Gliffy vs Visual Paradigm (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Visual Paradigm grades higher than Gliffy: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Gliffy grades higher on value for money. Visual Paradigm grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Visual Paradigm
Desktop and online modeling suite for UML, BPMN and architecture
Which one is for you
Pick Gliffy if
- Fits if your team already writes its documents in Confluence
- Works for a team of up to 10 that wants free diagrams there
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you do not use Confluence, since the pricing page covers Confluence apps only
- Pricey if your instance is large: the price follows the size of your Confluence users, not who draws
- Watch out: on Confluence Cloud, diagrams become read-only if the licence is not renewed
- Watch out: all purchases and renewals go through Atlassian
- Watch out: the Zero Egress price is shown as an as-low-as figure
Pick Visual Paradigm if
- Fits if you do UML, database design or SysML for a living
- Makes sense if you want a one-time license instead of a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need commercial use for free, since Community is non-commercial only
- Pricey if you need enterprise architecture, which sits on the top edition at $89 a month
- Too heavy for quick flowcharts, as it's a modeling suite
- Watch out: the four paid editions include different diagram types and tools
- Watch out: Visual Paradigm Online has its own plans we could not read, so they're not covered here
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAGliffyFair | 2.6GPAVisual ParadigmGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFree for up to 10 users, then $3.80 a user a month billed annually from 11 to 100 users, under the cheaper quarter of $5. You also need Confluence itself, and it renews through Atlassian. | CModeler starts at $6 a month, or $99 once. The TOGAF and architecture tools sit on Enterprise at $89 a month or $1,999 once, far above the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree with no time limit for up to 10 users on Confluence Cloud, with unlimited diagrams. A 30-day evaluation covers bigger instances. | BCommunity is free for non-commercial use, with over 50 diagram types, plus a 30-day desktop trial with no registration. Commercial use is not covered. |
| Features | CFlowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams with AI generation. It covers diagrams only, and only inside Confluence. | BUML, SysML, BPMN, ArchiMate, ER, mind maps, agile and architecture tools. Which of them you get depends on the edition. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It adds to a Confluence page, but you still draw each diagram yourself. | CNo store rating on record, and a suite this broad has a learning curve. Online features in the desktop app need an account and active maintenance. |
| Platforms and integrations | CIt runs only inside Atlassian's Confluence and Jira, with Visio and draw.io import. No standalone app is listed. | BWeb, Mac, Windows and Linux, with plug-ins for Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio and Visual Studio. No phone app is listed. |
| Best for | diagrams inside Confluence pages | UML, BPMN and architecture models |
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: Gliffy and Visual Paradigm. How we grade
Price against what you get
Gliffy starts at $3.80 a month for each person and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Visual Paradigm starts at $6 a month and scores 2.7.
Visual Paradigm scores higher, and starts $2.20 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, 8 score higher than Gliffy for less, and 5 score higher than Visual Paradigm 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
- Visual Paradigm can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Gliffy also covers templates.
- Visual Paradigm also covers mind mapping.
At a glance
| Gliffy | Visual Paradigm | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $3.80 per user / month, billed annually (Confluence Cloud, 11 to 100 users) | $6 per month (Modeler edition, subscription) |
| Free plan | Gliffy Diagrams for Confluence is free with no time limit for instances of up to 10 users. | Community edition: free for non-commercial use, including education, non-profit and personal projects. |
| Free trial | 30-day evaluation in Confluence Cloud and Data Center | 30-day free trial of the desktop app, no registration |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Perforce Software | Visual Paradigm |
| Price read from | gliffy.com | visual-paradigm.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Gliffy
- The pricing page covers Confluence apps only, and all purchases, renewals and upgrades go through Atlassian.
- Prices are per Confluence user and follow the size of your instance, not just the people who draw.
- On Confluence Cloud, diagrams become read-only if the license is not renewed.
- The Zero Egress price is shown as an as-low-as figure.
Visual Paradigm
- The four paid editions differ in which diagram types and tools they include, so compare the editions page before buying.
- Online features inside the desktop app need a license with active maintenance and a Visual Paradigm Online account.
- Visual Paradigm Online has its own plans on a separate pricing page that could not be read as text here, so they are not listed.
- The Community edition is for non-commercial use only; commercial use needs a paid edition.
Key features
Gliffy
- Native Confluence diagrams
- Diagrams are created inside Confluence pages and stored as attachments, as a .gliffy file and a PNG image.
- Diagram types
- Flowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams are listed, with sticky notes and freehand drawing for sketching during sessions.
- Import and export
- Microsoft Visio and draw.io diagrams can be imported, and diagrams export as JPEG, PNG and SVG.
- AI diagram generation
- Gliffy added AI diagramming in 2025 and describes it as turning a text prompt into a diagram in Gliffy for Confluence.
- Zero Egress edition
- A second app keeps diagram data inside the Atlassian environment, and lists ITAR, GDPR, HIPAA and SOC 2 compliance.
- Searchable text
- All text inside diagrams is searchable from Confluence.
Visual Paradigm
- Visual modeling
- A drag-and-drop editor for UML, BPMN, ArchiMate, DFD, ERD, SoaML, SysML and CMMN, with syntax validation and reusable model elements.
- Enterprise architecture
- A TOGAF ADM lifecycle tool plus DoDAF, NAF and MODAF tools, with auto-generated TOGAF deliverables.
- Business and project tools
- Process design, simulation and animation, PMBOK templates and tools such as PERT, WBS and fishbone diagrams.
- Agile and user experience
- User story mapping, sprint backlogs, a Scrum process canvas, wireframes, wireflows and prototyping.
- AI generation
- The site describes text-to-diagram generation, a chatbot and a library of AI apps, reached through Visual Paradigm Online.
- Desktop and web together
- A desktop license includes access to Visual Paradigm Online features, and projects sync between the desktop app and a browser.
Plans
Gliffy
Confluence app, up to 10 users$0
Free with no time limit for up to 10 users, with unlimited diagrams on Confluence Cloud.
Confluence app, 11-100 users$3.80
per user / month, billed annually
Unlimited diagrams, flowchart, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid support, plus exports to JPEG, PNG and SVG. Bought and renewed through Atlassian.
Gliffy Zero Egress$2.80
per user / month, shown as an as-low-as price
For security-focused teams: no diagram data leaves the Atlassian environment, and it works with Atlassian Government Cloud and Isolated Cloud. Up to 100 users listed.
Visual Paradigm
Community$0
Free for non-commercial use, with over 50 diagram types such as UML, ERD, org charts and flowcharts.
Modeler$6
per month, subscription; $99 one-time perpetual license
Entry commercial edition. Perpetual price shown is for a single-seat license; a floating license costs $129.
Standard$19
per month, subscription; $349 one-time perpetual license
Mid-tier commercial edition. Perpetual price is single-seat; a floating license costs $449.
Professional$35
per month, billed every 3 months; $799 one-time perpetual license
Upper-tier commercial edition. Perpetual price is single-seat; a floating license costs $999.
Enterprise$89
per month, billed every 6 months; $1,999 one-time perpetual license
Top edition; the site ties its TOGAF and enterprise architecture tools to it. Perpetual price is single-seat; floating costs $2,599.
Ways to pay less
Gliffy
- Annual discount
Annual billing
Gliffy says apps are billed annually at a discount of 12 months for the price of 10 when the Confluence host product is on annual billing.
- Education
Academic and open-source licenses
Atlassian offers special licenses for academic institutions and the open-source community, which Gliffy says extend to Marketplace apps.
Visual Paradigm
- Lifetime license
Perpetual licenses
Every paid desktop edition can be bought as a one-time perpetual license, from $99 for Modeler to $1,999 for Enterprise, as a single-seat license.
- Education
Free Community edition for non-commercial use
The Community edition is free for education, non-profit and personal projects, and the site lists an Academic Partnership program.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Gliffy or Visual Paradigm?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Gliffy starts at $3.80 per user / month, billed annually (Confluence Cloud, 11 to 100 users), and Visual Paradigm starts at $6 per month (Modeler edition, subscription). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Gliffy or Visual Paradigm?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Gliffy and Visual Paradigm have a free plan.
Which platforms do Gliffy and Visual Paradigm run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Visual Paradigm lists macOS, Windows and Linux 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.