Share this page:
5 Reasons to Choose SmartDraw Instead of Visio®.
1. SmartDraw is easier to use than Visio®.
SmartDraw is designed for everyday computer users and includes a highly intuitive interface, allowing anyone to become instantly productive. With SmartDraw a first-time user can create a professional-quality graphics in minutes. Visio® is designed for more technical users and can be very difficult to learn. Learn what users like you say about SmartDraw and Visio®.
2. SmartDraw's SmartTemplates™ do the drawing for you.
With SmartDraw instead of beginning with a blank screen, you begin with a SmartTemplate that knows what kind of graphic you want to create and automates the process for you. SmartTemplates make you an instant expert on how to make a complex diagram. SmartTemplates even make it possible to create most kinds of graphic without using a mouse at all. SmartDraw includes hundreds of SmartTemplates for every type of business graphic.
With Visio® you start with a blank screen and must drag, drop, and connect all the elements of your drawing yourself, manually.
3. SmartDraw does more than Visio®.
A quick comparison of the feature sets makes it clear.
| Feature | SmartDraw | Visio® |
| Pre-designed templates | 1900 | 150 |
| Drag & Drop Drawing | x | x |
| Automated Command-Driven drawing | x | |
| Automatic Flowcharting | x | |
| Automatic Swim lanes | x | |
| Automatic Org Chart formatting | x | |
| Automatic Project Charts | x | x |
| Automatic Mind Maps | x | |
| Automatic Decision Trees | x | |
| Automatic Cause and Effect Diagrams | x | |
| Automatic Genograms | x | |
| Automatic Charts and Graphs | x | |
| Interactive Maps (with live data from Google Maps) | x | |
| Integrated Photo capability | x | |
| New Microsoft Office® 2007 "ribbon" Interface | x | |
| One-Click transfer to Microsoft Office® 2007 & PDF | x | |
| Automatically grow the drawing area | x | |
| Programming Language | x |
Learn more about how SmartDraw compares to Visio®.
4. SmartDraw costs less than Visio®.
A single copy of SmartDraw costs $197 (online price). A single copy of Visio® Pro is $442.99 (online price). And as the number of licenses goes up, so do the savings. The acquisition cost, maintenance cost, and support costs are much lower with SmartDraw than Visio®.
5. SmartDraw includes free product support.
SmartDraw provides free technical support, including a toll-free support number. You interact directly with our experts who are trained to address your questions quickly and effectively. Microsoft® provides limited Visio® support on a pay basis.
