Cloudcraft vs Lucidchart (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Lucidchart grades higher than Cloudcraft: 2.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Lucidchart grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Lucidchart
Browser-based diagramming for flowcharts, org charts and systems
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudcraft if
- Fits if you already pay for Datadog and want live architecture maps
- Works for cloud engineers who need diagrams that follow infrastructure changes
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use Datadog, as there's no separate plan
- Not for you if you want a freeform whiteboard, because it only maps existing infrastructure
- Watch out: logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays need the matching Datadog subscription
- Watch out: the diagrams depend on cloud accounts being connected through Datadog first
Pick Lucidchart if
- Fits if you document processes as flowcharts or draw UML, ERD or cloud architecture
- Works for org charts built from a spreadsheet you already have
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're staying free, because 3 documents and 75 shapes each run out quickly
- Watch out: the 7-day trial asks for payment details at sign-up, and monthly prices aren't published
- Skip it if you're on Free or Individual and want the iOS app, which needs Team or Enterprise
- Pricey if you need revision history or the Jira, Confluence and Microsoft 365 links, as those start at Team, $10 a user
- Not for you if you want sticky-note brainstorming, as Lucidspark is separate and only bundled on Enterprise
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACloudcraftWeak | 2.6GPALucidchartGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe price is $0 on top of a Datadog subscription, but there's no separate plan, so you pay for Datadog to get it. | CIndividual is $9 a month billed annually, which is the middling-to-dear part of this category, and Team is $10 a user before you get revision history or the Confluence, Jira and Microsoft 365 integrations. The pricing page won't even quote a monthly rate. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on its own: no standalone free plan or trial is on record, only inclusion with Datadog. | CFree forever, and Lucid AI, commenting and presentation mode are all in it. The caps are what you'll notice: 3 editable documents and 75 shapes per document, which one large process map can use up on its own. The 7-day trial of the paid plans wants payment details up front. |
| Features | CAutomatic multi-cloud diagrams, overlays and export. But it only maps existing infrastructure, and the cost, security, logs and APM overlays need the matching Datadog product. | BThe diagramming job, covered: libraries for flowcharts, UML, ER, network, AWS, Azure and GCP, AI drafting from a prompt, data linking from Google Sheets, Excel or CSV, UML markup for people who'd rather type, and Visio import and export on paid plans. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect cloud accounts through Datadog's integrations first. | B4.59 from 5,321 App Store ratings, just shy of our line for top marks. Nothing to install, and you start from one of 100 templates and a ready-made shape library rather than an empty page. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it covers AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and VMware vSphere, and connects to Datadog and Claude Code. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Jira, Confluence, Microsoft 365, Slack, Teams, Notion and Google Drive wired in and a developer platform on Team. There's no desktop app, and the iOS app needs a Team or Enterprise subscription to work at all. |
| Best for | live cloud architecture diagrams for Datadog customers | flowcharts and technical diagrams in a browser |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudcraft and Lucidchart. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudcraft has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Lucidchart starts at $9 a month and scores 3.0.
Lucidchart scores higher, and starts $9 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cloudcraft for less, and 2 score higher than Lucidchart for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Lucidchart also covers templates and mind mapping.
At a glance
| Cloudcraft | Lucidchart | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $9 per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | 3 editable Lucidchart documents, 75 shapes per document and 100 templates, with basic data linking, presentation mode, commenting and Lucid AI. |
| Free trial | None listed | 7-day free trial of Individual or Team; payment details are required at sign-up |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Datadog, Inc. | Lucid Software Inc. |
| Price read from | cloudcraft.co | lucid.app |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudcraft
- Cloudcraft is described as included with Datadog; the pricing page lists no separate paid plan.
- Logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays appear only when the matching Datadog subscription is in use.
- It maps existing infrastructure rather than serving as a freeform whiteboard.
Lucidchart
- The Free plan is limited to 3 editable documents and 75 shapes per document.
- The iOS app requires a Team or Enterprise subscription; Free and Individual accounts are pointed to the browser version instead.
- Revision history, the developer platform and the Microsoft 365, Confluence and Jira integrations start at Team; SAML is Enterprise only.
- The pricing page shows only annual-billing rates. Its FAQ says monthly billing is available but gives no monthly price.
Key features
Cloudcraft
- Automatic diagrams
- Maps are built and kept current from the read-only cloud integrations already connected to Datadog, with no agent needed for cloud accounts.
- Multi-cloud coverage
- AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud accounts, plus on-prem environments such as VMware vSphere, can sit on one diagram.
- Overlays
- Infrastructure, monitors and observability coverage are included; logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays follow the Datadog products you use.
- Export and embed
- Export diagrams to SVG and PDF, or embed live diagrams in Datadog dashboards.
- AI and MCP access
- Ask Bits AI questions beside a diagram, or connect agents such as Claude Code and Codex through the Datadog MCP Server.
Lucidchart
- Shape libraries for technical diagrams
- Libraries cover flowcharts, process maps, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams, plus AWS, Azure and GCP shapes. Premium libraries need a paid plan.
- Lucid AI
- Text prompts generate diagram content on the canvas, and AI can refine a prompt or summarize a document. Lucid AI is listed on every plan, including Free.
- Data linking
- Connect a diagram to Google Sheets, Excel or CSV data to build visuals from the source, then use conditional formatting to highlight patterns in it.
- Diagram from markup
- UML markup generates a sequence diagram from text, and ERD markup and diagram-as-code options let technical users edit the source instead of dragging shapes.
- Collaboration and versioning
- Several people can edit a diagram at once and leave comments. Revision history with versioning is added on the Team plan.
- Visio import and export
- Paid plans open and export Microsoft Visio files, and the Android app can import and view VDX, VSD, VSDM and VSDX formats.
Plans
Cloudcraft
Included with Datadog$0
Free with any Datadog subscription, including the free tier and trial; unlimited teammates and diagrams.
Lucidchart
Free$0
3 editable documents, 75 shapes per document, 100 templates, basic data linking, presentation mode and commenting.
Individual$9
per month, billed annually
Unlimited editable documents and objects, 1 GB of storage, Visio import and export, and premium shape libraries and templates.
Team$10
per user / month, billed annually
Adds revision history with versioning, password-protected publishing, the developer platform, and Microsoft 365, Confluence and Jira integrations.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds Lucidspark whiteboarding, team hubs, SAML authentication, enforceable sharing restrictions, advanced data and automation, and Salesforce integration.
Ways to pay less
Cloudcraft
No public discounts listed.
Lucidchart
- Annual discount
Lower price with annual billing
Lucid's pricing FAQ says paid plans can be paid monthly or, at a saving, annually. The listed rates are the annual ones and the page does not state the size of the saving.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudcraft or Lucidchart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cloudcraft is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Lucidchart. Cloudcraft is free, and Lucidchart starts at $9 per month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Cloudcraft or Lucidchart?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudcraft and Lucidchart have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudcraft and Lucidchart run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Lucidchart lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.