10 Best Alternatives to Visio for Mac of 2024 (Free & Pro, Reviewed & Tested)

Visio is one of the most popular diagramming software on the market for visualizing ideas, processes and hierarchies by creating flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams and more.

However, if you’ve just switched to using Macs, the bad news is there’s no version of Microsoft Visio for Mac. 

In fact, surprising as it may sound, Visio has never existed for macOS.

The good news is we’ve tested and reviewed some excellent alternatives to Visio that can import and export Visio files, but in many cases are easier and cheaper to use than MS Visio.

We found the closest thing to using Visio on a Mac was with the excellent SmartDraw but we also tried many others which worked surprisingly well.

In some cases they are even FREE or at least, offer limited free versions.

What We Looked For In These Visio Replacements

We kept the criteria very short and simple when shortlisting these apps:

• Import and export support for Visio files in VSD or VSDX format.
• The can be used on any Mac in a desktop app or at least in the Cloud.
• They offer similar features to Microsoft Visio
• They offer better value for money compared to MS Visio. All of the software we tested allow you to try them for free and some offer limited free versions too.

Here then are the best professional replacements for Microsoft Visio that you can use on a Mac.

1. SmartDraw

In our extensive tests, we found that SmartDraw is the best replacement for Microsoft Visio on a Mac in 2024.

The best thing we found about SmartDraw is that it does everything that Visio can but makes it far simpler and faster.

Here are some of the things we liked about SmartDraw:

• It’s the only alternative to Visio on Mac we tried that can both accurately import AND export to the latest Visio VSDX format. 
• It has more than 4,500 diagram templates (compared to little more than 100 in MS Visio)
• The data integrations in SmartDraw are excellent with the ability to link dynamically to spreadsheets in Excel, AWS and Azure.
• You can easily export files to Microsoft Office, PDF, SVG or PNG format or share via file sharing apps such as Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive for Business.
• It’s much better value than Visio with Enterprise Plans in particular almost 10 times cheaper than Microsoft Visio.

The main limitation we found to SmartDraw was that there’s no desktop or mobile app. You can check our in-depth comparison of SmartDraw vs Visio for more on the differences between the two.

For a more detailed look, you can check out our in-depth SmartDraw review.

Pricing: FREE to start / $8.25 per month for teams of 5+ / $9.95 per month individuals / Site plans start at $5 per user/month.

2. OmniGraffle Pro

OmniGraffle Pro is the closest thing to a native Mac desktop alternative to MS Visio.

We found the app produces attractive, professional diagrams, user interfaces and wireframes that look better than anything possible in Visio.

Here are some of things we liked about OmniGraffle:

• It’s designed specifically for Mac and iOS only with the desktop apps for both.
• It can import and export Visio files reasonably well although it can only export to VDX format (which has since been replaced by VSDX by Microsoft).
• The Graffletopia community site is excellent for downloading stencils and templates for OmniGraffle (although it costs extra).

There are some drawbacks to OmniGraffle though:

• VSDX importing is possible but there’s no accurate VSDX export support.
• There are no team collaboration features in OmniGraffle.
• If you want Visio file support you need to purchase the Pro version or subscribe.

You can check out our review of OmniGraffle Pro for more.

Pricing: Free trial / Standard $149.99 / Professional $249.99 or $12.49/m

3. Draw.io

Although Draw.io (also known as “Diagrams.net”) can’t compare to Visio in terms of features and power, it’s still a remarkably easy to use, fast and impressive free diagramming tool.

Draw.io imports and exports Visio files and allows you to work offline on your Mac desktop via a Mac desktop app. There’s also an extension for Google Chrome.

Here are some of things we liked about Draw.io:

• It’s completely free to use for individuals with no limitations.
• A Mac desktop app is available to draw offline
• Visio file import support (although not very accurate)
• Integration with lots of online services
• Chrome extension allows you to work offline too

There are some drawbacks to Draw.io though:

• VSDX exporting is in beta and doesn’t always work well.
• Quite basic compared to Visio
• Teams must pay for connections to Confluence
• No Cloud integration with Chrome desktop extension

You can also check out our full Draw.io review for more.

Pricing: Free

4. ConceptDraw Diagram

ConceptDraw Diagram (formerly ConceptDraw Pro) is a cross-platform desktop alternative to Visio that works on both Mac and Windows PCs.

The VSDX Visio import and export tool can be hit and miss but it’s very good at exporting diagrams to other apps.

Here are some of the things we liked about ConceptDraw Diagram:

• It has both a Mac and Windows desktop app so it’s great for those that work across platforms.
• It can import and export Visio files in VSDX format including VSX stencils (but not very well).
• There’s a rich collection of high quality vector objects, audiovisual clips and templates.

There are some things we didn’t like however:

• Importing and exporting of Visio files is not very accurate with a lot of formatting issues.
• The interface is very Windows inspired.
• Expensive up front cost.

You can check out our review of ConceptDraw Diagram For Mac.

Pricing: Free Trial / $199

5. Edraw Max

Edraw Max is a cheaper desktop alternative to Visio but with a strikingly similar interface.

Edraw Max can both import and export Visio files although we found the results weren’t great, especially on complex diagrams.

Here are some of the things we liked about Edraw Max:

• The Edraw Max UI is very closely modeled on Microsoft Visio’s ribbon interface.
• It imports and exports Visio files in VSDX format including Batch importing.
• Edraw Max uses AI to automatically create flowcharts and diagrams based on your diagram prompts.

The limitations to Edraw Max are:

• There are only around 280 templates in Edraw Max although that includes basic flowcharts, org charts and brainstorming.
• The interface feels very Windows inspired and has been closely modeled on Microsoft Office.

You can check out our full Edraw Max review for more.

Pricing: Free Trial / Lifetime License costs $245.00 with no upgrade costs. Subscription costs $99 per year.

6. Creately

Creately is a lightweight, fast and cost-effective alternative to Visio.

Creately is a lot simpler than Visio but you can create some pretty impressive diagrams, Venn diagrams, flowcharts and process flows with it.

What we liked about Creately was:

• There are thousands of Creately templates and a 1-click create and connect function which automates much of the process.
• It also integrates with Confluence, Jira and the G Suite Marketplace.
• It’s very easy to use for all levels of ability.

What we didn’t like about Creately was:

• Visio file importing is only available via a Jira or Confluence plugin.
• All free diagrams are made public so make sure you don’t create anything that you don’t want sharing.
• The Mac desktop app has been discontinued.

You can read our review of Creately if you want to learn more.

Pricing: Free for up to 3 diagrams then starts at $5/month.

7. Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a powerful online diagramming software with strong team collaboration features and excellent integration with Microsoft Office.

Lucidchart can import Visio files (although it can’t export to the latest Visio VSDX format).

Here are some of the things we liked about Lucidchart:

• It can import Microsoft Visio flowcharts in VSDX and VDX format (although there’s no VSDX export support).
• Integration with Microsoft 365 means you you can draw instantly in Microsoft Office or Microsoft 365 documents.
• The platforms is integrated with Google Drive so that you can draw flowcharts directly in Sheets and Docs.
• Lucidchart data linking allows live data to be uploaded dynamically in real-time from spreadsheets such as Excel.

There are some drawbacks to Lucidchart that we found though:

• It can only export to the older Visio VDX format used in Visio 2010 and older.
• It does not support VST/VTX stencil importing.
• The free version is limited to just 3 flowcharts and 60 shapes.

For a more in-depth look at Lucidchart, check-out our full Lucidchart review.

Pricing: Limited free version, Teams $9/m, Individuals $7.95/m

8. Gliffy

Gliffy is an extremely easy to use team focused alternative to Visio that’s ideal for collaborating on UML, network diagrams and org charts.

Gliffy is actually divided into two tools,: Gliffy Diagram and Gliffy Project. The latter is for integrating and sharing your diagrams with Atlassian products such as Jira and Confluence.

Here are the things we liked about Gliffy:

• Gliffy is quick and snappy at creating diagrams with smooth, fast drag and dropping of objects.
• Gliffy is well integrated with Jira and Confluence. You can even draw flowcharts in Jira using the Gliffy Atlassian plugin.
• It can import Visio files in VSD and VSDX format but it can’t export to Visio.

There are some limitations to Gliffy though:

• There’s no support for exporting of Visio flowcharts.
• Very limited number of templates and symbols.
• The free version of Gliffy makes your diagrams public so it’s definitely not suitable for confidential data.

You can also check out our full review of Gliffy for more.

Pricing: Limited free version / $8/month for individuals. Teams start at $6 per user/month.

9. Cacoo

Cacoo is an excellent alternative to Visio when it comes to collaboration.

Cacoo is excellent for drawing everything from flowcharts to wireframes but it’s the remote team working features that we really like.

Here are the things we liked about Cacoo:

• The collaboration tools are comprehensive including in-app video chats and multi-user editing
• Cacoo imports Visio files in VSD and VSDX format although it can’t export to VSDX format.
• Cacoo integrates with lots of services including Backlog, Google Drive, Google Docs, Atlassian, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Microsoft Teams and Zapier.

There are some limitations to Cacoo however:

• There aren’t many templates compared to other apps we tried.
• The free plan is limited to just 6 sheets
• Video chatting is a nice feature although most users will use Teams or other web conferencing tools if they need this.

Pricing: Free Trial / Starts at $6/user per month

10. Visio for the Web

Microsoft Visio for the Web (or Visio Online as it originally started as) is Microsoft’s basic web version of Visio.

If you just want something to view and do basic edits to Visio files, you can use Visio for the Web in any browser on a Mac but its not the complete version of Visio.

Here’s what we liked about Visio for the web:

• It has a similar interface to the desktop version of Visio.
• It supports basic opening, viewing and editing of Visio files.
• It has no problem importing and exporting Visio files in VSDX format.
• It is available for free to Microsoft 365 subscribers with a Visio Plan 1 or Plan 2 add-on subscription.

Here’s what we didn’t like about Visio for the web:

• It’s a very limited version of Visio that requires the Windows desktop version of Visio for advanced editing.
• It requires a Visio Plan 1 or Plan 2 subscription.

You can check out our full review of Visio for the web for more.

Pricing: Requires Microsoft 365 subscription with Visio Plan 1 ($5/m) or Visio Plan 2 ($15/m)

Can You Run Visio on a Mac?

You can only run Visio on a Mac by using a virtual machine.

This works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs although there is a catch with M-series Macs.

Apple Silicon Macs only support running what’s known as Windows ARM and unfortunately Microsoft has not released a version of Visio for Windows ARM.

However, Visio does still run in Windows ARM using  x86 emulation in Windows ARM which “translates” Intel only software to work in it.

You can watch us running Visio on a Mac in Windows here.

Are There Any Free Alternatives To Visio on a Mac?

You simply won’t get anything for free that can compete with a complex product like Microsoft Visio.

However, there are some free alternatives to Visio for Mac that allow a certain amount of diagram making for free.

The best completely free equivalent to Visio is Draw.io which is completely free to use although it’s quite basic compared to Visio with limited shapes and objects.

In our experience, most free Visio alternatives that support Visio file import and export don’t do it very well and none of them will allow team collaboration without paying.

Can I Use These Visio Alternatives Offline?

All those replacements that offer a desktop app such as OmniGraffle and Draw.io support diagramming offline. Cloud based tools such as SmartDraw and Lucidchart require an internet connection to work.

Which Visio Alternative Is Best For Team Collaboration?

SmartDraw, Lucidchart and Cacoo are highly recommended for working with others as they support real-time collaboration and integration with other popular productivity tools.

Do These Alternatives Support Importing and Exporting Visio files?

All of these apps support importing Visio files but not all of them support exporting to Visio VSDX format. SmartDraw was the best tool we tried for both importing and exporting Visio files accurately.

Why Is Microsoft Visio Not Available for Mac?

Microsoft has never officially given a reason for never releasing a Mac version of Visio but the main reason is probably the relatively small market share of Macs compared to PC.

The cost of dedicating a team of developers and engineers to creating and maintaining a macOS version of Visio is probably not considered economically viable by Microsoft.

Is There A Google Version Of Visio?

There is no software made by Google that can compare with Microsoft Visio.

The closest thing available is Google Drawings which is free and allows you to draw very basic diagrams in your browser.