13 Best Flowchart Apps for Diagramming in 2023 (Free & Paid)
There’s nothing more time-consuming and hectic than having to spend hours creating diagrams and charts.
One of the most important elements when collaborating with a team to achieve a certain goal or complete a project is communication and there’s no better way to complete a presentation or document than to add a detailed diagram or flowchart.
A flowchart is a simple visual representation of a process. Using flowcharts and diagrams make it easy to communicate complicated information especially when working with a team. With a simple yet well-thought out flowchart, you are able to give anyone a clear idea of what your organization or team’s process and workflow.
Instead of spending time connecting shapes and lines, you can create a complete flowchart in minutes with the help of flowchart applications. These tools are easy to use and often come with templates to help you create flowcharts fast.
To help you get started, we compiled a list of the best flowchart software applications for your team or organization. Check it out!
1. ClickUp Whiteboards
Collaborate with a global or remote team with ClickUp Whiteboards. This collaboration tool helps improve project planning, brainstorming, and any collaborative activity through images, diagrams, and charts.
ClickUp is an all in one project management solution offering various tools to help teams collaborate and communicate to achieve project goals. Brainstorm and work with your team to come up with new ideas while handling all of your tasks and processes in one place. ClickUp's Whiteboards is a flexible tool that allows you to share and visualize your ideas, processes, and charts. Draw and create anything from a flow chart, a process map, a diagram, and more. Start with a blank canvas or choose from ClickUp’s flowchart templates to get you started.
Best Features
- Create and collaborate to bring ideas together real-time
- Turn ideas into tasks directly from your Whiteboards
- Add context by linking tasks, adding files, and writing notes to your Whiteboard
Current Limitations
- Short learning curve due to customizations features and tools
Pricing
- Free Forever: 3 Whiteboards
- Unlimited: Starts at $5 per member/month (10 Whiteboards)
- Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise: Starts at $12 per member/month (Unlimited Whiteboards)
Sign up for ClickUp for free, no credit card required
2. SmartDraw
Visualize and create your entire workflow in a quick and easy way with SmartDraw. This easy to use organizational and flow chart creator uses a drag-and-drop technology. It ensures that customization feels as easy as child’s play. This free flowchart software offers customizable templates so users are able to save some time from creating and designing charts.
Best Features
- Integration with other tools such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, Dropbox, and more
- Choose from over 70 different diagrams to get started
- Intelligent formatting to edit your diagram while maintaining its arrangement
Current Limitations
- Dashboard design can be improved
- Some features lack intuitiveness
Pricing
- Single User: $9.95 per month
- Multiple Users: Starts at $5.95 per month
“It's the little things that make us happy. If you and your team need to brainstorm, map processes, or create workflows, finding a flowchart app that makes it seem effortless is essential. We chose SmartDraw for this very reason—it's designed to be both user-friendly and incredibly powerful when mapping complex processes. We're already on track toward greater efficiency!” – Ryan Rottman, Co-Founder and CEO, OSDB Sports
Check out these SmartDraw alternatives!
3. Jamboard
Google Workspace users looking for a digital whiteboard and flowchart creator can check Jamboard. This Google tool is an easy to use platform that makes it easy to create a creative taskboard to lay down and discuss ideas. Jamboard files can also add Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides for better presentations. This collaboration tool enables users to directly import files to the digital canvas for a seamless user experience. The tool can be used with the Jamboard device sold by Google.
Best Features
- Collaborate with people in up to 50 user sessions at once
- Present your jam easily to a Google Meet video call
- Access Jamboard from your web browser or mobile app
Current Limitations
- Tools can be clunky and slow
- Currently does not offer an option to embed videos
Pricing
- Platform is free to use
“My team prefers using Jamboard over other brainstorming apps for three reasons: it's integrable, reliable, and flexible. Our company is Google-based, so it's natural to use Jamboard since it can easily be saved to our Google Drive and shared across the organization. It has simple, yet functional features that are intuitive and can be used to serve a wide variety of projects.” – Adam Shlomi, Founder, SoFlo SAT Tutoring
4. Textografo
Textografo is an online diagramming tool for building flowcharts and diagrams. This online tool requires basic coding and is based on easy textual syntax. Although it is not as easy as a simple editor, Textografo offers technical teams more flexibility when it comes to building charts.
Best Features
- Diagrams are stored in the cloud for team collaborations and brainstorming
- Virtual post-its to keep your ideas in sight
- Embed diagram into your website or platform
Current Limitations
- Basic coding knowledge required
- No free trial
Pricing
- Textografo does not offer a free trial or version
- Essentials: Starts at $4/month
- Premium: Starts at $14/month
“We use Textografo to build flowcharts for our brainstorming sessions. As a text-based tool, it requires you to learn a few basic text commands to build out your charts, but you can master it in a matter of minutes. A drag-and-drop option might be best if you’re creating a simple chart. But for our complex charting needs, Textografo is our fastest tool.” – Ruben Gamez, Founder & CEO, SignWell
5. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is an easy to use visual workspace for diagramming, data visualization, and collaboration. Create dynamic diagrams and flowcharts and visualize your team’s processes, systems, organizational structure, and more. This diagramming solution lets users visualize and collaborate on ideas faster and more efficiently. This visual tool helps improve communication through its collaborative virtual whiteboard.
Best Features
- Visual workspace to create and build diagrams, road maps, and flowcharts
- Integration with leading apps such as Google, Microsoft, and Slack
- Collaborate and work on diagrams with other stakeholders and team members
Current Limitations
- Limited symbols and objects for free users
- Limited customization options for templates
Pricing
- Free for individual use
- Individual: Starts at $7.95
- Team: Starts at $9/user
- Enterprise: Contact sales
“Lucidchart has been an invaluable asset for our team when it comes to mapping out processes, workflows or brainstorming. We chose Lucidchart because of its intuitive interface, great support and its ability to visualize complex workflows without compromising functionality or security.” – Jim Campbell, CEO, Campbell Online Media
6. Whimsical
Whimsical is an all-in-one collaboration hub that combines whiteboards and documents.
The product places a large focus on UX and getting out of the way so you can focus on just brain dumping content. With most of the formatting being done automatically, users don’t have to continually re-adjust boxes and arrows Whimsical is a great tool to create flow charts, diagrams, wireframes, mind maps, and more.
Best Features
- Automatic formatting to save time when designing diagrams
- Multiplayer mode allows collaboration during the design process
- Choose from ready to use templates to get started quickly
Current Limitations
- Does not work in offline mode
- Lacks the option to choose custom colors for charts and mindmaps
Pricing
- Starter plan is for free
- Pro: Starts ar $10 per editor/month
- Organization: Starts at $20 per editor/month
“Our team uses Whimsical to design and diagram out complex processes so we can get on the same page. We've used a lot of different tools for this over the years, but we always seem to return to Whimsical for ease of use.” – Blake Burch, Co-founder & CEO, Shipyard
7. Process Street
Process Street is an easy to use tool for process and workflow management. This no-code tool is a powerful way to manage you and your team’s work and build business processes. Easily build a workflow with easy to use quick start templates. It has an intuitive design that makes it as easy to use as any other document tool. Process Street can be integrated with popular apps to automate workflows and streamline processes.
Best Features
- Integrate with over 3000 applications to automate workflows
- Choose from easy to use templates to get started
- Create and manage recurring workflows for your team
Current Limitations
- Reporting tools does not show subtasks
- Does not offer a team chat software to collaborate and communicate within
Pricing
- Startup: Starts at $100/month
- Pro: Starts at $415/month
- Enterprise: Starts at $1660/month
“I use Process Street for my project management. It's an easy tool to use on the go, and the interface is so simple that I can be sure I'm not missing anything. The tool gives me all the information I need to track my team members' progress. When you're ready to share your project with someone else, it's easy enough to export everything into a spreadsheet so you can give them access to everything in one place.” – Arek Terpilowski, Head of Growth & Co-founder, Primetric
8. Gliffy
Make diagrams, flowcharts, wireframes, and more with this free diagram software and tool. Gliffy is a diagramming software and team collaboration tool featuring an easy to use editor and interface. Gliffy is an app on the Atlassian Marketplace to support documentation efforts by offering engaging and relevant diagrams to content. Gliffy can be accessed online and is available for Confluence and Jira.
Best Features
- Customize charts by adding images, changing the color palette, and more
- Drag and drop interface to draw flowcharts and org charts online
- Collaborate with your team and share diagrams in Slack, Trello, monday.com, and more
Current Limitations
- App can be clunky and slow when building larger charts and diagrams
- Limited range of templates for creating diagrams
Pricing
- Professional: Starts at $8 for 1 to 9 users
- Professional: Starts at $6 for 10 to 50 users
- Enterprise: Contact sales to get a quote
“We've used a lot of different flowchart apps, but the one we keep coming back to is Gliffy. It's super easy to pick up and use on its own, but it also has some features that allow us to customize our charts further if we want. Most importantly, though: it's fast.” – Rengie Wisper, Marketing Manager, CPS Test
9. Cacoo
Create quick and easy diagrams anywhere with Cacoo by Nulab. It is an easy to use online tool for anyone. Collaborate and discuss ideas over chat in real-time from anywhere. This tool helps improve remote work by helping add a visual element to your communication process. Save time and avoid working on time-consuming flowcharts with the help of this flowchart software. Make visually appealing presentations, flowcharts, and graphs with Cacoo.
Best Features
- Choose from Cacoo’s library of templates to create workflows, diagrams, and flow charts
- Multi-user editing to collaborate with team members
- Integrate with other Nulab tools such as backlog and typetalk
Current Limitations
- Some tools and functionalities can be improved
- Offline mode not available
Pricing
- Free version is available
- Pro: $6/month for 1 user
- Team: $6/month per user
“To improve our team’s collaboration over different platforms, we’ve been using Cacoo flowchart software for a long time. Create diagrams and visually-appealing presentations to flowcharts and graphs for explaining our strategies better, each of our employees has found Cacoo software useful.” – Walter Lappert, CEO, Triad Drones
10. Canva
Canva is an online design and publishing application known for its simple and easy to use drag and drop editor. Users looking to create any type of image or visual presentation without a design background will love this application’s simplicity. This graphic design tool that is commonly used to create marketing and social media materials is a great app to create charts and flowcharts. It comes with a library of images, shapes, and diagrams to get you started.
Best Features
- Create and edit professional images, videos, presentations and more using various elements and tools
- Collaborate and communicate with team members in real-time
- Schedule and publish social media posts directly from the app
Current Limitations
- Limited range of elements with a free account
- Snipping and cutting tools are basic and can be more flexible
Pricing
- Free for individual use
- Pro: Starts at $12.99 per month per user
- Teams: Starts at $14.99 per month for the first 5 people
“I personally cannot get enough of Canva, to the point where I use it outside of work for personal scheduling. Travel is a very visual sector, so having a space that allows us to use fitting templates whilst also being able to drag and drop pictures of our own is amazing. For some people, this may not be enough of a selling point, but not everything has to be so complex. There's beauty in its simplicity; you know exactly what to expect and it does everything you can efficiently.” – Aiden Higgins, Senior Editor and Writer, The Broke Backpacker
11. Miro
Miro is a diagramming software that is great for building and designing comprehensive workflows, organizational charts, and flowcharts. This flowchart maker helps users make information actionable with functional templates. Create intuitive flowcharts and simplify complex information with ease. Choose from Miro’s library of flowchart templates according to your purpose or need. Miro can be accessed from your browser, phone, or mobile device.
Best Features
- Extensive template library for all kinds of flowcharts
- Diagramming tools to help design professional looking flowcharts
- Integrate with third-party apps like Google Docs and Microsoft Teams to share flowcharts
Current Limitations
- UX/UI can be improved
- Free version is limited to 3 boards
Pricing
- Free for individual users
- Team: Starts $8 per member/month
- Business: Starts at $16 per member/month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
“For flowcharts and brainstorming, I'm using Miro. I love it because it feels the closest to an old-fashioned whiteboard—just a little improved. Unlike a lot of processing apps, it doesn't overload my screen with tools. So many apps think more is better, but I'd rather have a few tools I actually need and use, and keep the rest of the space for the actual project.” – Rob Reeves, CEO and President, Redfish Technology
12. Creately
Design and bring your workflows and processes to life with visual flowcharts. Identify your organizational processes and present information in an easy to understand diagram. Creately is a simple drag and drop editor to quickly create any diagram, flowchart, and more. Its visual workspace provides a space to brainstorm, share information, and bring ideas to life while keeping everyone in your team in the loop.
Best Features
- Intuitive and user-friendly editor
- Import and export work in multiple formats
- Wide range of shapes and customizable templates to design diagrams and flowcharts
Current Limitations
- App can be slow when accessed by multiple users
- Limited integration options
Pricing
- Free version is available
- Starter: Starts at $5 per user/month
- Business: Starts at $89/month
- Enterprise: Contact for pricing
“When it comes to mapping processes, workflows and brainstorming, my team and I usually use the flowchart app Creately. Not only is it user-friendly and extremely intuitive, but it also offers all the features you need when constructing complex diagrams. Creately has a great suite of shapes and stencils, as well as customizable templates. With all these advantages, it's no wonder we find ourselves using Creately for most of our diagramming tasks!” – Derek Bruce, Senior Director, Skills Training Group
13. Edraw Max
Create professional flowcharts, organizational charts, floor plans, and so much more with EdrawMax. This diagramming tool features a real-time cloud workplace that makes collaboration an ease. EdrawMax provides an infinite canvas to provide an engaging and intuitive collaboration experience for users and teams. Choose from thousands of templates and symbols to create and customize your charts. EdrawMax is also great for creating any professional visual reference for engineering, software planning, and project planning.
Best Features
- Interactive drag and drop tool to create a visual presentation of any information or workflow
- More than 1500 templates to bring your ideas to life
- Work and collaborate with your team and share your work in any file format or channel
Current Limitations
- Limited customization options for existing templates
- Does not offer an online version
Pricing
- Lifetime Plan: Starts at $198
- Subscription Plan: Starts at $99/year
“If you are looking for a versatile pack with all the features, then Edraw Max is the perfect choice. Although initially, it might seem a bit tough to get a grasp on it, it’s a great application for long-term use. With different pricing options, it's also an efficient option. The only drawbacks I would say is it might put off new users if they're not ready to face the challenge, and no groupware connections are present.” – Preston Powell, Chief Executive Officer, Webserv
Choosing an All-in-One Flowchart Software Application
Are you looking for the best free flowchart software that offers so much more? With ClickUp, you don’t just get to create flowcharts. This all in one project management software is a straightforward tool with collaboration features to complete projects, improve employee productivity, and achieve goals. Create simple flow charts, mind maps, organization charts, and collaborate on ideas with ClickUp Whiteboards.
Designing diagrams and flowcharts while managing tasks has never been easier. Do it all under one application and keep all of your assets, projects, and team members all in one place.
Bring your process flows to life and choose from ClickUp’s extensive library of templates to help you quickly get started.
Handle any task and project with ease with ClickUp! Try ClickUp for free today and discover the best tools to improve your overall workflow and productivity all under one application.
