Lucidchart vs Whimsical

Lucidchart

• Documenting processes as flowcharts and process maps
• Engineers drawing UML, ERD and cloud architecture diagrams
• Teams that embed diagrams in Confluence, Jira or Microsoft 365
• Org charts built from imported data

Whimsical

• Product teams sketching flows, wireframes and specs in one place
• Teams with many occasional viewers, since only editors are billed
• Linux users: the desktop app ships as DEB and RPM packages
• Students and teachers, who can apply for a free year

Lucidchart

• The Free plan is limited to 3 editable documents and 75 shapes per document.
• The iOS app requires a Team or Enterprise subscription; Free and Individual accounts are pointed to the browser version instead.
• Revision history, the developer platform and the Microsoft 365, Confluence and Jira integrations start at Team; SAML is Enterprise only.
• The pricing page shows only annual-billing rates. Its FAQ says monthly billing is available but gives no monthly price.

Whimsical

• The Free plan allows 50 new board objects and 50 doc blocks a month and puts a watermark on exports.
• There is no dedicated mobile app: on a phone, files can be viewed and commented on in a browser, and iPad use is browser-based.
• AI credits are a one-off 10 per account on every plan; more are sold in bundles starting at 250 credits for $25.
• Private teams, SAML single sign-on and SCIM are limited to Business, at $20 per editor / month billed annually.

Lucidchart

Shape libraries for technical diagrams

Libraries cover flowcharts, process maps, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams, plus AWS, Azure and GCP shapes. Premium libraries need a paid plan.

Lucid AI

Text prompts generate diagram content on the canvas, and AI can refine a prompt or summarize a document. Lucid AI is listed on every plan, including Free.

Data linking

Connect a diagram to Google Sheets, Excel or CSV data to build visuals from the source, then use conditional formatting to highlight patterns in it.

Diagram from markup

UML markup generates a sequence diagram from text, and ERD markup and diagram-as-code options let technical users edit the source instead of dragging shapes.

Collaboration and versioning

Several people can edit a diagram at once and leave comments. Revision history with versioning is added on the Team plan.

Visio import and export

Paid plans open and export Microsoft Visio files, and the Android app can import and view VDX, VSD, VSDM and VSDX formats.

Whimsical

Boards on an infinite canvas

One board type covers flowcharts, mind maps, sequence diagrams, sticky notes and freehand sketches. Voting and a timer are included on every plan.

Wireframes

Wireframes are assembled from drag-and-drop components, as a quick way to explore product ideas and iterate on them.

Whimsical AI

A prompt generates a flowchart, a branched mind map or an editable wireframe. Each account gets 10 one-off AI credits; more are sold separately at $0.10 each.

Docs

Docs hold notes, project plans, briefs and specs next to the boards they describe, with Markdown support, toggles and embedded content.

Multiplayer editing and comments

Several people can edit a file at once and leave comments on it. Share links can grant view, comment or edit access on every plan.

Embeds and AI tool connectors

Boards embed live in Notion and Obsidian and preview in Slack, Jira and Google Docs. An MCP server and connectors let ChatGPT, Claude and Cursor create diagrams.

Lucidchart

• Free$0

  3 editable documents, 75 shapes per document, 100 templates, basic data linking, presentation mode and commenting.

• Individual$9

  per month, billed annually

  Unlimited editable documents and objects, 1 GB of storage, Visio import and export, and premium shape libraries and templates.

• Team$10

  per user / month, billed annually

  Adds revision history with versioning, password-protected publishing, the developer platform, and Microsoft 365, Confluence and Jira integrations.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Adds Lucidspark whiteboarding, team hubs, SAML authentication, enforceable sharing restrictions, advanced data and automation, and Salesforce integration.

Whimsical

• Free$0

  50 new board objects and 50 doc blocks a month, 5 MB uploads within 1 GB of storage, watermarked exports and 7-day version history.

• Pro$10

  per editor / month, billed annually ($12 billed monthly)

  Unlimited board objects and doc blocks, exports without a watermark, 90-day version history, password-protected files and 100 GB of storage.

• Business$20

  per editor / month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)

  Private teams, SAML single sign-on, SCIM, content security lock, unlimited version history, invoicing, priority support and storage from 2 TB.

Lucidchart

• Annual discount

  Lower price with annual billing

  Lucid's pricing FAQ says paid plans can be paid monthly or, at a saving, annually. The listed rates are the annual ones and the page does not state the size of the saving.

Whimsical

• Annual discount

  2 months free with annual billing

  Pro is $120 per editor billed annually against $12 a month, and Business is $240 against $24. The pricing page shows this as a 17% saving.

• Education

  Free for a year for students and teachers

  Teachers and students can apply for the education plan, which provides the same features as Pro free of charge for a year.

• Nonprofit

  20% off for nonprofits

  Whimsical offers a 20% discount to non-profit organizations that apply through its form.

• Other savings

  Free for life for YouTube creators

  Creators with a public YouTube channel of at least 1,000 subscribers and a video published in the past 30 days can apply for a plan that is free for life.