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

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

EdrawMax

Pricing could not be confirmed. See edrawmax.com.

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.

EdrawMax

No public discounts listed.

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.