ConceptDraw Alternatives for Diagrams on Mac and Windows

ConceptDraw is a family of Mac and Windows apps from CS Odessa, and it is still on sale. The diagram app many people remember as ConceptDraw PRO was renamed ConceptDraw DIAGRAM with version 12, according to the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM FAQ. The current version is DIAGRAM 18, sold alone or in ConceptDraw OFFICE 11 with MINDMAP 16 and PROJECT 15. It opens and saves Visio VSDX files, imports older VSD and VDX files and Visio stencils, and has a 21-day trial.

The OFFICE 11 press release is dated October 8, 2024, and no newer major version has followed. A licence includes Maintenance Assurance for the next major release only, and specialist libraries in the Solution Park are often paid extras. That pushes people toward tools with steadier updates, a browser editor or a free tier. The seven picks below cover desktop, Mac-only and browser options. If SmartDraw is also on your shortlist, our SmartDraw alternatives page compares it with similar apps.

Prices below are as of November 8, 2026. Our method is on How we review tools.

Quick comparison

Microsoft Visio

CS Odessa markets ConceptDraw as Visio-compatible, so many offices end up asking why not use the original. Visio is what clients and IT departments send around, and it has the deepest shape sets for network, data center and engineering drawings. Visio in Microsoft 365, a lighter web editor, is already included with eligible commercial Microsoft 365 plans.

The Visio plans page lists Plan 1 at $5 per user a month, paid yearly, for the web app only. Plan 2 costs $15 per user a month, paid yearly, and adds the Windows desktop app with offline work and local files.

Best for: Windows offices that need full VSDX fidelity with clients and IT teams.

Pricing:

• Visio in Microsoft 365: included with eligible commercial plans
• Plan 1: $5 per user a month, paid yearly, web only
• Plan 2: $15 per user a month, paid yearly, web and desktop
• 30-day trial with a work or school account

Watch out for:

• There is no Visio desktop app for macOS. Mac users, a large share of ConceptDraw's base, get only the web version.
• The trial needs a work or school account and a card, so freelancers with a personal Microsoft account cannot start one.

Official site: Microsoft Visio.

EdrawMax

Wondershare's EdrawMax looks the most like ConceptDraw DIAGRAM: a desktop app with templates for flowcharts, network maps, floor plans, org charts and engineering diagrams. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, has a web and mobile version, and imports Visio files, which ConceptDraw also does.

The EdrawMax pricing page lists subscriptions from about US$69 on sale. The perpetual plan for EdrawMax V16 desktop is US$198 on sale, against a regular US$245, and includes three years of online and mobile access and 10 GB of cloud storage.

Best for: ConceptDraw users who want a similar desktop app on Windows, Mac or Linux and prefer to pay once.

Pricing:

• Free trial: 60 shapes and 2 pages per diagram, watermarked exports
• Semi-annual and annual subscriptions: from about US$69 on sale
• Perpetual (V16 desktop): US$198 on sale, regular US$245
• Team, Business and Education: separate pricing

Watch out for:

• The free tier is a trial in practice. It caps diagrams at 60 shapes and two pages, and Visio exports carry a watermark.
• The perpetual plan covers the V16 desktop app. Online and mobile access end after three years.

Official site: EdrawMax.

OmniGraffle

ConceptDraw started on the Mac, and many of its users still work there. OmniGraffle from The Omni Group is the native Mac answer, with precise vector drawing, layers, shared layers across canvases, and automatic layout for flowcharts and hierarchies. Omni lists version 7.26.1 for Mac, and a companion app runs on iPad and iPhone.

The OmniGraffle buy page lists Mac licences at $149.99 for Standard and $249.99 for Pro, one-time in US dollars, and a $129.99 yearly subscription that covers Mac, iPhone and iPad. A 14-day trial is included.

Best for: Designers and consultants on Mac and iPad who want a polished one-time purchase.

Pricing:

• Mac Standard: $149.99 one-time
• Mac Pro: $249.99 one-time
• iPhone and iPad: $59.99 Standard, $119.99 Pro, one-time
• Subscription: $129.99 a year for all platforms

Watch out for:

• No Windows version. A mixed Mac and Windows team cannot share it the way ConceptDraw allows.
• Omni's site says the Mac app needs macOS 14 or newer, so Macs stuck on older systems are left out.

Official site: OmniGraffle.

draw.io

Free and with no account needed, draw.io covers most of what people used ConceptDraw for: flowcharts, network diagrams, UML, org charts and floor plans. Files save to your own disk, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or GitHub, and it imports Visio and Gliffy files. The desktop app is open source and works offline.

The latest drawio-desktop release is 32.5.5, from October 18, 2026, with builds for Windows, macOS and Linux. Paid apps exist only for Confluence and Jira, sold on the Atlassian Marketplace.

Best for: Anyone who wants a free replacement for everyday diagrams on any system.

Pricing:

• Web and desktop apps: free
• Confluence and Jira apps: sold on the Atlassian Marketplace

Watch out for:

• There are no Live Objects or data-driven dashboards, which ConceptDraw DIAGRAM offers.
• Sharing depends on the cloud drive you save to. There are no team folders, roles or admin controls.

Official site: draw.io.

Lucidchart

Lucidchart moves diagramming into the browser, which is the biggest change for a ConceptDraw user. Several people can edit at once, comment, and link shapes to data from spreadsheets. It imports Visio files and connects to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack and Atlassian tools.

Lucidchart's free plan includes three editable documents, 60 shapes per document and 100 basic templates. Individual starts at $9 a month with unlimited documents and shapes and 1 GB of storage. Team and Enterprise are priced per user.

Best for: Teams that need real-time co-editing and comments in one shared diagram.

Pricing:

• Free: 3 editable documents, 60 shapes each
• Individual: from $9 a month
• Team and Enterprise: per user

Watch out for:

• Three editable documents on the free plan run out quickly, so most users end up paying.
• It needs a connection. There is no offline desktop app like ConceptDraw's.

Official site: Lucidchart.

SmartDraw

SmartDraw has been around almost as long as ConceptDraw, but it now runs in the browser. Its draw engine places and connects shapes for you, which saves time on org charts, flowcharts and scaled floor plans. It also builds diagrams from a text prompt and imports Jira data for agile planning.

The SmartDraw buy page lists Individual at $7.95 a month and Team at $6.95 per user a month with a three-user minimum. Both are billed annually and are introductory prices for new customers. Enterprise adds SSO and a customer success manager on a quote.

Best for: Office users who want automatic layouts and are fine with a browser app.

Pricing:

• Individual: $7.95 a month, billed annually, introductory price
• Team: $6.95 per user a month, billed annually, 3-user minimum
• Enterprise: contact sales

Watch out for:

• Annual billing only. Reviewers on Capterra repeat that complaint, and one says Visio import is not a perfect conversion.
• The introductory price is for new customers, so check the renewal rate before you commit.

Official site: SmartDraw.

Creately

Creately is a browser canvas from Cinergix in Australia that mixes diagrams with data. Shapes can carry fields, so an org chart or process map doubles as a small database. It suits teams who used ConceptDraw for business process maps and now want everyone to edit them in one place.

The free plan on the Creately plans page allows up to 45 shapes per diagram. Paid tiers start with Pro at $5 per editor a month, billed yearly, and Business at $89 a month billed yearly or $149 billed monthly. Enterprise is a custom annual agreement.

Best for: Small teams that want cheap shared editing for process and planning diagrams.

Pricing:

• Free: up to 45 shapes per diagram
• Pro: $5 per editor a month, billed yearly
• Business: $89 a month billed yearly, or $149 billed monthly
• Enterprise: custom

Watch out for:

• A Capterra reviewer reports lag on large, complex diagrams.
• It is browser only, with no installable app for offline work.

Official site: Creately.

How to choose

When to stay with ConceptDraw

Keep ConceptDraw if you rely on its Solution Park libraries or on Live Objects that pull data from files into diagrams. It also suits people who want one bundle covering diagrams, mind maps and project plans on both Mac and Windows. Check the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM page for the Visio formats it reads before you move files elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions