cloud storage support. No registration required and compatible with various diagram formats, it excels in simplicity by not tracking user data.

    139 draw.io alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Notion
    • Self-Hosted
    • Nextcloud
    • Microsoft SharePoint
    • Flathub
    • Microsoft OneDrive
    • PortableApps.com
    • Google Drive
    • Google Docs
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Google Slides
    • Flatpak
    • Google Sheets
    Use the diagram editor in dark mode. Go to app.diagrams.net/?splash=0&ui=dark
     
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    15
    draw.io vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    makerj
    10

    It is very convenient and contains many features.

    CRAZY HICK
    Positive
    0

    Lightweight, simple to learn/use and not a rip-off like Visio.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Simplified, easy to use interface. Free and Open Source. Clean UI design and look and feel.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 15 comments
    • draw.io is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
    • draw.io is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft Visio is not according to our users
  2. LibreOffice - Draw icon

    LibreOffice - Draw

     314 likes

    Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan, and gives you the means to communicate with graphics and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, Draw is a an excellent package for producing technical drawings, general posters, and much else.

    100 LibreOffice - Draw alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    LibreOffice - Draw screenshot 1
     
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    7
    LibreOffice - Draw vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    5

    It's free and open source, while Visio is proprietary and expensive.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    stefan-hoelzl
    Positive
    0

    It works well for me, is free and open source, and Visio obviously is not.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Red-Case
    Positive
    0

    Not cloud based, which is great. Had problems with diagrams.net being unable to login with my Google account which made my files inaccessible.

    3 of 7 comments
    • LibreOffice - Draw is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
    • LibreOffice - Draw is Lightweight and Privacy focusedMicrosoft Visio is not according to our users
  4. yEd Graph Editor icon

    yEd Graph Editor

     443 likes

    yEd is a powerful diagram editor that can be used to quickly create diagrams manually or import external data for analysis and auto-magically arrange even large data sets by just pressing a button. You can use yEd to quickly create flow charts, BPMN and UML diagrams...

    119 yEd Graph Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    yEd Graph Editor screenshot 1
     
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    7
    yEd Graph Editor vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    1

    good functionality, when all custom pallets are in place, over the years.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Free, lightweight and good response. Powerful layout tool to smart redraw your diagram. Several types of diagrams supported.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    Open source, lightweight, easy to use.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 7 comments
    • yEd Graph Editor is Free and ProprietaryMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    ClickCharts icon
    ClickCharts

    Design flowcharts, UML, Venn, and mind map diagrams with customizable templates, varied symbols, shapes, connector styles, overlapping sheet support, and intuitive drag-and-drop editing. Export visuals as images, edit multiple di...

    http://www.nchsoftware.com
    Learn More
  6. Lucidchart icon

    Lucidchart

     537 likes

    Lucidchart is a cloud-based platform that promotes teamwork through diagramming, collaboration, and data visualization. It serves millions worldwide, offering flowcharts, UML, real-time collaboration, Visio support, and browser access. Designed for innovation and understanding, it integrates easily into workflows.

    74 Lucidchart alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Lucidchart Templates and Examples: With hundreds of template examples to choose from, you can start diagramming in no time.
     
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    3
    Lucidchart vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    Guest
    Positive
    -2

    I have tried them all. Lucidchart is the easiest to use, works across all my devices, and supports real-time collaboration.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -4

    Cross-platform interoperability is key.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -5

    Free, fast and easy to work no bogging you down with logic statements or life changing decisions.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Lucidchart is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
  7. Excalidraw icon

    Excalidraw

     106 likes

    Excalidraw is an open-source whiteboard tool that lets you easily sketch diagrams that have a hand-drawn feel to them. Available directly online as a web app and also through CodeSandbox to easily see how the code works, and the app is available for self-hosting.

    89 Excalidraw alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Excalidraw screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Excalidraw vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    While Excalidraw is great whiteboard software, it doesn't support as many shapes and "relations between objects" as visio does

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Excalidraw is Freemium and Open SourceMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
    • Excalidraw is Privacy focused and LightweightMicrosoft Visio is not according to our users
  8. Miro icon

    Miro

     120 likes

    A secure collaboration platform for distributed teams offering real-time and asynchronous capabilities, infinite canvas, integrations with major tools like Google Suite, Slack, and Dropbox, and features for enhanced product development and design workflows.

    120 Miro alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Miro screenshot 1
     
  10. PlantUML icon

    PlantUML

     119 likes

    PlantUML is an open-source tool that uses simple textual descriptions to draw UML diagrams. The generator can be run anywhere within JVM and integrated with various application such as wiki, text editor, IDE, programming language, documentation generator, and others.

    117 PlantUML alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    Common PlantUML JAR GUI application that will render text file into image.
     
  12. Wireflow icon

    Wireflow

     22 likes

    Feature-rich, open-source Wireflow offers a collaborative platform for online creation of complex user flow prototypes. Ideal for team work in UI design, wireframing, and mind mapping, promoting idea sharing in real-time environment aided by modern whiteboard features.

    118 Wireflow alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Wireflow screenshot 1
     
  13. Creately icon

    Creately

     109 likes

    Web-based diagram platform offers real-time teamwork, 50+ diagram and mind mapping types, technical wireframing, smart objects, templates, version control, secure cloud storage, PDF export, collaboration tools, commenting, and integration for business and education use.

    78 Creately alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Creately screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Creately vs Microsoft Visio Comments
    elraymonds1
    Positive
    0

    Visio Import, More Diagram Types Than Visio, 1000s Templates and Examples

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    milindayu
    Positive
    0

    Availability (desktop and online tool), Visual Collaboration (in-app video conferencing with team members), Price

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • Creately is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Visio is Paid and Proprietary
  14. Kroki icon

    Kroki

     7 likes

    Creates diagrams from textual descriptions! It provides a unified API with support for BlockDiag, BPMN, Bytefield, C4 (with PlantUML), Ditaa, Erd, GraphViz, Mermaid, Nomnoml, PlantUML, SvgBob, UMLet, Vega, Vega-Lite, WaveDrom.

    26 Kroki alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    Kroki screenshot 1
     
  15. Cacoo icon

    Cacoo

     75 likes

    Cacoo is a user-friendly online diagramming tool that allows you to create a variety of diagrams such as wireframes, flowcharts, UML diagrams, network diagrams, mindmaps, sitemaps, database diagrams, and more.

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Cacoo screenshot 1
     
12 of 26 Microsoft Visio alternatives