The 5 Best Lucidchart^® Alternatives for
Enterprises in 2023

Lucidchart is a popular diagramming app used by many teams and enterprises.

Lucidchart Pros

Fully featured
Great for remote collaboration
Enterprise admin controls like SSO and document control

Lucidchart Cons

Unexpected, significant price hikes at renewal
Additional cost for whiteboarding and cloud visualization
No ability to use your existing 3rd party storage

Four Questions to Ask Yourself

If you're looking for an alternative, here are some things you should consider.

1. Can the new app import your Lucidchart files?

If the app you're considering doesn't have an automatic import option, you must be comfortable abandoning your files or manually exporting them to PDF.

2. Are the cost savings worth it?

The cost savings must be significant enough to pay for the switching costs. Make sure you understand the licensing plans of any alternative.

3. Does the alternative have all the features your team needs?

Keep your users happy by ensuring that any alternative you consider checks all the boxes they've grown accustomed to.

4. Did you leave enough time for your team to switch?

Lucidchart likes to spring any price increases on you very close to your renewal date. They also require 8 weeks of notice to switch from annual to month-to-month billing. So don't leave your decision to consider alternatives until the last minute, and make sure have time to transfer your files. We recommend starting any search for other options at least 3 months before your renewal date.

The Top 5 Lucidchart Alternatives Compared

	Lucidchart^®	Visio^®
Fully Featured
Automatic File Import	N/A
3rd Party Storage Integration
Document Control
SSO
Online		Limited

1. SmartDraw

SmartDraw is the only alternative that automatically converts your existing Lucidchart files into editable SmartDraw files and makes the transition easy for your team.

Like Lucidchart, it checks all of the boxes expected of an enterprise-quality diagramming app and gives you central control over files stored on its built-in storage.

Unlike Lucidchart, SmartDraw also allows you to use other options for file storage. In addition to built-in storage, you can connect to the most popular third-party storage solutions, like OneDrive^®, SharePoint^®, and Google Drive^™. And SmartDraw will use the existing folders and permissions you have already set up. It fits like a hand in a glove!

SmartDraw is much lower in cost than Lucidchart. In fact, Lucidchart users typically pay about ten times more than SmartDraw for 50 users or more.

SmartDraw is an excellent alternative to Lucidchart. It is much less expensive, handles document storage more flexibly, and has tools to make switching easy.

2. Visio^®

Visio^® has always been considered the leader in the field of diagraming. Released over 30 years ago, it is desktop software that is part of the Office 365 Suite^®, and it, too, checks all of the boxes expected of an enterprise-quality diagramming app. However, if you're looking for an online alternative to Lucidchart, Visio's online version is much lighter in features, and it does not meet all the usual enterprise requirements.

Lucidchart exports files in Visio^® format so that you can transfer your Lucidchart files to Visio^®, but you have to export each file manually, one at a time.

Desktop Visio^® automatically stores its documents in SharePoint^®, OneDrive^®, or your local desktop. The online version of Visio^® keeps them in OneDrive^®.

Visio^® is priced comparably to Lucidchart.

The desktop version of Visio^® is lacking in the modern integrations common to modern apps like Lucidchart. Its light online version is a viable alternative to Lucidchart only if your diagramming requirements are modest.

3. Creately

Creately is an online app with many diagramming features expected in this category, with some expanded project management options.

It does not import Lucidchart files or Visio^® files.

It also does not use third-party storage solutions for documents and offers no central control over them.

It does support SSO.

Switching to Creately from Lucidchart requires leaving your existing Lucidchart files behind, but it might be worthwhile if you want the project management features of Creately.

4. Miro^®

Miro^® is a whiteboarding application with some diagramming features. It does not check all of the expected boxes for an enterprise-quality diagramming app, but it is very strong in whiteboarding.

It does not import Lucidchart or Visio^® files.

It also does not use third-party storage solutions for documents.

It does support SSO and central control of documents.

Switching to Miro^® from Lucidchart makes sense if your most important requirement is collaborative whiteboarding with simple diagrams.

5. Gliffy

Gliffy is an online app with a rich set of diagramming features but lacks many that Lucidchart users might expect, such as shape data and specialized objects like gauges and tables. Its primary market is to be an add-on for Atlassian's Confluence and Jira.

It does not import Lucidchart files or Visio^® files.

It also does not use third-party storage solutions for documents except inside the Atlassian apps.

It does not support SSO and central control of documents.

Switching to Gliffy from Lucidchart makes sense if your most important requirement is integration with Atlassian apps.