The Gliffy Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Gliffy 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.
Gliffy
The Insider’s Guide
Diagramming app that runs inside Confluence
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among whiteboard and mind map tools, read from Gliffy’s own pages.
Made by Perforce Software · checked Nov 12, 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 Gliffy’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Gliffy’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 43 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade
Gliffy is a diagramming app made for Confluence, where diagrams are drawn and stored on Confluence pages. It covers flowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams, and it can import Visio and draw.io files. Gliffy is part of Perforce Software, and the pricing page covers only its Confluence apps.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Gliffy, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It adds to a Confluence page, but you still draw each diagram yourself.
- 1
Best for diagrams inside Confluence pages
Gliffy is a diagramming app that lives inside Atlassian Confluence.
- 2
Paid plans start at $3.80 a month for each person
As its pricing page puts it: $3.80 per user / month, billed annually (Confluence Cloud, 11 to 100 users).
- 3
There is a free plan
Gliffy Diagrams for Confluence is free with no time limit for instances of up to 10 users.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Native Confluence diagrams
Diagrams are created inside Confluence pages and stored as attachments, as a .gliffy file and a PNG image.
- 6
Diagram types
Flowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams are listed, with sticky notes and freehand drawing for sketching during sessions.
- 7
Import and export
Microsoft Visio and draw.io diagrams can be imported, and diagrams export as JPEG, PNG and SVG.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 43 of 98
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 Gliffy you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Gliffy at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $3.80 per user / month, billed annually (Confluence Cloud, 11 to 100 users)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day evaluation in Confluence Cloud and Data Center
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Perforce Software
- Category
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for diagrams inside Confluence pages
Gliffy is a diagramming app that lives inside Atlassian Confluence. It is free for up to 10 users and about $3.80 a user a month above that, but it only works inside Confluence and you pay Atlassian for it.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | Free 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. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free with no time limit for up to 10 users on Confluence Cloud, with unlimited diagrams. A 30-day evaluation covers bigger instances. |
| Features | C | Flowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams with AI generation. It covers diagrams only, and only inside Confluence. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It adds to a Confluence page, but you still draw each diagram yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | It runs only inside Atlassian's Confluence and Jira, with Visio and draw.io import. No standalone app is listed. |
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 Gliffy is for
- Fits if your team already writes its documents in Confluence
- Works for a team of up to 10 that wants free diagrams there
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Teams that document in Confluence and want diagrams on the same page
- Small Confluence instances: up to 10 users is free
- Regulated teams that need diagram data kept inside Atlassian
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$3.80
A month to start, for each person. There is a free plan too
Gliffy has a free plan. Paid plans start at $3.80 per user / month, billed annually (Confluence Cloud, 11 to 100 users).
You also need Confluence itself, and it renews through Atlassian.
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.
The free plan
Gliffy Diagrams for Confluence is free with no time limit for instances of up to 10 users.
Trying it first
30-day evaluation in Confluence Cloud and Data Center
Read from gliffy.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on gliffy.comEducation
Academic and open-source licenses
Atlassian offers special licenses for academic institutions and the open-source community, which Gliffy says extend to Marketplace apps.
Stated on gliffy.com
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
Diagramming app that runs inside Confluence. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, templates, diagrams.
Flowcharts, UML, BPMN, network and Mermaid diagrams with AI generation.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Confluence
- Jira
- Mermaid
- draw.io
- Microsoft Visio
Gliffy is made by Perforce Software.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
43/98
Other whiteboard and mind map tools it is graded above
Gliffy's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 43 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $3.80 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 7 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 16 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Gliffy’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 59 of 98
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 98
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 98
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 98
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 88 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Gliffy 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 Gliffy you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It costs $45.60 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Confluence, Jira and Mermaid among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: SOC 2 and HIPAA.
What this rests on. Gliffy’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, draw.io, Microsoft Visio, Creately and SmartDraw
The 5 tools Gliffy 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.
- Lucidchart also covers mind mapping.
- 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 and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Microsoft Visio
Free trial · from $5.00/mo
Diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and floor plans.
- Gliffy has a free plan. Microsoft Visio does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Microsoft Visio lists a Windows app.
- Microsoft Visio can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- 2.6GPA
Creately
Free plan · from $4/mo
Visual workspace for diagrams, whiteboards and planning.
- Creately is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Creately also covers whiteboard and mind mapping.
- 2.2GPA
SmartDraw
Free trial · from $10.95/mo
Floor plans, scaled layouts and business diagrams in the browser.
- Gliffy has a free plan. SmartDraw does not, though it has a free trial.
- SmartDraw also covers whiteboard and mind mapping.
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 Gliffy free?
Gliffy has a free plan. Gliffy Diagrams for Confluence is free with no time limit for instances of up to 10 users.
How much does Gliffy cost?
Gliffy lists 3 plans. Confluence app, up to 10 users: $0.
What platforms does Gliffy work on?
Gliffy is available on Web.
Does Gliffy offer any discounts?
Gliffy publicly lists the following: Annual billing; Academic and open-source licenses.
Does Gliffy have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Gliffy is listed for Web.
Does Gliffy have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Gliffy is listed for Web.
Is Gliffy open source?
Gliffy is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Gliffy integrate with?
Gliffy's listing names Confluence, Jira, Mermaid, draw.io and Microsoft Visio.
Does Gliffy have a student discount?
Academic and open-source licenses. Atlassian offers special licenses for academic institutions and the open-source community, which Gliffy says extend to Marketplace apps.
Does Gliffy have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day evaluation in Confluence Cloud and Data Center.
Who makes Gliffy?
Gliffy is made by Perforce Software.
What are the alternatives to Gliffy?
The closest alternatives to Gliffy in our directory are Lucidchart, draw.io, Microsoft Visio, Creately and SmartDraw.
How does Gliffy compare with other whiteboard and mind map tools?
Gliffy's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 43 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 14.
Is Gliffy good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Gliffy B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $3.80 a month for each person, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 7 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Gliffy?
The plain part of Gliffy you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Gliffy’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Gliffy's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Perforce Software. Prices change, so check gliffy.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Gliffy, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/gliffy
- 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, "Gliffy: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/gliffy
Know someone choosing between whiteboard and mind map tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/gliffy/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded whiteboard and mind map tools after Gliffy, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Whiteboards & Mind Maps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 99 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 Gliffy’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. Gliffy is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Perforce Software. Prices and plans change: check gliffy.com before you buy.