Likelihood to Recommend Particularly helpful to an organization that has Windows people who are staunch Visio users and Mac people who are die-hard
OmniGraffle or Sketch users.
Read full review I believe SmartDraw is a great tool for small- to mid-sized organizations for simplifying the production and management of org charts. We've also had the PMO experiment with the use of some of their flow charts as well. If an organization has an HCM with the capability of producing (good!) org charts, that is likely the best option... but many that I have used in my 30-year HR career don't. So there is definitely a need for SmartDraw in the market!
Read full review Pros Creative resource for various visual support items The free version is robust and nice to staff who have not used it before to get to know the product Support has been helpful when needed Read full review Provides examples to work off of--these are helpful when you don't know exactly where to start. Provides a number of stylistic options without making things too complex, so you can be creative without getting overwhelmed. Provides a wide variety of templates, meets a wide variety of needs. Read full review Cons UI navigation Connector flexibility Improved table object Read full review A month-to-month plan would be ideal for users that don't have a need to create many projects The sidebar navigation can be a little confusing with all of the tools listed. Offering customizable plans with only the feature you need would simplify navigation Read full review Support Rating They are always very helpful, we get computers every two years and I have to call them to move the license from one computer to another and they do it with a smile in their voice!
Read full review Alternatives Considered Cacoo is web-based and OS independent.
OmniGraffle is a local install and mac only.
Microsoft Visio is a desktop app also and Windows only. Two strikes for me, as I use between 2-4 different computers daily where I expect my applications to be always up-to-date and files synchronized.
Read full review We have used Corel Draw and Adobe Acrobat. Both of those tools were good when they came out but the abilities of SmartDraw far outweigh both those tools. Corel Draw was also more complex to operate and do tasks, as was Adobe Acrobat in which some basic tasks took additional steps to complete.
Read full review Return on Investment Easier to diagram and create workflows without having to engage a designer's assistance. That means staff at lower billable hourly rates, reducing overall admin or billable hours cost. Less time involved in creating support documents for less robust product options. Again, reducing overall admin or billable hours cost. Most of our staff use the free version so no added cost until they are familiar and really embrace it = a reduction in upfront cost. Read full review SmartDraw has provided good return for our internal purposes. Using it to understand an organization's structure and inner workings has been valuable. On the client side, creating steps and businesses processes has also been a big plus. It has helped decrease confusing reporting structures and has provided a detailed map for individuals to understand where they fit within their organization. Unfortunately, SmartDraw has been somewhat inefficient with some of the more complex projects on our plate and has really deterred certain employees from even wanting to use it. Read full review ScreenShots