If you’ve received a Visio file (usually with a .VSD or .VSDX extension) and are struggling to open it on a Mac, you’re not alone. Visio is a Microsoft tool designed for creating diagrams and flowcharts, but it’s only available for Windows.
Unfortunately, Microsoft hasn’t developed a native Mac version of Visio although there are ways to run Visio on a Mac and some amazing alternatives to Visio on macOS which can do everything that Microsoft’s tool can (and in many cases cost much less too).
However, if you’ve been sent a Visio file and you just want a quick, free and easy way to view it on your Mac, we’ve got you covered with the best free ways to do so including on M-series Apple Silicon Macs and the latest version of macOS Tahoe.
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Online vs Offline Visio Viewers
We tested and reviewed a range of free and paid apps that allow you to open and even edit MS Visio files online and offline.
We found that there are two types of apps for opening Visio files:
- Desktop Viewers: These include apps such as OmniGraffle and VSDX Annotator which are desktop applications and require no internet connection to use. The advantage of these is that all data stays on your desktop and isn’t uploaded anywhere. The disadvantage is that they may not work with future updates to macOS and there’s also more likelihood of compatibility or technical issues.
- Online Viewers: These include apps such Microsoft Visio for the Web (formerly Visio Online) and Lucidchart and which work instantly in your browser and are therefore compatible with any version of macOS. However, these Cloud tools upload Visio files to their own servers in order to display them. Although these services guarantee confidentiality, you should be aware of this fact if you’re dealing with sensitive corporate Visio files or diagrams.
Which type is best for your depends on your budget, the level of privacy you require and how much functionality you need.
| Tool | Free Viewing | Editing Support | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visio for the Web | ✔ | Paid | Best Visio accuracy; Microsoft-integrated environments |
| Omnigraffle | ✔ | Paid | Offline viewing; macOS-native workflows |
| Lucidchart | ✔ | Paid | Fast, free online viewing & collaboration |
| VSDX Annotator | Trial only | No | Offline annotation and review |
| VSD Viewer | Trial only | No | Simple offline Visio viewing |
| Draw.io / Diagrams.net | ✔ | Limited | Free Visio-to-PDF conversion & basic viewing |
1. Microsoft Visio For The Web (Online)
Microsoft Visio For The Web is a more basic version of Visio but can be used to open and view Visio files on a Mac for free including on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
All you need is a Microsoft 365 account (formerly Office 365) in order to view Visio files with it although the full version of Visio for the Web is only available to all paying customers on Business, Enterprise or Government Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Note that non-commercial Microsoft 365 subscriptions (such as Microsoft Business Basic and Business Standard) don’t allow access to the Visio web app.
You can check here which Microsoft 365 subscription you currently have if you’re not sure.
Microsoft also requires OneDrive Business or SharePoint Business for file uploads; personal OneDrive may allow viewing but not editing.
Alternatively, Visio for the Web is available with Visio Plan 1 for $5.00/month or with both a web and Windows desktop app with Visio Plan 2 for $15.00/month.
Visio for the Web requires you to upload a VSDX file to a Microsoft OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online account first before you can view Visio files in your web browser.
You can Pan around Visio diagrams and Zoom in and out with the slider:
You can also view metadata of shapes by clicking on the shape and selecting Shape Info:
You can click on links within Visio diagrams. If you want to find a specific object or item in a diagram, you click on Find to search shape text, shape data and user defined cells:
If you want to share the Visio drawing with other users, just click on the Share symbol in the menu bar and you can send a link via email.
You can also perform basic edits or leave comments on the diagrams. However, if you need to do further editing, it takes you to the desktop version of Visio which isn’t available to Mac users.
Visio for the Web supports all browsers but Microsoft says it works best in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. Firefox and Safari are unofficially supported though and the latest version of Safari actually offers the most accurate rendering we’ve seen with Visio online.
Note that the Microsoft Visio viewer app for iOS has been discontinued so Visio for the web is also the best way to view Visio files on mobile devices too.
Visio online isn’t a replacement for Microsoft Visio on a Mac as we discovered in our full review of Microsoft Viso For The Web but if you have an eligible Microsoft 365 subscription or a subscription to a Visio Plan, it’s an easy way to view VSDX files.
Pricing: Subscription starts at $5 per user per month for Visio Online or included with Business, Enterprise or Government Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
Pros:
- Official Microsoft support for Visio files
- Full editing and creation capabilities
- Works seamlessly with other Microsoft apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Cons:
- Requires a Microsoft 365 subscription with Visio Online access
- No offline use
2. OmniGraffle (Offline – Free)
If you don’t want to use an online solution, OmniGraffle offers an excellent free way of opening Visio files offline on your Mac desktop.
You can download the Standard version of OmniGraffle free from the Mac App Store and when the free trial expires you can continue to use it for free as a Visio viewer.
This makes it ideal to open Visio files that are saved on your Mac desktop and also allows you to get a feel for OmniGraffle if you ever decide you want to upgrade to the Pro version at some stage.
OmniGraffle works natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
You can check out our full review of OmniGraffle for more.
Pricing: Free for Visio viewing, $249.99 for OmniGraffle Pro with full Visio file editing support
Pros:
- Free to view Visio files even after trial expires
- Designed exclusively for Macs
- Full version of OmniGraffle Pro edits Visio files
- Works offline
Cons:
- Expensive up front cost for full version
- No VSDX file export support
3. Lucidchart Visio Viewer (Online – Free)
Lucidchart is a powerful online flowchart and diagramming software that allows you to open Visio files for free.
Lucidchart supports opening of VSD, VDX and VSDX formats including Visio 2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016 files. It also allows you to add comments, add embedded documents and see the revision history.
To open a Visio file in Lucidchart, simply select New > Import in your Lucidchart account and upload the Visio diagram you want to view.
You can check out our full review of Lucidchart for more.
Pricing: Free plan available, with premium plans starting at $7.95 per month for individuals for Visio editing capabilities.
Pros:
- No need to download any software
- Free version available with basic features
- Real-time collaboration for teams
Cons:
- Limited features in the free plan
- Advanced tools require a paid subscription
4. VSDX Annotator (Offline)
VSDX Annotator is a desktop VSD viewer which allows you to open, preview and convert Visio files offline on a Mac. It also allows some basic annotation of Visio documents although it doesn’t allow you to create new Visio files.
VSDX Annotator supports VSD, VDX and VSDX flowcharts, diagrams, schemes and drawings. There are also 12 annotation tools which allow you to add notes, callouts, comments, blocks and graphics files.
Among other features of VSDX Annotator are the ability to hide or show layers, shape data and hyperlinks, convert VSD, VDX, and VSDX documents to PDF for sending via email or printing.
VSDX Annotator renders Visio diagrams very well and files are reproduced exactly as you would see them in Microsoft Visio.
There are several useful viewing options such as tools to view documents with embedded OLE-objects, EMF- and WMF-metafiles and objects that are outside page boundaries or gradient-filled objects.
You can also see the original dimension units if you need to.
The developer of VSDX Annotator Nektony also make VSD Viewer For macOS (see below) the difference being that VSDX Annotator is newer and allows basic annotation of Visio files on a Mac.
If you’re torn between the two, you might as well go for VSDX Annotator as although it costs more, the annotation tools can be useful and the interface is newer than VSD Viewer.
Overall, if you regularly just need to open Visio files on your Mac and send a few comments or observations to colleagues or clients, VSDX Annotator is ideal.
Pricing: Full version with Visio editing features available for $24.99. Free trial available.
Pros:
- Works offline
- No need for a virtual machine or additional software
- Supports basic annotation of Visio drawings
Cons:
- No editing capabilities in the free version
- Limited editing features even in full version
- Doesn’t allow you to create new Visio files
5. VSD Viewer For macOS (Offline)
VSD Viewer For macOS is a more basic version of VSDX Animator from the same developer Nektony.
The main difference between them is that VSDX Annotator allows you to annotate and comment on Visio files while VSD Viewer is purely for opening Visio diagrams on Mac.
With it you can open VSD, VDX and VSDX files on Mac plus stencils in VSDM, VDW, VSSX, VSSM, VSX or VSS format – basically anything created in MS Visio 2000 onwards.
To open a Visio file using VSD Viewer for Mac, you simply double-click on the .VSD file to open it.
You can switch layers using VSD Viewer, preview Shape Data, zoom in and out, export to PDF (very useful for sharing Visio diagrams with others), view documents with OLE objects, EMF and WMF embedded meta files and much more.
For those that need to share Visio data in meetings without always having to ask CAD designers for different layers or files, VSD Viewer is extremely useful.
The good thing as well is that VSD Viewer doesn’t store your Visio files online anywhere – everything is stored on your Mac for better security if you’re dealing with confidential designs and data.
You may occasionally experience formatting issues when you open Visio files which you can fix by going to Preferences and selecting “Render Metafiles with Transparent Backgrounds”.
The slightly frustrating this is there’s no way to search Visio files using VSD Viewer but otherwise, if you don’t need to annotate or comment on drawings, it’s an excellent way to read Visio files on Mac.
There’s also a companion Nektony VSD Viewer app for iPhone/iPad and Android which offers almost all of the functionality of the Mac version but because of processing power limitations, can be considerably slower.
Pricing: The full version of Nektony VSD Viewer for Mac costs $14.99 from the Mac App Store but it does offer a free trial.
Pros:
- Works offline
- No need for a Windows VM or additional software
- Easy to use for simple viewing
Cons:
- No editing capabilities in the free version
- Limited features for advanced diagrams
6. Diagrams.net / Draw.io (Online — Free)
Draw.io is a free diagramming tool that can import VSDX files for free and display them in your browser without installing anything.
It’s not as accurate as Lucidchart or Visio for the Web, but good for quick conversions to PDF or PNG.
You can use Draw.io for as long you want for free although if you want to use it as a team, subscriptions are available.
Check out our full Draw.io review for more.
Pricing: Free
Pros:
- 100% free
- Works in every browser
- Great for converting Visio files to PDF
Cons:
- Import accuracy varies
- No support for older VSD formats
FAQ
Can you run Microsoft Visio on a Mac?
Yes, there are ways to run Visio on a Mac, the best way being with a virtual machine which allows you to run Windows and macOS at the same time.
What is the easiest way to open a Visio file on a Mac for free?
The easiest free methods are:
- Lucidchart (best free online viewer)
- Visio for the Web (requires a Microsoft 365 account)
- OmniGraffle (free to view offline after the trial expires)
All can open VSDX files instantly.
Can a Mac open .vsd or .vsdx files natively?
No, macOS cannot open Visio files natively. You need a third-party viewer such as OmniGraffle, Lucidchart, VSDX Annotator, or an online service like Visio for the Web.
What’s the best offline Visio viewer for Mac?
OmniGraffle is the best offline Visio viewer because it:
- works natively on Apple Silicon
- opens VSD & VSDX files
- is free to use as a viewer
- doesn’t upload files anywhere
VSDX Annotator is another good offline option if you need annotation.
Is Visio for the Web free on Mac?
Yes – viewing Visio files in Visio for the Web is free if you have a eligible Microsoft 365 account.
Full editing requires Visio Plan 1 or Plan 2.
Can you edit Visio files on a Mac?
Yes, but only through apps that support Visio editing:
- Visio for the Web (paid plans)
- OmniGraffle Pro
- Lucidchart (paid plans)
Offline editing of Visio files is limited. Most full editing tools require cloud-based conversion.
What is the best alternative to Visio for Mac in 2025?
For full diagramming, the top Visio alternatives for Mac are:
- SmartDraw (full Visio replacement, cloud-first)
- OmniGraffle (best macOS-native)
- Lucidchart (best online)
Can you convert a Visio file to PDF on Mac?
Yes. Several tools let you convert a Visio file to PDF on Mac, including:
- Lucidchart
- Visio for the Web
- VSDX Annotator
- Draw.io / Diagrams.net
These allow exporting as PDF without needing Windows.
Do these viewers work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. All modern online viewers and most offline apps work on M1–M5 Macs.
OmniGraffle is fully native; some older tools like VSDX Annotator run through Rosetta but still work reliably.
Can I view Visio files on iPhone or iPad?
Yes. You can use:
- Visio for the Web (best option since Microsoft discontinued the iOS app)
- Lucidchart mobile app
- VSD Viewer for iOS (by Nektony)