draw.io vs. SmartDraw

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
draw.io
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
draw.io is an online diagramming tool with integrations with Jira, Google, and Confluence available free online or at cost depending on integration chosen.
$5
per month
SmartDraw
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
SmartDraw is a diagramming and flow chart building tool from SmartDraw Software in San Diego, California.
$131.40
per year (for a single user on an individual plan)
Pricing
draw.ioSmartDraw
Editions & Modules
Up to 10 Users
$5
per month
Up to 20 Users
$11
per month
Up to 50 Users
$27.50
per month
Up to 75 Users
$41.25
per month
Up to 100 Users
$55
per month
Up to 200 Users
$95
per month
Up to 500 Users
$152.50
per month
Up to 750 Users
$190
per month
Up to 1,000 Users
$227.50
per month
Up to 2,000 Users
$377.50
per month
Up to 5,000 Users
$827.50
per month
Up to 10,000
1,577.50
per month
Team
$119.40
per year per user (3 minimum)
Individual
$131.40
per year single user
Enterprise
Contact Sales
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
draw.ioSmartDraw
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
draw.ioSmartDraw
Considered Both Products
draw.io
Chose draw.io
draw.io is open-source and free for many uses, which means minimal upfront cost and good value.It works in the browser, also has a desktop version (so you can use offline) which helps teams that may not always be online or want local backups. Useful when you want a diagram tool …
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.
Best Alternatives
draw.ioSmartDraw
Small Businesses
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
Enterprises
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
OmniGraffle
OmniGraffle
Score 9.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
draw.ioSmartDraw
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(19 ratings)
2.8
(14 ratings)
Usability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(5 ratings)
8.4
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
draw.ioSmartDraw
Likelihood to Recommend
JGraph (Draw.io)
draw.io can be more suitable for technical documentation for architectures, flow diagrams/charts, and conceptual images of an application infrastructure. However, this tool is not made for business intelligence work nor for dashboarding to monitor the technical components. From the administrative standpoint, this is not well suited for agile ceremony structures like retrospective boards or planning or even quarterly planning boards. The strength of draw.io lies strongly in being a lightweight diagramming tool.
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SmartDraw Software
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!
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Pros
JGraph (Draw.io)
  • Draw.io offers a lot of shapes and customizability of how the diagrams are laid out. We've been able to create a lot of different things with it, and have barely scratched the surface of the sorts of things that we could do.
  • Draw.io is fairly intuitive in the way that you draw shapes and connect shapes together, I was able to figure it out without a tutorial.
  • Draw.io is fast and performant for me compared with some of the alternatives.
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SmartDraw Software
  • 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
JGraph (Draw.io)
  • When very elaborate diagrams are needed, it lacks the amount of tools and customization needed
  • Since this is an online tool, it can freeze and that causes you to lose that work up to that point
  • Performance can lag with very complex diagrams
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SmartDraw Software
  • 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
JGraph (Draw.io)
The UI is intuitive. It allows a new user to start diagramming almost instantly. Manipulating elements, linking them together, etc. are all easy to do. Draw.io nevertheless a broad variety of diagram templates to help get started and also of shapes to use in diagrams. Some situations can make it a bit tricky to use, such as when having multiple shapes on top of each other (e.g. shapes placed within swimlanes) but that's a minor issue.
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SmartDraw Software
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
JGraph (Draw.io)
The support for draw.io is pretty decent, considering it is a free website. I had a question one time when I was trying to do something, so I sent an email to their support email and got a response fairly quickly with an answer to my question. They also have some excellent support tools on their support website for helping you get more familiar with their program, and I found that very helpful.
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SmartDraw Software
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
JGraph (Draw.io)
draw.io is open-source and free for many uses, which means minimal upfront cost and good value.It works in the browser, also has a desktop version (so you can use offline) which helps teams that may not always be online or want local backups. Useful when you want a diagram tool that “just works” without huge ecosystem lock-in.For organisations that value control, less vendor-dependency, this is a plus.
Read full review
SmartDraw Software
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.
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Return on Investment
JGraph (Draw.io)
  • draw.io has surely impacted our organization positively by saving some crucial time.
  • It has not really impacted much monetarily to be honest.
  • The ROI we got from draw.io is that it has made complex things clear for everyone in our organization.
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SmartDraw Software
  • 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

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.