draw.io vs SmartDraw

draw.io

• UML, ERD, network and flowchart diagrams at no cost
• Teams whose data rules require files to stay in their own storage
• Diagramming offline on Windows, macOS or Linux
• Documentation kept in Confluence, Google Drive or GitHub

SmartDraw

• Floor plans, site plans and other scaled layouts without CAD software
• Police and fire departments documenting scenes and pre-incident plans
• Organizations replacing Visio or Lucidchart across many users
• Teams that keep files in OneDrive, SharePoint or Google Drive

draw.io

• There is no hosted workspace or account: every diagram is a file kept in the storage you pick, so sharing depends on that storage.
• Real-time co-editing needs the file to be in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or the diagram to be in draw.io for Confluence.
• No native mobile apps are listed; the docs suggest adding the web editor to a phone's home screen instead.
• Using draw.io inside Confluence or Jira needs the vendor's Atlassian Marketplace apps, which are licensed separately from the free editor.

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.

draw.io

Shape libraries for technical diagrams

Libraries and templates cover process flows, org charts, floor plans, network infrastructure, UML, entity relationship models, circuit and rack diagrams, and infographics.

Storage you choose

Diagrams are saved to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, the browser or the local device. The online editor does not store diagram data on the vendor's servers.

Offline desktop app and self-hosting

A stand-alone desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux works with no internet connection, and the editor can be deployed in a self-hosted Docker container.

Co-editing with shared cursors

People editing the same diagram see each other's changes in real time when the file is stored in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or in draw.io for Confluence.

Diagrams generated from text

The editor builds diagrams from Mermaid code, CSV spreadsheet data or SQL code, and an AI tool can generate a diagram from a written description.

Import, export and embedding

Files from other diagramming tools can be dropped in and edited, and diagrams export to SVG, PNG or PDF or embed as interactive viewers in docs, wikis and web pages.

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.

draw.io

• Free$0

  The full editor online at app.diagrams.net, as a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, or self-hosted in a container. No sign-up is needed.

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.

draw.io

• Nonprofit

  Free Confluence and Jira Cloud license for charities

  draw.io's licensing docs say charitable organizations and partners are eligible for a free license for its Confluence or Jira Cloud apps.

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.