Managing modern enterprise networks is no small feat.
Simple point-to-point connections are a thing of the past—today’s infrastructures are sprawling ecosystems of cloud services, hybrid environments, remote teams, and mission-critical dependencies.
Without a clear, dynamic way to visualize these systems, even the most experienced network architects can struggle to maintain efficiency, security, and scalability.
That’s where network diagram software comes in. The right tool doesn’t just map connections—it provides real-time insights, identifies vulnerabilities, and streamlines troubleshooting before issues impact operations.
This visual project management gives you both a big-picture view and granular control of your network health.
In this blog post, I’ll introduce you to the 13 best network diagram examples and software—ranked based on actual enterprise use, not marketing hype.
13 Best Network Diagram Software to Improve Your Workflow
- What Should You Look for in a Network Diagram Software?
- The 13 Best Network Diagram Software
- 1. ClickUp (Best for diagram creation and workflow management)
- 2. LucidChart (Best for real-time team participation)
- 3. Microsoft Visio (Best for Windows-centric organizations requiring deep Microsoft ecosystem integration)
- 4. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (Best for automated network mapping and device discovery)
- 5. Intermapper (Best for real-time network monitoring with visual insights)
- 6. Network Notepad (Best for simple network diagramming)
- 7. ConceptMap Diagram (Best for visual relationship mapping between concepts and ideas)
- 8. EdrawMax (Best for comprehensive diagram creation with extensive templates)
- 9. SmartDraw (Best for quick and easy diagram creation with cloud collaboration)
- 10. LanFlow (Best for simple, focused network diagramming with minimal complexity)
- 11. Draw.io (Best for teams seeking a free, open-source solution with broad compatibility)
- 12. Creately (Best for collaborative story mapping and agile visualization techniques)
- 13. DIA (The best lightweight, open-source diagramming solution)
Summarize this article for me please⏰60-Second Summary
Whether you’re optimizing workflows, strengthening security, or improving collaboration, these tools will help you design, monitor, and refine your network with confidence.
- ClickUp: Best for diagram creation and workflow management
- LucidChart: Best for real-time team participation
- Microsoft Visio: Best for Windows-centric organizations requiring deep Microsoft ecosystem integration
- SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper: Best for automated network mapping and device discovery
- Intermapper: Best for real-time network monitoring with visual insights
- Network Notepad: Best for simple network diagramming
- ConceptMap Diagram: Best for visual relationship mapping between concepts and ideas
- EdrawMax: Best for comprehensive diagram creation with extensive templates
- SmartDraw: Best for quick and easy diagram creation with cloud collaboration
- LanFlow: Best for simple, focused network diagramming with minimal complexity
- Draw.io: Best for teams seeking a free, open-source solution with broad compatibility
- Creately: Best for collaborative story mapping and agile visualization techniques
- DIA: The best lightweight, open-source diagramming solution
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for in a Network Diagram Software?
Based on my research, here’s what you need to look for in a good logical network diagram software:
- Data linking: Look for options to link diagrams to external data sources (e.g., spreadsheets, databases) for dynamic updates
- Reporting and documentation: The ability to generate professional-looking documentation with automatic reports and legends is a must
- Comprehensive symbol library: You should be able to represent a wide variety of network devices (routers, switches, servers, workstations, etc.), cloud services, and other infrastructure components
- Auto layout and alignment: Features to automatically arrange nodes neatly and improve readability are helpful
- Intuitive interface: It should be easy to drag and drop nodes, create connections, and customize visuals
- Collaboration and sharing: Real-time or asynchronous collaboration features, easy export options (e.g., images, PDF, Visio), and secure sharing options make network management easier
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 13 Best Network Diagram Software
Modern network management demands tools that can handle complexity while maintaining usability. Here are my top recommendations for such network diagram software based on extensive testing and real-world implementation:
1. ClickUp (Best for diagram creation and workflow management)
As the everything app for work, ClickUp brings your projects, tasks, knowledge, and chat together in one AI-powered platform.
ClickUp’s IT and PMO solution provides end-to-end project visibility and strategic alignment, helping teams prioritize and manage multiple projects efficiently.
While most tools limit themselves to basic diagramming, ClickUp Whiteboards and ClickUp Mind Maps integrate directly with your task management system.
Mind Maps in ClickUp allow you to visually map out relationships between different network components. You can create a hierarchical network by starting with a central node (e.g., a main server) and branching out to connected devices, routers, switches, and endpoints.
📌 Example: An IT admin can use a ClickUp Mind Map to plan network expansion, mapping how new servers and devices will connect.
Similarly, ClickUp’s Whiteboards offer a freeform canvas where you can draw, connect, and annotate different network components. IT teams can collaborate in real time, dragging and dropping icons to represent devices, adding sticky notes for troubleshooting, and linking different network layers.
📌Example: A network engineer can use a ClickUp Whiteboard to design a LAN topology, marking areas where firewalls, load balancers, and cloud services interact in the entire network.
Unlike static diagram tools, ClickUp lets teams comment, tag members, and track updates within the same workspace. Once your network diagram is created, you can turn elements into actionable tasks, assigning them to IT team members.
📮ClickUp Insight: Low-performing teams are four times more likely to juggle 15+ tools, while high-performing teams maintain efficiency by limiting their toolkit to nine or fewer platforms. But how about using one platform?
As the everything app for work, ClickUp brings your tasks, projects, docs, wikis, chat, and calls under a single platform, complete with AI-powered workflows. Ready to work smarter? ClickUp works for every team, makes work visible, and allows you to focus on what matters while AI handles the rest.
The ClickUp Project Network Diagram Template amplifies this by directly adding resource forecasting and risk assessment into detailed network diagrams.
This template allows you to visualize and understand the intricate relationships between tasks. Each project element represents a node, with the interdependencies mapped out as links that connect them.
Use the template to map out interdependent tasks in a centralized location and understand the project’s workflow from initiation to completion.
Whether you’re documenting an existing network for enhanced communication and collaboration or designing a new network architecture, this template provides a structured framework to achieve your goals.
With ClickUp, you’re not just creating network diagrams—you’re building intelligent, automated workflows that adapt as your project evolves.
ClickUp best features
- Use custom ClickUp Views to visualize tools to track project timelines and task progress
- Generate customized reports to monitor team performance and project status with ClickUp’s built-in reporting tools, helping you identify bottlenecks or areas needing attention
- Implement Time Tracking in ClickUp to monitor how time is spent on tasks, aiding in resource management and efficiency analysis
- Create ClickUp Dashboards that consolidate key project indicators and visualizations in one place for enhanced decision-making
ClickUp limitations
- The wide range of tools and settings might overwhelm users who only need basic features
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
- ClickUp Brain: Add to any paid plan for $7 per member per month
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (9,500+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (4,300+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about ClickUp?
💡Pro Tip: Make use of ClickUp’s Project Hierarchy to keep yourself organized! Create a Space for network infrastructure, with Folders representing different network segments or locations and Tasks representing individual network devices. Use Subtasks to document specific device configurations, IP addresses, and connection details.
2. LucidChart (Best for real-time team participation)
LucidChart’s powerful user story mapping tools let you visualize and build customer journeys in real time.
Create swimlanes for different user personas, map out scenarios, and add detailed story cards—while your remote team collaborates easily.
You can also turn complex user journeys into clear, actionable roadmaps with specialized templates and an intuitive interface.
LucidChart best features
- Use data linking to connect your diagrams with external data sources like Google Sheets or Excel for real-time updates
- Apply conditional formatting to dynamically style diagrams based on data changes
- Leverage automation tools to facilitate diagram creation and updates from data sets
- Create and save custom shapes for frequently used diagrams to save time and maintain consistency
- Use layers to add additional information without cluttering your main diagram
LucidChart limitations
- Limited automated features like auto-discovery of devices
LucidChart pricing
- Free
- Individual: $9/user per month
- Team: $10/user per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
LucidChart ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (2,000+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about LucidChart?
3. Microsoft Visio (Best for Windows-centric organizations requiring deep Microsoft ecosystem integration)
Microsoft Visio is a network diagram tool for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. Its seamless integration with Microsoft 365 lets you effortlessly share diagrams in Teams and embed them in SharePoint sites.
While Visio excels at technical diagrams. It also offers basic templates for user story mapping and journey visualization.
You can leverage its comprehensive shape libraries and connector tools to create user flow diagrams, though specialized story mapping tools may offer more targeted features.
Microsoft Visio best features
- Work simultaneously with multiple users on the same physical network diagram to enhance team collaboration
- Create cloud architecture diagrams with new stencils for Azure and Amazon Web Services
- Integrate engineering diagrams easily by importing DWG (drawing) files
Microsoft Visio limitations
- Does not automatically create a detailed network diagram from network scans
- Higher learning curve compared to simpler tools
Microsoft Visio pricing
- Free for one month
- Visio Plan 1: $5/user per month
- Visio Plan 2: $15/user per month
- Visio Standard: $309.99 (One-time fee)
- Visio Professional: $579.99 (One-time fee)
Microsoft Visio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (650+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (3000+ reviews)
4. SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper (Best for automated network mapping and device discovery)
While primarily designed for network infrastructure mapping, SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper’s detailed system dependency tracking can provide valuable context for gathering technical requirements.
It creates comprehensive maps of your infrastructure with minimal manual configuration.
These infrastructure maps can act as physical network diagrams and help you better understand system constraints and dependencies when planning features that impact multiple systems or services.
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper best features
- Schedule automatic exports of maps to the Orion platform
- Customize node display names, roles, IP addresses, and connection relationships for enhanced visibility
- Generate reports on switch ports, virtual LANs, subnets, and inventory
- Export network maps to Orion Network Atlas, Microsoft Office Visio, PDF, and PNG formats
- Support multiple discovery methods, including SNMP, ICMP, WMI, CDP, LLDP, and more
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper limitations
- Pricing may be a concern for smaller businesses
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper pricing
- Free: For 14-days
- Paid plan: Starts at $1,882
SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: No ratings available
5. Intermapper (Best for real-time network monitoring with visual insights)
Intermapper, similar to SolarWinds, is primarily focused on network monitoring and mapping.
While it doesn’t directly support user story creation, its real-time visual network insights can help you understand performance impacts and technical limitations that must be considered when writing user stories for system improvements.
Intermapper best features
- Map your network to create a live view of your IT environment with customizable layouts and icons
- Automatically discover and document every IP-enabled device in your network within minutes
- Analyze performance metrics for network devices, including environmental sensors and industrial equipment
- Export maps to Microsoft Visio and .SVG formats for further use
- Access the network remotely using Intermapper Remote Access for secure monitoring from anywhere
Intermapper limitations
- Primarily focused on monitoring rather than comprehensive diagramming
Intermapper pricing
- Free: For 30 days
- Custom pricing
Intermapper ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (80+ reviews)
- Capterra: Not enough ratings
What are real-life users saying about Intermapper?
6. Network Notepad (Best for simple network diagramming)
Network Notepad is a reliable and straightforward network diagram tool that does the job without the fancy bells and whistles (and the extensive costs that come with them).
Use it to create simple workflow diagrams illustrating user interaction with network components.
Network Notepad best features
- Choose between Draft, Fine, and Superfine modes for improved graphics and printing
- Rotate text and objects to any angle using drag-and-rotate functionality
- Add unlimited pages to a diagram and access them via onscreen page tabs
- Combine multiple objects into composite objects for easier manipulation
- Enable auto-alignment for links to maintain horizontal and vertical connections
Network Notepad limitations
- Lacks advanced functionalities found in more robust tools
Network Notepad pricing
- Professional Edition: $56 (Single-license)
- Enterprise Edition: $63 (Single-license)
- Client/Server: $77 (Single-license)
Network Notepad ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: No ratings available
7. ConceptMap Diagram (Best for visual relationship mapping between concepts and ideas)
Complex network relationships become clearer with concept map makers.
ConceptMap Diagram is an AI tool that visualizes these relationships, helping teams understand how different network components interact and depend on each other.
Simply describe your ideas through chat, and the AI will automatically generate a professional concept map, helping you visualize complex, interconnected ideas quickly and intuitively.
ConceptMap Diagram best features
- Organize project tasks and timelines visually to improve team collaboration in the workspace
- Plan and structure content for blogs, articles, or presentations using visual maps
- Organize research findings visually to identify connections and gaps in knowledge
- Integrate with popular tools to simplify your workflow
ConceptMap Diagram limitations
- Not specifically designed for detailed network mapping
ConceptMap Diagram pricing
- Free account: 5 chats/day with access to all basic features
ConceptMap Diagram ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: No ratings available
🧠Fun Fact: The first network diagram was created in 1969 to map ARPANET, the predecessor to the modern internet. It consisted of just four nodes connecting universities across the United States. Today, a single corporate network diagram can contain thousands of nodes!
8. EdrawMax (Best for comprehensive diagram creation with extensive templates)
EdrawMax provides extensive diagram examples that help teams standardize their network documentation.
Its rich template library and professional-grade output make it particularly suitable for creating documentation for stakeholders at all technical levels.
EdrawMax best features
- Use over 210 diagram types to meet diverse use cases
- Leverage cloud-based collaboration for real-time teamwork on an infinite canvas
- Export and share diagrams easily across various social media platforms and file formats
- Draw effortlessly with an intuitive drag-and-drop functionality
EdrawMax limitations
- Some users find it less intuitive than other specialized tools
EdrawMax pricing
- Subscription Plans: $35.99 (semi-annual)
- Lifetime Plan: $245 (one-time payment)
- Lifetime Bundle Plan: $312 (one-time payment)
EdrawMax ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (200+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about EdrawMax?
9. SmartDraw (Best for quick and easy diagram creation with cloud collaboration)
SmartDraw offers an impressive balance of speed and functionality for teams prioritizing rapid diagram creation without sacrificing quality.
Its mind-mapping capabilities simplify the design process, supporting comprehensive infrastructure documentation.
Through its intuitive tools and templates, you can create various diagrams, including flowcharts, decision trees, UML diagrams, and floor plans.
SmartDraw best features
- Generate diagrams from data by connecting to AWS or Azure configurations and importing data from Jira to enhance visuals
- Enhance existing visuals by adding data to shapes within your diagrams
- Integrate with Google Workspace for enhanced functionality and ease of use
SmartDraw limitations
- May not have the depth required for complex networking needs
SmartDraw pricing
- Individual: $9.95/month (Billed annually)
- Team: $8.25/user per month (Billed annually)
- Site: $5/user per month (Billed annually)
SmartDraw ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (250+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (100+ reviews)
Also Read: Free Mind Map Templates
10. LanFlow (Best for simple, focused network diagramming with minimal complexity)
As a specialized network diagramming software, LanFlow helps create detailed network, LAN, and communication system diagrams.
Drag and drop icons for computers, servers, and workstations, connect them with a click, add text, and you’ll have simple but clean network diagrams ready.
It handles all the technical stuff for you, including line attachments and shape management. This makes it ideal for both newbies and professionals.
LanFlow best features
- Leverage multiple diagram types, including block diagrams, flowcharts, and network diagrams
- Use text annotation anywhere on the diagram
- Use templates for quick diagram creation
LanFlow limitations
- Limited in terms of automation and advanced features
LanFlow pricing
- Free: For 30 days
- Single User to 9 Single User License: $99-$639
- 10-50 Multi-User License: $679-2779
LanFlow ratings and reviews
- G2: No ratings available
- Capterra: No ratings available
11. Draw.io (Best for teams seeking a free, open-source solution with broad compatibility)
Want to know what’s better than robust network diagramming software? Powerful free network diagramming software! Draw.io is open-source and works with practically everything.
It’s perfect for agile teams with its ready-to-use templates, custom shapes, and easy integration with tools like Google Drive and MS Teams. Use it to create detailed story maps and collaborate effortlessly on network diagrams.
Draw.io best features
- Collaborate with distributed teams through its GitHub, GitLab, and Dropbox integrations
- Download the desktop version for offline diagramming capabilities
Draw.io limitations
- Lacks some advanced features found in its contemporary software tools
Draw.io pricing
- Free
- Cloud: Custom pricing
- Data Center: $6250-$13750 (From 500 to 4000 users)
Draw.io ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (400+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (700+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Draw.io?
12. Creately (Best for collaborative story mapping and agile visualization techniques)
Want enterprise-grade network diagramming with real-time collaboration? Pick Creately.
Perfect for distributed teams, it lets you design network layouts easily with your colleagues. Watch as changes sync instantly while you map out your infrastructure together.
Creately best features
- Access unlimited boards with essential features for professionals and small teams
- Plan, design, and manage IT and cloud infrastructure in a central hub
- Document and facilitate HR and admin processes for organizational clarity
Creately limitations
- Limited automation features
Creately pricing
- Free trial with limited features
- Personal: $8/user per month
- Team: $8/user per month
- Business: $149/user per month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
Creately ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (1000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.4/5 (200+ reviews)
What are real-life users saying about Creately?
13. DIA (The best lightweight, open-source diagramming solution)
Want a straightforward, open-source network diagramming tool? DIA simplifies network layouts with basic shapes and connectors.
While it lacks fancy templates, its no-frills approach makes it ideal for quick network sketches.
DIA best features
- Create multiple diagram types from built-in shapes, including flowcharts, logical network diagrams, circuit diagrams, and UML models
- Customize objects by modifying properties like size, color, and line styles
- Group multiple objects together for easier manipulation and organization
- Print diagrams across multiple pages with automatic page breaks
- Work with multiple diagrams simultaneously in separate windows
DIA limitations
- The user interface may not be as polished as commercial products
DIA pricing
- Free
DIA ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: 4.2/5 (20+ reviews)
Also Read: Best Flowchart Software (Free & Paid)
Summarize this article for me pleaseMake Your Network Diagrams 10x Better
I just walked you through the best network diagram tools.
A great network diagram tool doesn’t just help you visualize connections; it streamlines collaboration, enhances clarity, and makes managing complex systems effortless.
I’ve seen teams completely transform their network management by switching to a tool that integrates robust diagramming with real-time teamwork. When your team can build, edit, and refine network diagrams without friction, projects move faster, and issues get resolved before they become problems.
Ready to experience the difference? Sign up for ClickUp today and build smarter, more efficient network diagrams.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
