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Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio

Overview

What is Microsoft Visio?

Microsoft offers Visio, a diagramming tool for building flowcharts, diagrams (e.g. network diagrams), org charts and floor plans, available online as a subscription and also in enterprise level packages (e.g. Visio Professional).

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Recent Reviews

complement your work

9 out of 10
March 13, 2023
In my company Microsoft Visio we use it to represent the network diagrams of the installations we do. Once the installation is complete, …
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Awards

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Pricing

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Plan 1

$5.00

Cloud
Per User Per Month

Plan 2

$15.00

Cloud
Per User Per Month

Standard

$280.00

Cloud

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services
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Product Details

What is Microsoft Visio?

Microsoft Visio Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft offers Visio, a diagramming tool for building flowcharts, diagrams (e.g. network diagrams), org charts and floor plans, available online as a subscription and also in enterprise level packages (e.g. Visio Professional).

Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 7.3.

The most common users of Microsoft Visio are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(336)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 67)
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March 13, 2023

complement your work

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Reseller
In my company Microsoft Visio we use it to represent the network diagrams of the installations we do. Once the installation is complete, we will only provide the customer with a Visio diagram of the entire installation. As for the price, it is fair to say that it is reasonable considering the power of this software. It has a large number of templates and objects that you can include in your diagrams.
  • installation diagrams
  • Integration with other Microsoft applications
  • reporting
If you are an engineer or technician, this application will be very useful. In my area, computer science, you can take advantage of diagrams with an incredible level of detail. If your area of ​​work is not a technical specialty, you will not be able to take advantage of it from my point of view.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Microsoft Visio as a tool to visualize processes through diagrams and flows. It is a very useful and creative tool to display all the parts that take part in any kind of process, and it helps to understand it better and create solutions for any opportunity area. I use this software in my school projects to innovate and improve processes, where I get to visualize all the actions and improvements through the diagrams I create in Microsoft Visio.
  • Flow diagrams
  • Process diagrams
  • Macro maps
  • Cross functional diagram
  • SIPOC
  • Availability to create value stream mappings
  • More icons for the diagrams
  • Option to mix software works
I think Microsoft Visio is ideal for any kind of project that requires to improve or to work on any type of process. It is useful in school projects, lean projects, industrial engineering projects… it is the best way to work processes projects. Basically, Microsoft Visio is the best process visualization software.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Microsoft Visio for all kinds of mapping and visualization needs. I was introduced to it by a new hire who “sketched” out a basic plan for an event were were planning, and since then we’ve adopted it company wide. It serves as a sort of "AutoCAD lite” for simple drafting, makes great org charts, flow charts and has been useful for mind-maps and brainstorming sessions.
  • mapping
  • showing relationships between various items
  • simple drafting
  • flow charts
  • Has a bit of a learning curve
  • Not as intuitive as I’d like
We had a new-hire who’s a very visual person and would use it to “sketch” all sorts of things. After seeing him use it for several plots, we started to use it for other applications such as brainstorming maps, org charts and other things where relationships need a visual representation.
December 22, 2022

Visionary Software!

Tanay Pahwa | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Microsoft Visio is a program that saves a lot of time since it makes it simple to build shapes and link them using connectors. We can quickly change the diagram, search for specific shapes, and verify the accessibility options. If necessary, we may add a comment. Additionally, we have the option of accessing already-created diagrams and adding images from our desktops or the internet. This tool works well for taking notes, especially for students learning to code who can quickly generate flowcharts.
  • Graphical represntations
  • Templates
  • Colorful themes
  • Requires training
  • Not mobile friendly
I'm using Microsoft Visio to create diagrams of my system, product, and individual pieces to display ideas I have for solving problems. Additionally, it aids in my ability to illustrate and trace the process that will take place on the finished system using flowcharts. It adheres to other Office 365 products and is a quick and simple approach to design lovely process flows. It offers a straightforward interface and a vast selection of symbols. It may be applied in a variety of settings in the workplace.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Microsoft Visio is made free of charge to all our university's teaching teams, students and researchers. The use we make of it varies according to our daily needs. However, being a versatile tool allows us to use it for different purposes, even very different from each other. For example, we use it a lot both in organizing the activities of researcher working groups and in complex research. We also use it in courses with our students to help them manage their business processes.
  • Microsoft Visio is excellent for organizing thought processes related to our more complex research.
  • The diagrams created with Microsoft Visio are ideal for graphically displaying the internal organization of work and research groups through flow diagrams.
  • Microsoft Visio is a great tool for managing our students' activities by creating flowcharts that help us graphically visualize the steps of their group work.
  • Despite the advantages of the software, sometimes the diagrams that can be created are too static and do not always allow us to visualize our thoughts graphically.
  • Our students complain about Microsoft Visio's sometimes unintuitive graphics.
  • The Microsoft Visio user guide often doesn't help solve the problems we face. It's too synthetic.
Given the versatility and diversity of the diagrams that can be created with Microsoft Visio, we use this tool for the most diverse activities. With our students, we use it to organize group activities and manage the tasks that everyone has to complete. In research groups, we use it to divide tasks and create organization charts. For research activities, especially the more complex ones carried out, for example, in PhD programmes, the diagrams allow us to display all the work phases graphically.
December 22, 2022

Perfect diagrams easily

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Microsoft Visio to draw up overall org charts.
We also use it to in IT to create network diagrams, data and work flows.
  • Presence of a grid makes layout easy
  • Ability to scale a diagram allows us to start small and built out
  • The built-in icon sets are very helpful and make the diagrams more purposeful
  • Cost of the subscription can be expensive
  • Icon sets can be difficult to find for non-general use
  • Not possible to amend a Microsoft Visio file without the software
Microsoft Visio is well suited for basic diagrams, ability to link and maintain relationships between icons. Color coding, formatting are all easily accessible and anyone familiar with Microsoft's Office suite will find it intuitive as menu layout are similar. It would be very difficult to collaborate on a Microsoft Visio document without the necessary software.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We currently use Microsoft Visio as a tool for process control and understanding. All of the departments within our organization require precise workflows in order to operate at the highest level. That's where Visio comes into play, allowing us to see working processes visually and make adjustments to eliminate redundant and unnecessary steps.
  • Visualizing Workflows
  • Visualizing Processes
  • Diagrams
  • I think it has just about everything someone could ask for.
We have used Visio to create a visual representation of our workflows and processes, allowing us the ability to create a more efficient business, lower overhead, and reduce errors in our order processing workflow.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Visio is our go to solution for creating diagrams and documentation. We have found no other tool that matches the scope and flexibility of Visio, and now with the free basic web app that is included in Microsoft 365 business plans, we can use it across the organisation without needing to purchase addition licences.
  • IT, system architecture, and organisation diagrams
  • Workflow and process documentation
  • Sharing diagrams with others in the organisation
  • Although easier to use than previous versions, there still is a learning curve
  • Interoperability with other diagramming applications is limited
  • Reverse engineering functionality that was present in early versions has been removed
Visio is the best solution for creating diagrams documenting systems, processes, and IT architecture. No other tool has the support for vendor provided stencils that Visio has, and no other tool has the cross version stability that Visio has enjoyed since Microsoft's acquisition of the product. Visio however has a steep learning curve, so is not suitable for users without a degree of technical knowledge or experience in diagramming or UML concepts.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Microsoft Visio came in with Office 365 bundle. While the app was rarely used before, we started using it as an alternative to sketching process flows and flow charts on PowerPoint. It offers handy tools and templates to design shapes and object-based drawings. Although we mainly use it for process flow designs, it certainly has the potential to be used as any layout designing tool, based on users' creativity and expertise. I have seen event and marketing teams using Visio to design floor plans etc.
  • Drag and drop designs
  • Templates
  • Collaboration through Office 365
  • Often ignored among wider Office 365 suite. Needs more brand-building
  • Compatibility with other OS
  • Part of the Office 365 package makes it costly tool
  • Aesthetic improvements (templates, UI, icon packs etc.)
Like most people, if you already are using Office 365, chances are that you are subscribed to Visio. If you are still using yesteryears tools for diagramming etc. try Visio, it will certainly make your life easier at it. However, if you aren't a Windows user, not much help with that. I am yet to come across a case where Office 365 costs are justified by the inclusion of Visio in it, so costs can certainly be a concern.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use MS Visio for designing / updating / Modifying the network topology. MS Visio make simple to demonstrate the design of the network flow.
  • Network design
  • Flow chart
  • Architecture design
  • UI should be more user friendly
  • Single option to create multiple objects
  • Format and merging should be improved
As a Network designer, Visio helps to demonstrate the network flow, low/high level designs. It requires more precision for small things, it should be auto corrected.
Matthew Guzzi | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Visio to create flow charts of business processes and org charts. Visio is a wonderfully easy-to-use industry-standard tool.
  • Allows easy visual representation of charts and graphs.
  • Has built in graphics to map business process.
  • Easily creates org charts.
  • Could use more shapes in the library.
  • Easier to use drawing tools.
It’s great and easy to use to map processes and easily allows for the creation of a visual representation of organizational and business process flows.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Working in Marketing in a client-facing position, data visualization is a must. Not only for pitching our own products and services, but also to help my clients do the same in their own organization. I've been working in the Microsoft ecosystem ever since I was first in business, so it's nice to have an easy to use program like this under the Microsoft umbrella.
  • Flow Charts
  • Company Organization Layouts
  • Quick and Easy to use for established Office users
  • Might be a little too simple at times; we also use Adobe Illustrator for more detailed charts when Visio won't quite cut it.
  • Just like in software programs like Word and Powerpoint, it's easy to slip up, drop a graphic element in the wrong place and mess up your whole chart.
  • Cost - there are some free or cheaper solutions that offer a similar experience (we used a couple before having the budget for Visio)
If you 1. have the budget and 2. are used to the Microsoft ecosystem, this is an AMAZING tool for data and content visualization. Yes, things like Google Docs will work and are free or cheap.. but the combination of quality and ease of use made Visio a great solution for us. It's also an easier learning curve if, like us, you need to help set clients up with the software as well.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use it to create and ideate payment flows, diagrams for presentations, and API designs. It helps in creating a great visual explanation of complex problems which we use to train and present internally and externally.
  • Create and explain payment flows
  • API and system designs
  • team org chart
  • Reduce monthly fee per user
  • add animations
  • better sharing of charts externally
It is very useful in explaining complex topics in diagrams and can be used to create org charts. We use it to create and share various flows like data flow across the system, payments trace, and ideate on API and system design. It is very user-friendly and the learning curve is quite small.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Microsoft Visio is used to create process maps and outline the flow of a process within the company. Visio helps to identify key controls within a process and helps to explain how certain systems or processes are related to one another. This gives team members and other people a visual idea of the flow of a process that may be examined. I have been using Visio for two years, and I love the visual representation that the final product leaves you.
  • Visio comes with icons that can help differentiate processes within a map. These can be used to be a legend and helps create a visually appealing flow.
  • Visio is user-friendly and allows the user to easily navigate through the different creative options that can be used.
  • Because this is a Microsoft product, Visio works well with other Microsoft products for easy translation.
  • When navigating through swim lanes, the user must be careful between switching from the point to the connection features as it can be difficult to remember which mode you’re in.
  • When drawing “decision points,” it can be difficult to type words like “yes” or “no” between the connection lines.
  • The exporting options aren’t ideal. They are hard to create in PDF format.
I believe any company or individual that is looking to get a process map visualized; would be a great tool. The tool is a great way to get complex ideas onto “paper” for all to see. Visio can be harder to use if you have an idea that is going in many different directions. If all ideas can fit on one page, this is the tool to use to visualize it all.
Stephen Foster | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We are documenting our MarTech stack and all associated interactions, integrations, and workflows.
  • Great drag and drop functionality.
  • All the templates that perfectly support our use based.
  • Great sharing and collaboration capabilities - integrated so well with our Teams channels.
  • Legacy code seems kludgy.
  • UI/UX are dated.
  • Could benefit from context sensitive suggestions and debugging.
For organizations that need a shareable, collaborative tool for documenting tech, stocks, and workflows, Visio has that nailed. Does it rise to the needs of complex engineering teams? No, it does not. But for sales, marketing, and rev ops teams, Visio is simply the gold standard.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Visio works for us in a variety of ways, from handling organizational charts to developing process flow charts, office layouts, IT network diagramming, and complex relational database query visualization. Different departments use the product for different purposes, and it really does very nicely in handling a variety of user needs.
  • Presenting visualizations of complex relational database queries.
  • Deploying consistent and scalable organization charts that work well together.
  • Visualizing IT networking hardware layouts and designs.
  • Developing process flow charts with a clear decision, action, and variable outcome points and paths.
  • The product is large and can be complex if one tries to "learn it all."
  • Due to its size it sometimes bogs down with marginally powered computers.
Visio is well suited to a small office setting where individual stand-alone products might bring more power to the table but a high additional cost. Once a user knows how to work with Visio's drag-and-drop interface with one set of templates, the skills are transferrable to any of the other templates. This one product allows the user to address more than 95% of their foreseeable needs in multiple areas, from organizational charts to flow charts, to office layout, to network design. Users with more needs in any one particular area than Visio can provide are probably better served by exploring a stand-alone dedicated program, but they will pay far more for that one program than the price tag of the multi-role player Visio.
Saul Tarazona | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I used it to quickly make floor plans where we detail, facilities, furniture, lights, company assets, parking, etc. On the floor plans, we tend to manipulate a large extension of the gallery tools to find office equipment, decoration, and key parts of the floor plan like elevators, escalators, parking, doors and toilet facilities. During the quality management systems implementation as AS9100 and ISO 9001 we have to develop or recreate processes and procedures that take a good amount of time, thanks to Visio we are able to keep the files safe, and always available for further editing and improvement. Once we are done creating all these very complicated processes, it is a must to have a full company process mapping, MS Visio is very good for this task recreating graphically what otherwise will be a very lengthy text, this is a birds-eye view of the company's process and a whole including the full organizational chart. The competitor Lucidchart does not feature all the amazing tools Visio does, I like much better the customer interface of MS Visio and the compatibility with other MS software. Overall MS Visio is a very strong communication tool, that extends to frontiers that we didn't use yet but I know exist, like the electric circuit. Thanks for the opportunity to share this information, I hope is somehow useful. Saul Tarazona
  • Electric circuits
  • Organigrams
  • Process flowcharts
  • Procedures with graphics
  • Icons and graphics
  • Text integrations
  • It seems like there is no mobile App.
  • PDF conversion still has some issues, specially with older version of Adobe PDF.
We use it extensively in project management requirements; it is our preferred tool to communicate with stakeholders around the world. For strategy and training, this is a core tool to add complicated systems and task distribution around our team.
Allie (Allison) Egerer | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The company I currently work for has very extensive and complicated processes that we use to market big data, and because of this, it is sometimes a challenge to explain what we do to new clients or employees. We have successfully used Visio to explain these intricate processes in a way that anyone can understand by easily creating clear and concise infographics and charts.
  • Ease of use.
  • Multifunctional.
  • Trusted Name.
  • More pre made templates.
  • Cost (sometimes hard to justify when there are free options).
  • Background templates.
Microsoft Visio is perfect to use when there is a need to explain an intricate process or set of information. The company I work for has used Visio to help our clients and new employees understand exactly how our processes work when just explaining them verbally would not have worked. Visio is great for creating infographics, flow charts, etc. but shouldn't be used in place of presentation or design software.
Romi Kalathiya | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We as UI/UX designers do a lot of research and testing, and for that, we make a lot of diagrams and flowcharts that help us to find the user's pain points and stuff. And for that, we regularly use Microsoft Visio and so far we are more than happy. Earlier we were using wireframe and photoshop tools, but it was way more time-consuming and hard to make complex diagrams. With Visio, it became a really easy process and with its templates and pre-made shapes, it made our process much faster and more efficient. It also makes 3D map diagrams which are helpful in a lot of cases and you can pull data from external sources, so really easy to map user testing data for us.
  • Simple to complex flow charts and diagrams.
  • 3D map diagrams.
  • Pull in live information from an external source like excel sheets.
  • Built in shapes and templates.
  • Make it more visually stunning, like it now feels little too old.
  • 3D graphics needs a major upgrade so it can look like really advance and sleek.
  • Price for professional is too high.
As I mentioned earlier, we didn't know about Visio and we made all our diagrams and charts inside Photoshop, illustrator, and other basic wireframing tools and it was an excruciating experience but then we came to know about Visio and it made our process very smooth and time-saving in most cases. Now we just use the templates and pre-made shapes and create all our app flowcharts and it's super fast and easy. For people like us who make these diagrams and charts on daily basis, this tool is a blessing to have. But for most non-professionals and who don't make complex charts, it's not really essential to have but yes it's still useful. can't really pinpoint any scenarios where you can't utilize it's feature set.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I use Visio to create organization charts, map out business processes, and design financial system diagrams. I often link it to presentations in powerpoint, have underlying excel models to support some of the quantitative analysis, and post it to the Team when sharing with coworkers. I also convert it to Lucid when working with teams that are not on as familiar with the application.
  • Very easy to connect boxes in a process chart or org chart.
  • Very flexible with fonts and text boxes to customize presentations.
  • Intuitive templates and easy to use for beginners.
  • Provides comprehensive links when connecting databases and systems when working on technical diagrams.
  • Swim lane boxes are often difficult to format and insert without drastically changing the current flow of a process map.
  • More size and aspect ratios options when copying into a power point presentation.
  • More formatting options when copying a logo or 3rd party picture to enhance the diagram.
Visio is ideal for process and org charts. The flexibility to change the size and shape of boxes as well as the use of decision boxes, makes it very easy to provide a high-level view for executives. It also supports creating very detailed processes that allow the user to drill down into specifics to show nuanced changes in any given process. Visio is not great for project planning diagrams. Linking it to Ms. Project would be very helpful. Often times in project management, providing a visual representation can be helpful.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Visio as an all-in-one diagram/workflow mapping tool to help visualize processes or mechanisms that are too complex to outline without a dedicated visual. These could span across the org, from customer-focused workflows to HR mechanisms/processes to operational activities that require multiple stakeholders and/or 3rd parties.
  • Onboarding of new users.
  • Flexibility
  • Integrations
  • Cohesion to non-microsoft offerings.
  • Ease of export/sharing externally.
  • Version control.
Microsoft Visio is well suited when the team is deeply embedded into the Microsoft tech stack, such as Word or Excel, which needs to be integrated or have information included in the final Visio output product. There are numerous ways where direct integration between these Microsoft products makes the experience easy to use and relatively easy to keep up to date.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I have many uses for Microsoft Visio. Firstly, I use Microsoft Visio to diagram my network. This makes it a very useful tool for network troubleshooting. I also use Microsoft Visio to diagram my complex audio system. In the past, I have used Microsoft Visio to flowchart processes in manufacturing and building Organizational charts. When I started using Microsoft Visio to diagram my networks, Microsoft had a great selection of downloadable network icons to match the equipment that I was using.
  • Tremendous selection of graphics
  • A very logical structure
  • Options for diagramming just about anything an organization would need
  • Matrices are little difficult to get started with
  • Coauthoring with OneDrive didn't work as well as I had hoped
  • If a user is helping, they must have a separate license to update
I am not sure it is suited for smaller organization. For larger or more complicated environments, it takes the guess work out of diagraming the infrastructure. The org chart is useful for medium to large organizations. For detail a process flow, it is very useful. Again, I don't believe smaller organizations would find great benefits from using Microsoft Visio, but larger organizations would benefit.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In the design and discovery phases of our software design projects we use Microsoft Visio to map out existing paths of the IVR system that users can move thru the application as well as mapping out all future design paths that need to be developed in our future iterations planned in development
  • Mapping of existing software paths
  • Design of user experience flows
  • Design of development paths
  • Better automated pathing functionality
  • Better built in training tutorials
  • Better help me pop up suggestions
When planning for future development in the discovery and design phases Microsoft Visio is especially useful in understanding the planned or existing applications and how it will interact with future code. You can create detailed flow documents that help see how an application works and there is no limit to how complex you can design an application in Microsoft Visio. Given that it is a Microsoft product it is pretty intuitive to learn to use, and integrates well into existing windows application and systems
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Our firm used Microsoft Visio to develop flowcharts, visualizations, organization charts and other visually stimulating materials. Specifically, the marketing department developed a lot of visual aids for proposals and other pieces of collateral via Microsoft Visio. We started with the provided templates to develop a lot of these materials in our own branding and color palette.
  • It is easy to learn and onboard new team members
  • The templates are fantastic especially when creating materials quickly
  • There are lots of pre-made icons to choose from
  • It is hard to collaborate and track changes between users
  • Connectors are very difficult to use and glitchy at times
  • Expensive to purchase and implement
It's great to use Microsoft Visio when trying to create visual representations of data or processes. It's very effective for creating org charts, flow through processes or other charts or graphs. It's a nice add-on to other Microsoft tools as its easy to add these diagrams into PowerPoint, Word, etc.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Microsoft Visio for all our projects to create flow charts. Microsoft Visio makes it easy for my team to conceptualize and map out an entirely new process and get it in front of stakeholders in a short period of time. Microsoft Visio lets us create schedules, timelines, which helps our support teams visualize and better assist in project implementations.
  • Flow Charts
  • Project timelines
  • Building a new process flow
  • Creating a new product or plan - brainstorming
  • Spacing and borders can be issues at times
  • Limitations in terms of options for visuals
  • Ability to narrate over workflow
Microsoft Visio make life easy for my team. Easy to explain a concept and obtain approval from key stakeholders. Microsoft Visio is especially great when you are trying to present an idea to an unfamiliar audience. Simple work flows help make it easy to understand and engage teams.
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