Ceros Studio vs. SmartDraw

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Ceros Studio
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprise companies (1,001+ employees)
Ceros Studio is a content marketing software platform that enables designers and marketers to create interactive web content, without the need for coding or developers.
$36,000
per year
SmartDraw
Score 8.4 out of 10
N/A
SmartDraw is a diagramming and flow chart building tool from SmartDraw Software in San Diego, California.
$119.40
per year per user (3 minimum)
Pricing
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Editions & Modules
Annual Subscription
36,000
per year
Team
$119.40
per year per user (3 minimum)
Individual
$131.40
per year single user
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Considered Both Products
Ceros Studio
Chose Ceros Studio
Ceros was more flexible in its functionality and in what can be created than Zmags at the time.
Chose Ceros Studio
More interactive content, instead of basic landing pages. We are able to customize things even further to reach our specific audience. Not to mention the code is actually extractable, whereas other programs do not let you keep the code that you created.
Chose Ceros Studio
Ceros takes what would be difficult to accomplish in the Adobe suite of products and makes it easy. When it comes to user experience, user interface and customization options, Ceros is a much better alternative than Adobe. However, Adobe is the trusted name and some may be more …
SmartDraw
Chose SmartDraw
I have used Draw.io & MS Visio. I noticed SmartDraw offer more templates than draw.io. Additionally, its more affordable and can access across platforms. In general, SmartDraw provides what we need.
Chose SmartDraw
We really like the features of smart draw and the unique library of objects.
Chose SmartDraw
SmartDraw is NEXT LEVEL! Microsoft is yesterday's news when it comes to creating charts. SmartDraw allows you to create and deliver dynamic charts and diagrams that truly convey the data you are inputting turning it into a stunning visual explanation.
Chose SmartDraw
As noted in first question, SmartDraw has them beat in every category I can think of (except for price; but need to keep in mind the old adage "you get what you pay for"!). This product allows for VASTLY-improved uploading of data than the Lucidchart product, and customer …
Chose SmartDraw
We haven't selected other tools, SmartDraw was our test product and we are in the middle of determining if we will go with them long term.
Chose SmartDraw
Indigo Studio and Visio were other products used in my department.
We chose SmartDraw over Visio on both features and cost.
Chose SmartDraw
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 …
Features
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Content Creation
Comparison of Content Creation features of Product A and Product B
Ceros Studio
8.0
Ratings
2% above category average
SmartDraw
-
Ratings
Ideation10.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Approval workflows4.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content collaboration9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Network for content licensing/production9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content Publishing
Comparison of Content Publishing features of Product A and Product B
Ceros Studio
5.7
Ratings
32% below category average
SmartDraw
-
Ratings
Content hub9.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Forms / Gated content3.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Embedded CTAs8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content distribution4.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content promotion8.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content automation2.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Content Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Ceros Studio
3.7
Ratings
67% below category average
SmartDraw
-
Ratings
Audience profiling and targeting1.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Closed-loop tracking and reporting1.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Content performance analytics5.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign optimization dashboard2.00 Ratings00 Ratings
Competitive analytics9.70 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Small Businesses
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.8 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
CoSchedule Marketing Suite
Score 10.0 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.8 out of 10
Enterprises
Vyond
Vyond
Score 8.7 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
2.8
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.4
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Ceros StudioSmartDraw
Likelihood to Recommend
If you want to publish original content quickly without development, Ceros is the perfect tool. If you want a page super optimized for search engine crawlers, there's nothing better than a simple text page - which is not what Ceros is for. We've used it for shoppable catalogs and gift guides, collection launch landing pages, shopping guides that live continuously on the site, and even for hosting video content, so we don't have to have a large video file within our site that might slow it down
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As a developer i use it extensively for sharing ideas specially related for system design and application flows. Entire team finds it comfortable to use it, understand it and make changes swiftly. We use it for High Level System design. While discussing the only missing thing we find about it is the integration of an ide for Low Level Design but in my opinion this tool isn't made for that purpose.
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Pros
  • Custom content creation
  • Easily managed custom content
  • Awesome customer service
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  • 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.
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Cons
  • Significant investment
  • Some version and preview limitations
  • Lack of integrations (currently, anyway)
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  • 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
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Usability
No answers on this topic
I rated 8 because its simple to use and easy to create network topologies quickly. I liked the drag and drop option which makes designing the network topology and flow chart easier. In general its does what it needs to.
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Support Rating
Our CSMs have always been 100% and their support team typically responds within an hour or two. Their design/build team also worked with us on perfecting several experiences and are always mindful of how a project is going. One of their designers didn't really understand one of our requests and the project took more rounds of revisions than in previous projects, but they rectified the issue and the project came out well in the end. That outcome probably only happened in the time it did due to our CSM consistently checking in and getting feedback throughout the project - unfortunately, not something that happens enough with all our partners.
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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!
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Alternatives Considered
Ceros takes what would be difficult to accomplish in the Adobe suite of products and makes it easy. When it comes to user experience, user interface and customization options, Ceros is a much better alternative than Adobe. However, Adobe is the trusted name and some may be more comfortable with Adobe products
Read full review
As noted in first question, SmartDraw has them beat in every category I can think of (except for price; but need to keep in mind the old adage "you get what you pay for"!). This product allows for VASTLY-improved uploading of data than the Lucidchart product, and customer service is real, tangible service... they understand that when you have a question and need an answer, waiting 2 or 3 days for an email response is not acceptable.
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Return on Investment
  • Increased win rate during presentations.
  • Elevated content appearance.
  • Engaged audience more.
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  • 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.
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ScreenShots

SmartDraw Screenshots

Screenshot of where to create diagrams, including: flowcharts and swimlanes, organizational charts, mind maps, CAD drawings & floor plans, project charts, network diagrams, and wireframes & mockups.Screenshot of a workspace that combines brainstorming with technical diagrams. SmartDraw can be used to visualize processes, organizations, roadmaps, and even generate diagrams from data.Screenshot of SmartDraw's templates and tools used to make flowcharts, swimlanes, and process maps.Screenshot of the org chart tool, used to document organizational structure and work as a team to plan for growth or manage change. Data can be imported to generate a chart automatically.Screenshot of the CAD drawing and floor plan tools, used to design a home or optimize office space to improve traffic flow in a retail space.Screenshot of an example of the built-in templates for landscapes, gardens, backyards used to design outdoor spaces. Users can drag-and-drop flowers, shrubs, and other plants, or add sprinkler systems, lights, and walkways, and apply photo-realistic textures for a professional finish.