The Best Open Source Microsoft Visio AlternativesTop Diagram Editors & Mind Mapping Tools like Microsoft Visio
The best open source alternative to Microsoft Visio is Dia. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft Visio and many of them is open source so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source alternatives to Microsoft Visio are LibreOffice - Draw, Pencil Project, Excalidraw and PlantUML.
filter to find the best alternatives
Microsoft Visio alternatives are mainly Diagram Editors, but if you're looking for Mind Mapping Tools or Vector Graphic Apps you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android + Mind Mapping. 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.- Diagram Editor
- Paid • Proprietary
- 92 Dia alternatives
Open-source diagram editor supporting Linux, Windows, Unix, and Mac OS X, with features for constructing entity relationship, UML, flowchart, and network diagrams, customizable with XML-defined shapes, extensibility, and a GTK+-based graphical user interface.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- PortableApps.com
- FreeBSD
- Xfce
- DragonFly BSD
- NetBSD
- OpenBSD
Comments about Dia as an Alternative to Microsoft Visio
Dia has no cross platform copy paste capability.
- 95 LibreOffice - Draw alternatives
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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- PortableApps.com
- Flathub
Comments about LibreOffice - Draw as an Alternative to Microsoft Visio
Top Positive CommentIt's free and open source, while Visio is proprietary and expensive.
Most Recent CommentRed-CaseNot cloud based, which is great. Had problems with diagrams.net being unable to login with my Google account which made my files inaccessible.
Raf10It's free/libre software, with layers, etc.
- 80 Pencil Project alternatives
Pencil is a standalone app that lets you create diagrams or UI mockups. It doesn't have collaboration/multi-user features.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Vietnam
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- PortableApps.com
DiscontinuedIt seems that this project is inactive. Since late 2023 there has been virtually no development in their GitHub repository.
Pencil Project Features
Comments about Pencil Project as an Alternative to Microsoft Visio
Top Positive CommentUsed to make sketchups for a mobile GUI.
Top Negative CommentDoes not map network layout easily enough, which is what Visio was designed to do from the start
Most Recent CommentGreat for UI mockups and planning.
- 74 Excalidraw alternatives
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.
License model
- Freemium • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
Czechia
EU
Platforms
- Online
- Self-Hosted
- 112 PlantUML alternatives
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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
France
EU
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
- Android
- Chrome OS
PlantUML Features
Efficient web-based tool for constructing high-quality commutative diagrams. Offers LaTeX export with embedded links, intuitive interface supporting both mouse and keyboard inputs, and features like multiple selections, macro support, and smart label alignment.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
Country of Origin
United Kingdom
Platforms
- Online
- 54 Graphviz alternatives
Graphviz is open source graph visualization software. Graph visualization is a way of representing structural information as diagrams of abstract graphs and networks. It has important applications in networking, bioinformatics, software engineering, database and web design...
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Online
Graphviz Features
Clumpsy Handling, old fashion style look