EdrawMax vs Microsoft Visio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Microsoft Visio grades higher than EdrawMax: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
EdrawMax grades higher on the free plan. Microsoft Visio grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
EdrawMax
Diagram maker with templates, a web editor and a desktop app
Microsoft Visio
Diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and floor plans
Which one is for you
Pick EdrawMax if
- Fits if you draw UML, network diagrams or floor plans and want a template library
- Works for people looking for a Visio alternative that runs in a browser
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: plan names and prices couldn't be read, so check before you rely on the free version
- Watch out: whether the free version limits exports or templates isn't stated
- Skip it if you need a freeform whiteboard for live brainstorming
- Not for you if you need desktop or phone apps confirmed, as the listing can't say which systems they run on
Pick Microsoft Visio if
- Fits if your company already pays for Microsoft 365 and works in Teams
- Works for IT or facilities teams that need network diagrams, floor plans or P&ID drawings
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac and want a desktop app, as that part is Windows only
- Not for you if you want to try it without a card, since the one-month trial needs one and a work account
- Pricey if you need the desktop app, at $15 a user a month or $309.99 to $579.99 to buy once
- Watch out: personal Microsoft accounts aren't supported, and the web app bundled with Microsoft 365 has limited templates
- Too light for work on a phone or tablet, as there are no mobile apps
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAEdrawMaxFair | 2.4GPAMicrosoft VisioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo readable price: the pricing page loads its figures with JavaScript. With nothing on record it sits in the middle. | CPlan 1 is $5 a user a month paid yearly, but it's web and Teams only. The parts people buy Visio for, the desktop app, offline files, BPMN 2.0, floor plans and data linking, sit on Plan 2 at $15, well above this category's $8.33 middle. Buying outright is $309.99 or $579.99. |
| Free plan and trial | COffered as a free diagram maker online, but the pages we read didn't say what the free version limits on exports or templates. | DThere's no free plan at all. The one-month trial covers Plan 1 or Plan 2 only, and it wants both a work or school account and a credit card. The one-time 2024 versions have no trial whatsoever. A basic web app does come with Microsoft 365 commercial plans, if your employer pays for one. |
| Features | CMany diagram types, a template and symbol library and AI tools, but it's a diagramming tool rather than a freeform whiteboard. | AThe parts no other diagrammer here has: P&ID, electrical and engineering drawings, floor plans, AutoCAD files and 250,000+ shapes, with shapes linked to live data in Excel, SharePoint or SQL Server. The ordinary stuff is all there too, flowcharts, network maps and co-editing on the web and in Teams. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build each diagram yourself, from a template or a blank page. | CNo rating on record. Templates and starter diagrams come with every version, but getting going means a work or school account, since personal Microsoft accounts aren't supported, and picking between five ways to buy before you draw a box. |
| Platforms and integrations | COnly the web editor is confirmed. Desktop and mobile editions exist, but the pages we read didn't say which systems they cover, and PowerPoint is the one connection named. | BA web app and a Teams app, tied into Excel, Power BI, Word, PowerPoint, OneDrive and SharePoint. The desktop app runs on Windows only, so on a Mac you're stuck with the web version, and there are no phone apps at all. |
| Best for | flowcharts, UML and floor plans from templates | technical diagrams in a Microsoft 365 workplace |
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: EdrawMax and Microsoft Visio. How we grade
Where they differ
- Microsoft Visio can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Microsoft Visio also covers mind mapping.
At a glance
| EdrawMax | Microsoft Visio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $5.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Visio Plan 1) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | One-month free trial of Visio Plan 1 or Plan 2 with a work or school account; a credit card is required |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Edrawsoft | Microsoft Corporation |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | microsoft.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
EdrawMax
- Plan names and prices could not be read: the pricing page loads its figures with JavaScript and the site's pricing addresses returned errors.
- The site lists desktop and mobile editions, but the pages read here did not say which operating systems they cover, so only the web editor is listed.
- Whether the free web version limits exports or templates was not stated on the pages read.
Microsoft Visio
- The desktop app's system requirements list only Windows 11, Windows 10 and Windows Server 2019; on other systems Visio is limited to the web app.
- Visio Plan 1 is web and Teams only. The desktop app, BPMN 2.0, floor plans, engineering diagrams and data linking need Plan 2.
- The web app bundled with Microsoft 365 has limited templates and needs a work or school account; personal Microsoft accounts are not supported.
- Trials cover only Plan 1 and Plan 2 and require a credit card. Visio Standard 2024 and Professional 2024 have no trial version.
Key features
EdrawMax
- Many diagram types
- The site lists flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, Gantt charts, floor plans, P&ID, UML and ER diagrams among the drawings it supports.
- Template and symbol library
- The site claims more than 20,000 free templates and 26,000 symbols, plus a community where users share templates.
- AI diagram tools
- The site claims 40 or more AI diagram generators and tools, and offers 500 free AI tokens when you try the app.
- Web editor with sharing
- EdrawMax Online lets teams co-create diagrams in a browser and export or share them publicly or privately.
Microsoft Visio
- Templates and shape libraries
- Templates, starter diagrams and stencils come with every version. Plan 1 adds thousands of shapes and Microsoft product icons, and Plan 2 opens more than 250,000 shapes.
- Technical and business diagram types
- Plan 1 covers cross-functional flowcharts, network, Azure and AWS, ERD and UML diagrams. Plan 2 adds BPMN 2.0, floor plans, P&ID, electrical and engineering diagrams.
- Co-editing on the web and in Teams
- Visio for the web and the Visio app in Microsoft Teams support real-time collaboration, commenting and sharing. Teams itself is licensed separately.
- Data-linked diagrams
- The desktop app links shapes to Excel workbooks, Access databases, SharePoint lists, SQL Server and other sources. The web app can only view data-linked diagrams.
- Microsoft 365 integrations
- Data Visualizer turns Excel process data into diagrams, Visio Visual embeds diagrams in Power BI dashboards, and diagrams can be exported to Word and PowerPoint.
- Desktop app with offline support
- Plan 2 includes the Visio desktop app with local file and offline support and AutoCAD file support, installable on up to five Windows PCs per user.
Plans
EdrawMax
Pricing could not be confirmed. See edrawmax.com.
Microsoft Visio
Visio in Microsoft 365Included
with Microsoft 365 commercial plans
Web and Teams app for viewing and basic editing, with limited templates for general diagrams and basic flowcharts. Not sold separately.
Visio Plan 1$5.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Web and Teams apps with thousands of shapes, cross-functional flowcharts, network, Azure and AWS, ERD and UML diagrams, mind maps and 2 GB of OneDrive storage.
Visio Plan 2$15.00
per user / month, paid yearly
Adds the Windows desktop app with offline support, 250,000+ shapes, BPMN 2.0, floor plans, P&ID and electrical diagrams, and two-way data connectivity.
Visio Standard 2024$309.99
one-time purchase
Non-subscription Windows desktop app with templates, thousands of shapes, in-app commenting, DWG import and org charts generated from data sources.
Visio Professional 2024$579.99
one-time purchase
Adds diagram validation against BPMN 2.0 and UML 2.5 and links to live data from Excel, Access, SharePoint, SQL Server and other sources.
Ways to pay less
EdrawMax
No public discounts listed.
Microsoft Visio
- Lifetime license
Visio 2024 one-time purchase
Visio Standard 2024 at $309.99 and Visio Professional 2024 at $579.99 are sold as one-time purchases of the Windows desktop app, with no subscription.
- Education
Visio web app in free Office 365 A1 for schools
Microsoft donates Office 365 A1 to eligible educational institutions at no cost, and Visio's FAQ lists Office 365 A1 among the plans that include the Visio web app.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, EdrawMax or Microsoft Visio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, EdrawMax has no price we could confirm, and Microsoft Visio starts at $5.00 per user / month, paid yearly (Visio Plan 1).
Which has a free plan, EdrawMax or Microsoft Visio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither EdrawMax nor Microsoft Visio has a free plan. Microsoft Visio has a free trial.
Which platforms do EdrawMax and Microsoft Visio run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Microsoft Visio lists a Windows app. 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.