The Creately Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Creately in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Creately
The Insider’s Guide
Visual workspace for diagrams, whiteboards and planning
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Creately’s own pages.
Made by Cinergix Pty Ltd · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Creately’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Creately’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Creately is a browser-based visual workspace for diagramming, whiteboarding and planning, made by Cinergix. Its canvas covers flowcharts, mind maps, org charts and UML, and its AI can draft a first version of a diagram from a description. Paid plans are Pro, priced per editor, and Business, priced per organization. Every plan also includes the Basic tier of Creately's separate products for org planning, process documentation and clinical genograms.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Creately, taken from its own pages and our grades.
- 1
Best for flowcharts, mind maps and org charts on one canvas
Creately is a browser canvas for flowcharts, mind maps, org charts and whiteboards, with AI that drafts a first version from a description.
- 2
Paid plans start at $4 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $4 per editor / month, billed annually ($48 a year).
- 3
There is a free plan
Every diagram type on an infinite canvas, up to 40 shapes per diagram, real-time collaboration and team link sharing. No PNG, JPEG, PDF or SVG export, private links or email invitations.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Canvas for diagrams and whiteboards
One canvas handles flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, UML, ERDs, BPMN and freeform whiteboards. The workspace page counts more than 70 diagram types, and every plan includes all of them.
- 6
AI diagram drafts
Describe a process, structure or set of ideas and the AI lays out a first version made of editable shapes and connectors.
- 7
Real-time collaboration
Several people edit a canvas together with live cursors and comments, and version history shows earlier work. Real-time collaboration and team link sharing are on every plan.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 13 of 30
That is against the other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Creately you could make: mind mapping and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Creately at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $4 per editor / month, billed annually ($48 a year)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Cinergix Pty Ltd, since 2008
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for flowcharts, mind maps and org charts on one canvas
Creately is a browser canvas for flowcharts, mind maps, org charts and whiteboards, with AI that drafts a first version from a description. Pro is $4 an editor a month billed annually, or $5 monthly. The free plan stops at 40 shapes a diagram and can't export, admin controls wait for Business at $89 a month, and there's no desktop or phone app.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Pro is $4 an editor a month billed annually, so $48 a year, against a category whose middle is $8.33 a month. That's the cheaper quarter, and it buys unlimited shapes and diagrams with PDF, SVG, PNG and JPEG export. Business jumps to $89 a month for the whole organization. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free forever, with every diagram type, an infinite canvas, real-time collaboration and link sharing. The caps bite quickly, though: 40 shapes per diagram, and no PNG, JPEG, PDF or SVG export, no private links and no email invitations. |
| Features | B | The whole job on one canvas: flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, UML, ERDs, BPMN and freeform whiteboards, more than 70 diagram types, with live cursors, comments and version history. AI drafts a first version from a description, and paid plans connect a data source. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. Nothing to install, and the AI will hand you a rough first draft rather than a blank page, but this is still a canvas you build yourself, with 70-odd diagram types and a shape library to find your way around. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, with no desktop or mobile apps on the vendor's pages. It connects to Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Drive, Confluence, Jira, GitHub, Azure DevOps and Google Sheets, and there's an on-premise version for organizations that must host it themselves. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Creately is for
- Fits if you draw flowcharts, mind maps and org charts and want them all on one canvas
- Works for one person who needs PDF or SVG export, at $4 an editor a month billed annually
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, because a diagram stops at 40 shapes and can't be exported
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as Creately only runs in a browser
- Pricey if all you need is admin controls and roles for a few people, since those start at Business, $89 a month
- Watch out: SAML SSO, SCIM and data residency are Enterprise only, on a price quoted by sales
- Watch out: Starter and Team are gone from the plans page, though existing subscribers keep them
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that mix flowcharts, mind maps and whiteboards on one canvas
- Departments that want one price per organization on Business
- Organizations that need on-premise hosting or regional data residency
- Schools and nonprofits, which can ask for discounted plans
Worth knowing
- The Free plan stops at 40 shapes per diagram and has no PNG, JPEG, PDF or SVG export, private links or email invitations.
- Admin controls, roles and the audit log start at Business; SAML SSO, SCIM, SLAs and data residency are limited to Enterprise.
- The vendor's pages list no desktop or mobile apps; Creately is used in a web browser.
- Starter and Team are no longer on the plans page. Creately says existing subscribers keep their current plan and price unless they choose to switch.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$4
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Creately has a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per editor / month, billed annually ($48 a year).
That's the cheaper quarter, and it buys unlimited shapes and diagrams with PDF, SVG, PNG and JPEG export.
Free
$0
Every diagram type on an infinite canvas with up to 40 shapes per diagram, real-time collaboration and team link sharing. No image, PDF or SVG export.
Pro
$4
per editor / month, billed annually at $48 ($5 billed monthly)
Unlimited shapes and diagrams, export to PDF, SVG, PNG and JPEG, private links and email invitations, and one connected data source refreshed daily.
Business
$89
per organization / month, billed annually ($149 billed monthly)
Everything in Pro plus unlimited connected data sources, admin controls and roles, an audit log and priority support. Billed annually at $1,068.
Enterprise
Custom
Annual agreement quoted by sales: the Advanced tier of Creately's other products, granted per product, plus SAML SSO, SCIM, SLAs and data residency.
The free plan
Every diagram type on an infinite canvas, up to 40 shapes per diagram, real-time collaboration and team link sharing. No PNG, JPEG, PDF or SVG export, private links or email invitations.
Read from creately.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save $12 a year per editor with annual billing
Pro is $48 per editor billed annually against $5 a month, which the plans page labels as saving $12 a year. Business is $1,068 billed annually against $149 a month.
Stated on creately.comEducation
Discounted plans for educational institutions
Creately's plans FAQ says it offers discounted plans for educational institutions, arranged by contacting the company. The size of the discount is not stated.
Stated on creately.comNonprofit
Discounted plans for nonprofits
The same FAQ says nonprofits can get discounted plans by contacting Creately with their details. The size of the discount is not stated.
Stated on creately.com
How its prices have moved
- Oct 9, 2026Pro: new, $4 per editor / month, billed annually at $48 ($5 billed monthly)Creately's plans page now sells Free, Pro, Business and Enterprise; the archive copy of September 6, 2026 has no Pro plan. The page says existing subscribers keep their current plan and price.
- Oct 9, 2026Starter: withdrawn (was $5 per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly))Starter is no longer on Creately's plans page, where Pro now sits. The archive copy of September 6, 2026 still lists it, and Creately says existing subscribers keep their plan and price.
- Oct 9, 2026Team: withdrawn (was $5 per user / month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly))Team is no longer on Creately's plans page. The archive copy of September 6, 2026 still lists it, and Creately says existing subscribers keep their plan and price.
- Oct 9, 2026Business: Unlimited users, 3,000 items per canvas, 100 folders and 50 databases → Priced per organization, with unlimited shapes and unlimited connected data sourcesThe price is unchanged at $89 a month billed annually, but the plans page describes Business differently from the archive copy of September 6, 2026, and no longer lists item, folder or database counts.
- Oct 9, 2026Free plan: 45 items per canvas, 1 folder and 2 imports → 40 shapes per diagram, with no PNG, JPEG, PDF or SVG exportThe plans page now caps Free at 40 shapes per diagram and leaves out image, PDF and SVG export; the archive copy of September 6, 2026 gives 45 items per canvas, 1 folder and 2 imports.
- Oct 9, 2026Free trial: withdrawn (was 7-day free trial of the Business plan, on request)The plans page no longer offers the 7-day Business trial that the archive copy of September 6, 2026 shows. It mentions only 30-day evaluations of Enterprise products, arranged through sales.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Visual workspace for diagrams, whiteboards and planning. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: self-hostable, AI features, real-time collaboration, whiteboard, templates, mind mapping, diagrams.
AI drafts a first version from a description, and paid plans connect a data source.
- Canvas for diagrams and whiteboards
- One canvas handles flowcharts, mind maps, org charts, UML, ERDs, BPMN and freeform whiteboards. The workspace page counts more than 70 diagram types, and every plan includes all of them.
- AI diagram drafts
- Describe a process, structure or set of ideas and the AI lays out a first version made of editable shapes and connectors.
- Real-time collaboration
- Several people edit a canvas together with live cursors and comments, and version history shows earlier work. Real-time collaboration and team link sharing are on every plan.
- Connected data sources
- Pro connects one data source that refreshes daily, and Business removes the limit. The Free plan is limited to static imports.
- Basic tier of Creately's other products
- Every plan includes the Basic tier of Atlas for org charts, Process for process maps and Clinical for genograms. Their Advanced tiers are sold on Enterprise, one product at a time.
- Enterprise and on-premise options
- Enterprise offers data residency in the United States, Australia, the EU and the Middle East, and Creately On-Prem runs inside a customer's private infrastructure.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Microsoft Teams
- Slack
- Google Drive
- Confluence
- Jira
- GitHub
- Azure DevOps
- Google Sheets
Creately is made by Cinergix Pty Ltd, and has been around since 2008.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/30
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Creately's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on value for money (B, above 19 of 30) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $4 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 2 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 31 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Creately’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 19 of 30
- CFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 30
- BFeaturesAbove 15 of 30
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 30
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 5 of 30
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 28 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Creately is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Creately you could make: mind mapping and templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 6 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $48 a year.
What you could make
- Mind mapping and templates: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google Drive among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Creately’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Lucidchart, Miro, draw.io, Microsoft Visio and SmartDraw
The 5 tools Creately is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Lucidchart
Free plan · from $9/mo
Browser-based diagramming for flowcharts, org charts and systems.
- Only Lucidchart lists iOS and Android apps.
- Creately is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Creately also covers whiteboard.
- 3.0GPA
Miro
Free plan · from $8/mo
Online whiteboard for team brainstorming, diagrams and planning.
- Only Miro lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Creately is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 3.2GPA
draw.io
Free
Free diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose.
- Only draw.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- draw.io is open source, according to its own site.
- Creately also covers whiteboard and mind mapping.
- 2.4GPA
Microsoft Visio
Free trial · from $5.00/mo
Diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and floor plans.
- Creately has a free plan. Microsoft Visio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Microsoft Visio lists a Windows app.
- Creately is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
SmartDraw
Free trial · from $10.95/mo
Floor plans, scaled layouts and business diagrams in the browser.
- Creately has a free plan. SmartDraw does not, though it has a free trial.
- Creately is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Creately free?
Creately has a free plan. Every diagram type on an infinite canvas, up to 40 shapes per diagram, real-time collaboration and team link sharing.
How much does Creately cost?
Creately lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Creately work on?
Creately is available on Web.
Does Creately offer any discounts?
Creately publicly lists the following: Save $12 a year per editor with annual billing; Discounted plans for educational institutions; Discounted plans for nonprofits.
Does Creately have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Creately is listed for Web.
Does Creately have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Creately is listed for Web.
Is Creately open source?
Creately is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Can Creately be self-hosted?
Yes. Creately's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
What does Creately integrate with?
Creately's listing names Microsoft Teams, Slack, Google Drive, Confluence, Jira, GitHub, Azure DevOps and Google Sheets.
Does Creately have a student discount?
Discounted plans for educational institutions. Creately's plans FAQ says it offers discounted plans for educational institutions, arranged by contacting the company.
Who makes Creately?
Creately is made by Cinergix Pty Ltd. It dates from 2008.
What are the alternatives to Creately?
The closest alternatives to Creately in our directory are Lucidchart, Miro, draw.io, Microsoft Visio and SmartDraw.
How does Creately compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Creately's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 13 of the 30 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 7.
Is Creately good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Creately B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $4 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8.29 for the category: 2 of the 23 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Creately?
The plain part of Creately you could make: mind mapping and templates.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Creately’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Creately's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-22.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Cinergix Pty Ltd. Prices change, so check creately.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Creately, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/creately
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Creately: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/creately
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/creately/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after Creately, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 31 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, compared
- Microsoft Whiteboard Insider's GuideFree collaborative canvas built into Microsoft 365 and Teams3.4 GPA
- draw.io Insider's GuideFree diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose3.2 GPA
- tldraw Insider's GuideFree online whiteboard with a local desktop app3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Creately’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Creately is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Cinergix Pty Ltd. Prices and plans change: check creately.com before you buy.