ConceptDraw DIAGRAM vs. Wondershare EdrawMax vs. SmartDraw

Great for anything that you would use Microsoft Visio for. It is a great software and has a great team behind it. At the end of the day, it will do everything that you need it to and it looks like they are always expanding. I have been surprised by their product and plan to continue to use it in my nonprofit role. If you are hesitant, don't be, it is everything Visio is plus more.

Incentivized

I have used over a dozen apps of this sort across 50 years of computing. None are even close to being as good!!

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!

Incentivized

• Multiple templates
• Integration with other tools in the suite
• An extensive set of samples and examples showing the usage of various types of diagrams

Incentivized

• Flow charting
• Depict a complex process so its easily understood
• Its structure and organization are very similar to how mainstream apps work.
• Its huge and expandable feature set blows away all other apps
• I want the right tools because my time is precious. This is the right choice by far.

• 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.

Incentivized

• Keyboard shortcuts are non-intuitive
• Re-scaling can be tricky if you don't set the page up correctly at the beginning of your project

Incentivized

• One-click auto-export feature to a preferred format. Currently, you'd have to go through at least 3 steps to export)
• More ready-to-use Icon libraries
• API to adjust vector graphics
• AI augmentation to provide user input during complex diagramming

• 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

Incentivized

It needs a bunch of work. For the price it could be better. And even though I am using it still I find it very difficult to use but I make it work

Incentivized

It is super easy to use because it works like the mainstream apps. Almost everything's familiar and easy to access

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.

Incentivized

I've never had any major problems with the ConceptDraw team. Actually, they update their software frequently. It's always small updates, but they're necessary to make sure it will work properly. I had a question one time and decided to send to them. The problem was solved in less than three hours, which I believe is a really good point to consider.

Needed to contact the support team as I had lost license details. Their response was fast, professional and what's more, very helpful. All the needed data was sent to me and I was able to reinstall Wondershare EdrawMax again.

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!

Incentivized

Cheaper, lower learning curve. Looked for something that would meet our needs and allow us to quickly diagram a database and process maps. I have been using this in place of Visio and the one-time purchase is much better than a Microsoft sub. Looking forward to using this software in the future and hoping to get a copy for college classes as well in Database Design.

Incentivized

Obviously, Visio is considered the Gold standard, But you are locked into the MS ecosystem. Lucidchart felt less polished and cumbersome to use. ConceptDraw UI was a bit more cluttered and the learning curves were a bit step.

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.

Incentivized

• Saved time
• Helps with conveying message properly across team so increased efficiency
• I came to know of many new diagraming techniques by seeing solutions built into ConceptDraw.

Incentivized

• Intellectual leverage
• Develops a large-scale trust (good graphics is always appreciated even if its complex to read)
• Impactful visualization (hard to enumerate)

• 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.

Incentivized