ConceptDraw vs SmartDraw (2026): which should you pick?

Pick ConceptDraw if

• Fits if you want desktop diagramming software installed on your own machine
• Works for people who need flowcharts, mind maps and Gantt charts from one vendor

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you are one person: $199 a licence is many times the category's usual one-time price
• Skip it if you want a live shared board, because none is described
• Skip it if you work on the web, a phone or Linux, as only Windows and Mac are listed
• Watch out: the page does not say whether a licence is one-time or renewing
• Watch out: DIAGRAM, MINDMAP and PROJECT are separate purchases, and the OFFICE bundle is $299, with a $499 figure shown beside it

Pick SmartDraw if

• Fits if you need floor plans or site plans to scale but don't want CAD software
• Works for teams whose files have to stay in their own OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to pay monthly, since it's sold only as an annual license
• Pricey if you're watching the bill, at a regular $10.95 a month when the middle here is $8.33
• Tight if you're a team of two, because the Team plan starts at 3 users
• Watch out: the $7.95 and $6.95 prices are introductory, and there's only a 7-day trial with no free plan
• Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, or SSO below the Enterprise license

ConceptDraw

• These are Windows and macOS desktop programs; the pages read name no web, mobile or Linux version.
• It is not a real-time whiteboard: the pages read describe no live multi-user board.
• The pricing page does not say whether a license is a one-time purchase or renews, and it lists a maintenance assurance with free upgrades to the next paid version.
• Each product is a separate purchase, priced per license.

SmartDraw

• There is no free plan; the free trial lasts 7 days.
• SmartDraw is sold only as an annual license, and the vendor says it does not offer a monthly payment plan.
• The $7.95 and $6.95 prices on the buy page are introductory prices for new customers; the regular price shown is $10.95.
• The Team plan has a 3-user minimum, and SSO and multiple shared folders need the Enterprise license.

ConceptDraw

Business diagramming

DIAGRAM makes flowcharts, network diagrams, org charts, business process diagrams, dashboards and floor plans.

Mind mapping

MINDMAP covers brainstorming, decision-making and knowledge organization, and prepares presentations from a map.

Project planning

PROJECT handles schedules, resources, Gantt charts, calendars and tracking.

Solutions and samples

The site offers free and premium solution libraries, a sample gallery and ConceptDraw STORE for downloading templates and libraries.

Visio file conversion

The support menu lists a Visio file conversion service.

Multi-user licenses

Licenses for 5 or 10 users are priced lower per seat and are administered locally, and academic and nonprofit prices are listed separately.

SmartDraw

Floor plans and scaled drawings

Draw a plan to scale from scratch, or import a PDF or a Google Map and add a scaled layout on top, using libraries of industry-standard symbols.

General diagramming

Templates cover flowcharts, org charts, mind maps, project charts, and engineering and IT diagrams, and they adjust connections and layout automatically as items are added.

Diagrams generated from data

Built-in data visualizers produce AWS and Azure architecture diagrams, org charts, ERDs, class diagrams, timelines and Jira reports from imported data.

Collaboration and whiteboarding

People invited by link edit the same document with labeled cursors, and whiteboarding tools add sticky notes, emojis, a pen and highlighter, and a session timer.

Storage in your own systems

Files can be saved directly to OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox or Box, using the folders and permissions an organization already has.

SmartDraw AI and MCP server

SmartDraw AI generates diagrams from natural-language prompts, and an MCP server lets Claude or ChatGPT create floor plans and diagrams that stay editable in SmartDraw.

ConceptDraw

• MINDMAP 16$199

  per license, 1 license (billing basis not stated)

  Mind mapping for brainstorming, structuring ideas and preparing presentations. Cheaper per license for 5 or 10 licenses.

• DIAGRAM 18$199

  per license, 1 license (billing basis not stated)

  Flowcharts, process and network diagrams, floor plans, org charts and infographics. The site calls it the most popular product.

• PROJECT 15$299

  per license, 1 license (billing basis not stated)

  Project management with schedules, Gantt charts, calendars, resources and reporting.

• OFFICE 11$299

  per license, 1 license (billing basis not stated)

  Bundles DIAGRAM 18, PROJECT 15 and MINDMAP 16. The pricing page also shows a $499 figure beside it.

SmartDraw

• Individual$10.95

  per month, billed annually

  A single-user license. New customers are shown an introductory price of $7.95 a month in place of the regular $10.95.

• Team$10.95

  per user / month, billed annually

  3-user minimum, with team admin controls, 1 shared team folder, document retention and premium support. Introductory price of $6.95 for new customers.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Everything in Team plus SSO, multiple shared folders, a custom company theme and a dedicated success manager. Advertised from $99 per user per year.

ConceptDraw

• Education

  Academic and nonprofit pricing

  The pricing page has an Academic/Nonprofit tab with lower prices, for example $99 for DIAGRAM 18 and $75 for MINDMAP 16 for one license.

SmartDraw

• Other savings

  Introductory price for new customers

  The buy page offers new customers $7.95 a month for Individual and $6.95 per user a month for Team, billed annually, against a crossed-out $10.95. No end date is given.