In the past few years, switching from on-site to hybrid and remote work created a huge gap for organizations and leaders wanting to continue effective team collaboration. The disconnect made super popular diagramming applications like Lucidchart essential to maintain team collaboration—no matter where the team was physically located.
Eventually, organizations grew to rely on diagramming tools, but many asked if there were better Lucidchart alternatives. Processing and creating flowcharts, floor plans, organizational charts, or other company diagrams requires accessible and easy-to-use tools—especially with the rise in remote work.
Unfortunately, diagramming programs differ between tools, and choosing one depends on your specific needs. That’s why we put together a list of the 10 best Lucidchart alternatives in 2024 to give you a breakdown of all your options.
But first, let’s look at one of the most popular options, Lucidchart.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhy Look for a Lucidchart Alternative?
Lucidchart is a web-based diagramming tool used by people in various industries to create detailed diagrams out of images, data, or templates. It allows collaboration with other users and comes with multiple integrations, including Google Workspace and Atlassian, among others to streamline your process.
Lucidchart is available through four plans:
- Free
- Individual ($9 per month)
- Team ($10 per user per month)
- Enterprise (custom pricing)
Each comes with its limits and feature restrictions. That’s why some users feel like Lucidchart falls short.
For example, it is entirely web-based and doesn’t have any desktop apps to use. Such areas could be just disconcerting to some and a complete deal-breaker for others.
If you have any specific requirements missing from this tool, you might want to consider these 10 Lucidchart alternatives to help you get exactly what you need.
Summarize this article for me please10 Best Lucidchart Alternatives in 2024 (Free & Paid)
1. ClickUp
Tasks like diagramming, tasks, docs, spreadsheets, goal tracking, time tracking, resource allocation, and even email all used to be handled separately. ClickUp replaces them by putting together the best project management, collaboration and productivity apps in a centralized hub.
ClickUp is one of the best Lucidchart alternatives because it has the same visual collaboration features but is much more powerful to increase team productivity. On top of it all, it’s highly rated and preferred by startups, giants, and small businesses worldwide.
ClickUp is perfect for teams that want to work smarter and more efficiently on a masterfully intuitive platform. It’s customizable for any sort of workflow due to its several notable features.
It can diagram and help you manage products and projects, track bugs, and manage academic and administrative resources for students or administrators. Here are some of its most notable features:
Fully customizable
Owners or admins of a ClickUp Workspace can choose from 35+ ClickApps to customize their team’s experience. Each ClickApp adds a different functionality to the platform, and you can enable as many as you want! Some of them include:
- Clip: Screen Recording allows you to create one-click videos of your screen without leaving the platform
- Docs Home: Organize and work on all your documents from one central place
- LineUp: Give each person an order of tasks to do next or provide clarity to your team on what’s in your queue
- Pulse: See who’s online, what people are working on, and what they did today in real-time
- Time Tracking: Calculate how long a task is likely to take based on its subtasks
All these ClickApps allow you to improve your team’s productivity!
Mind Maps
ClickUp Mind Maps allow you to plan and organize projects, ideas, or existing tasks. It allows you to create a flow diagram of your ideas and illustrate the relationship and hierarchy between concepts. It is perfect for creating a team plan, organizing ideas, and visualizing task structures.
Using it is as easy as drawing on paper, only that it has the added advantage of being saved immediately. It allows you to easily share it with your entire team, keeping everyone in the loop about the project’s progress.
Whiteboards
As more organizations switch to remote and hybrid work environments, there has been a higher demand for more tools critical to collaboration. One such tool is a whiteboard.
Whiteboards in ClickUp stand out from the rest because it allows you to turn real-time ideas directly into actionable projects. It allows all team members to collaborate in real-time, and everyone sees everyone else’s cursor movement. It also allows you to add content to the whiteboard in various ways, such as texts, notes, images, and videos, among others.
Diagramming Templates
ClickUp pros
- It is very easy to use and has powerful features
- It has many tools to simplify the handling of multiple tasks and projects
- 24/7 world-class support
- It can be used for project and task management, as well as a knowledge base
- It can be accessed on mobile, making it easy to keep track of projects
ClickUp cons
- Might be too complex for an individual’s needs
- Not all ClickUp views are available on the mobile app just yet
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7 per user per month
- Business: $12 per user per month
- Enterprise: Contact ClickUp for custom pricing
- ClickUp Brain is available on all paid plans for $7 per Workspace member per month
Why Choose ClickUp Over Lucidchart?
ClickUp is an all-in-one platform allowing teams to manage tasks, documents, emails, and even goals, making it a more comprehensive solution than Lucidchart. It offers an easy-to-use interface mixed with powerful features and 24/7 support, making it a great choice for those seeking diagramming and project management capabilities.
2. Draw.io
Draw.io is open-source diagramming software, meaning it is completely free. Despite its limited design options, it is one of the best Lucidchart alternatives because of its cost-free nature and several features. However, its limited design options make it perfect for simpler projects.
You can use Draw.io to create network diagrams, flowcharts, UML diagrams, Organizational charts, and ER models among others.
The software is browser-hosted and can be used online or offline on all operating systems. Because it integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, Confluence Server/Cloud, Dropbox, and more, it is great for projects that require collaboration.
To simplify diagramming, it has several templates and supports multiple import-export formats. It also has a convenient search function to enable working on projects faster. You don’t need to create an account to use Draw.io.
Compare Draw.io Vs. Lucidchart!
Draw.io pros
- It is completely free
- It integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, and GitHub, among others
- Easily produces good quality diagram including affinity diagrams
- Allows grouping of shapes
Draw.io cons
- It doesn’t have the advanced features of others in this list such as ClickUp
- Sometimes when opening an existing diagram, the view is usually fully zoomed in, which can be a bit disconcerting
Draw.io pricing
- Draw.io is free to use
Why Choose Draw.io Over Lucidchart?
If budget constraints are your primary concern, Draw.io could be your go-to solution. Its open-source nature makes it a completely free yet efficient alternative to Lucidchart.
Check out these Draw.io alternatives!
3. Creately
Creately is a diagramming tool that works just as well as, if not better than, Lucidchart but is more affordable.
It comes with an easy-to-use interface, neat and free from clutter. It also features an extensive library of templates for all topics and industries and automation and drag-and-drop features to create flowcharts and other diagrams fast and easy. The contextual toolbar that suggests the shapes you can use as you draw isn’t available in Lucidchart.
Creately has several real-time collaboration tools such as video conferencing. They allow you to work seamlessly with your colleagues and track changes when the need arises. It also supports all devices so you can take your work with you wherever you go.
The software has more than 50 diagram types and supports multiple languages. It integrates with Slack so if your team does a lot of work on Slack, it is a huge plus.
Creately pros
- Very easy to use with excellent collaborative features
- Everybody can see the changes made by others immediately, making it simple to respond and decide
- The free version comes with several features
- It is affordable compared to others on this list
- Instinctive and simple to utilize
Creately cons
- It’s hard to import an SVG record
- Users report a hard time getting shapes and lines to connect well
Creately pricing
- Free plan
- Personal plan at $4/month
- Team plan at $4.75/month/per user
- Enterprise plan (custom pricing)
Why Choose Creately Over Lucidchart?
Creately is an intuitive and clutter-free tool that provides real-time collaboration with video conferencing to make progressing projects easier and faster. Its affordability and easy-to-use service make it a superior alternative to Lucidchart.
Check out these UML diagram tools!
4. Visio
No list of Lucidchart alternatives would be complete without one of the most well-known names in visual diagramming, Visio by Microsoft.
Visio is owned by Microsoft and is part of the 365 toolsets. It is a very powerful diagramming tool that allows you to easily collaborate on projects thanks to its annotations, co-authoring, and skype integration features. It allows real-time collaboration to increase the productivity of the team.
This software has an intuitive interface. Compared to Lucidchart, it has more templates, customizable shapes, and starter diagrams.
Any diagrams created in Visio are accessible to everyone due to its various accessibility features such as the narrator. Its notable features include high security, business process modeling, data flow diagrams, and 3D maps, among others.
Visio pros
- Can utilize thousands of symbols from various categories like devices, flows, etc.
- It has several features that are easy to use
- The integration with other Office products is great
- It is easy to find Visio resources online.
Visio cons
- Formatting is a challenge when you have large projects, and it’s difficult to view all of them
- It is very pricy
- Has fewer integrations
Visio pricing
- The standard Visio is worth $309.99, and the Visio professional is $579.99 for a one-time purchase. You can subscribe to Visio plan 1 for $5 per user per month, or Visio plan 2 for $15 per month per person
Why Choose Visio Over Lucidchart?
Part of the Microsoft 365 toolset, Visio offers stronger diagramming capabilities with a huge template library and predefined shapes. It also integrates well with other Microsoft tools and adds another dimension to team collaboration through annotations, co-authoring, and skype integration making it a worthy Lucidchart alternative.
Compare Visio to Lucidchart!
5. Gliffy
One of the reasons why Gliffy is so popular is how easy it is to use for beginners. It has an easy drag-and-drop interface, and you don’t have to have experience with a diagramming tool to use it, thanks to its many templates and themes.
Gliffy is one of the more convenient Lucidchart alternatives because you can download a Chrome version when you don’t have an internet connection.
Although it doesn’t have an API to allow you to build your integration solutions, it integrates with popular apps such as JIRA, WordPress, and Confluence.
Gliffy pros
- You can use it offline
- Easy to set up and use
- You have unlimited access to templates
- Easy to share your work
Gliffy cons
- Its object customization is limited and is missing essential features for complex diagramming
- Does not have a free version
- It is not as versatile diagramming tool like ClickUp or Lucidchart
Gliffy pricing
- $8/month/per 1-9 users
- $6/month/per 10-50 users
- Enterprise (custom pricing)
Why Choose Gliffy Over Lucidchart?
Gliffy stands out as a beginner-friendly alternative with a simple drag-and-drop interface and plenty of templates and themes. Its offline usability positions it as a more dependable alternative to Lucidchart for those with unstable internet connections.
6. Xmind
XMind is a great choice for timelines, mind maps, and flowcharts. With features such as timeline, matrix, and fishbone chart, it has considerable advantages over Lucidchart when it comes to mind mapping.
XMind has minimalistic flowchart features to inspire creativity and generate ideas. So, if you want to brainstorm, XMind is better suited to it than Lucidchart. It also offers multiple ways to capture thoughts and structure them to stay organized.
You don’t have to be online to use XMind because it is an app, which can be installed on all platforms. This allows you to distribute projects seamlessly to increase efficiency and productivity.
Two versions are available: an older and simpler XMind 8 and a stronger and more complicated XMind 2020. The latter has more features and customization options.
XMind pros
- It is compatible with all devices
- Visually pleasing diagrams
- Users have several options on how to structure their mind maps
- Fast and responsive UI
- Generating Markdown files for the mind maps
XMind cons
- A few steps are needed to mark a label for each customized branch
- It needs more customization options
XMind pricing
- $39.99/6 months
- $59.99/annual
Why Choose Xmind Over Lucidchart?
Xmind is ideal for teams requiring mind-mapping capabilities, providing a host of effective mind-mapping tools absent in Lucidchart. Plus, its offline software usability across all platforms ensures seamless spread and increased efficiency in project execution.
7. Mindmeister
Mindmeister is a versatile tool with two features that make it as likable as it is. First, its simple and intuitive interface makes it easy to create mind maps. Second, unlike Lucidchart, which is billed on a per-user basis, Mindmeister is billed per month. That means a whole team can use a single account instead of paying for each individual, making it more affordable than most. It also has several customization options and great collaboration features.
Some notable features of Mindmeister include 24/7 backup, team collaboration, project prioritization and management, and presentation-building tools. It also allows you to set project deadlines.
There is a free and a paid version. The free version allows you to publish and share a link to diagram drawings, but you must upgrade to the paid version to export it.
Mindmeister pros
- It is easy to use and has good results
- You can incorporate costings, weblinks, and notes
- You can export your creations in a variety of formats
- It supports different types of media apart from text
Mindmeister cons
- Can only be used online
- Exporting options are only available through paid accounts
Mindmeister pricing
- Free plan
- Personal plan: $2.49/month/per user
- Pro plan: $4.19/month/per user
- Business plan: $6.29/month/per user
Why Choose Mindmeister Over Lucidchart?
Ideal for budget-conscious teams, Mindmeister’s monthly billing, instead of per-user billing like Lucidchart, makes it more affordable for larger teams. Mindmeister’s intuitive interface with excellent real-time collaboration facilities makes it a great tool to create mind maps and brainstorm ideas.
8. Miro
If you would like another of the popular Lucidchart alternatives that will help you effectively collaborate and centralize communication through the entire team or organization, look no further than Miro.
Miro has a robust set of tools that allows your team to brainstorm ideas, map processes, and develop strategies. It also comes with smart frameworks and many templates to speed up operations. Among its notable features are sticky notes, infinite canvas, and embedded videos.
This app integrates with over 70 apps and an API to help you optimize various aspects of your products. It also offers advanced security (such as SSL encryption and audit log) to keep your work and files secure.
Miro pros
- Has advanced security features
- It is free and easy to register and start using
- Provides a good collaborative experience with your team members
- It has the flexibility needed to layout different ideas for different people and objectives
Miro cons
- Some editing options for different tools are limited
- It is not easy to change the board
- It is pricy
Miro pricing
Similar to most on this list, there are four plans you can use to acquire Miro:
- Free plan
- Team plan: $8/month/per user
- Business plan: $16/month/per user
- Enterprise: (custom pricing)
Why Choose Miro Over Lucidchart?
Miro stands out with its suite of collaborative tools, thereby enabling a more centralized communication across your organization. Its advanced security features and integration with numerous apps make it a robust and reliable Lucidchart alternative.
Compare Miro to Lucidchart & Miro to Mural!
9. OmniGraffle
If you already have design skills and experience with diagramming, you should consider OmniGraffle. In terms of Lucidchart alternatives, this app is exclusively for Mac and iOS users. If you have Windows or Android, look into the other options on this list.
OmniGraffle is an offline app with a ton of customization options to help achieve the desired outcome. On top of prototyping and diagramming, it also allows you to design vectors, so you can design almost anything you want using shapes.
The Omni Group, developers of the app, offers several apps you can use to complement OmniGraffle.
OmniGraffle pros
- Integrates and is complemented by other apps by the developer
- It has several customization tools and options
- Can be used online
- You can design almost anything you want out of shapes
OmniGraffle cons
- It is not for newbies
- Its templates are limited
- It is exclusively for Mac users
OmniGraffle pricing
- $12.49/month
- $124.99/annual
Why Choose OmniGraffle Over Lucidchart?
Exclusively designed for Mac and iOS users, OmniGraffle offers advanced diagramming capabilities and vector designing that aren’t available in Lucidchart. With lots of customization options and the ability to complement other apps by the same developer, OmniGraffle proves to be a versatile alternative for tech-savvy users.
10. Coggle
Some diagram software can be a bit too complex, especially compared to some of the Lucidchart alternatives in this list. However, Coggle has a straightforward build to make your design process as simple as possible.
Coggle allows you to easily create and share your flowcharts and mind maps. It also allows you to easily collaborate as you can invite your team members to collaborate on tasks. Moreover, any projects that you share appear on everyone’s browser instantly.
With Coggle, you can create flexible diagrams with loops and joining branches and create multiple starting points for your diagrams with more than 1600 icons. You also get unlimited image uploads, floating texts, and images to annotate your map. It comes with a wide selection of templates to help you get started in no time.
You can integrate Coggle with Google Drive to secure your data.
Coggle pros
- It is visually appealing
- Easy to pick up and use
- Can be accessed from any device at any time
- Works seamlessly with Google services
Coggle cons
- It can be difficult to use for presentations
- It has a limited number of colors
- Coggle can get clunky or feel slow when the mind map gets too big
Coggle pricing
Coggle has three pricing plans:
- Free forever
- Awesome plan: $5/month/per user
- Organization plan: $8/month/per user
Why Choose Coggle Over Lucidchart?
Coggle’s simplicity and straightforward building system make it a great choice for those who find Lucidchart complex. Its robust collaboration tools not only facilitate easy creation and sharing of flowcharts and mind maps but also ensure that every team member is up-to-date, making it a worthwhile Lucidchart alternative.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTime to make the switch to the best Lucidchart alternative
The best alternative for you is one that answers all the problems you face in your day-to-day. The 10 Lucidchart alternatives above are great for diagramming and can handle several other tasks. We hope you will find one for your needs.
But if we had to point you to one, it would be ClickUp!
It handles not just diagramming but many functions such as automation, screen recording, and other tools to manage your team and projects. You can get in the driver’s seat and create a free ClickUp account!
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
