Flowchart Software Buying Guide

It's easy to spend a lot of time developing business processes and creating presentations, particularly if you're not using the right tools. Depending on your role, you may need to create and regularly update organization charts, network diagrams, process-flow diagrams or wireframes. You may need to share your charts with your team members, in-house and remote staff or even to present your diagrams to external clients who want to purchase your product or services. Flowchart software gives you the tools you need to more efficiently create professional-looking diagrams that visually communicate complex ideas and processes in the simplest, clearest form possible. 

Although you can use spreadsheet and presentation programs as well as some free online programs and apps to create flowcharts, these programs are often limited to basic features and shapes, which means that it can be time consuming to create and edit diagrams, especially if they're large or complex. It may be worth investing in flowchart software if creating or editing diagrams is a regular part of your job, if you need more than basic functionality or if you require professional-looking diagrams. 

As you look for the best flowchart software for your company, consider which features are the most useful to you and can save you time, the different types of diagrams you want to be able to create, and how you can most efficiently share your diagrams with your staff and your clients.

Different businesses have different needs, but there are some common flowchart software features you should look for regardless of your business needs. The best options have a user-friendly interface and provide templates and shapes for a variety of applications. 

Interface

• Affordable subscription plans (monthly or annual)
• Library of customizable shapes for your diagrams
• Fully designed themes that utilize fonts, colors and effects
• Drag-and-drop functionality
• Ability to use spell check, replace shapes without having to delete the original shape, and resize shapes to fix text
• Real-time collaboration tools that allow multiple users to view and edit diagrams at the same time
• Ability to include several diagrams in a single project and link between them 

Viewer Access

• Allows viewers to add comments and edit charts
• Ability to guide your client through the diagram by enabling you to link to other sections and pages of the diagram
• Ability to control the access that your collaborators and clients have to your diagrams
• Allows you to export your files to shareable formats that can be emailed or printed

Choosing the right flowchart software for your business makes it easy to quickly create professional-quality charts and diagrams. The best programs can be used with business and industry-specific applications and include collaboration, sharing and presentation functionality. So which options should you consider? 

• If you're looking for flowchart software that has professionally designed templates, a familiar Microsoft Office interface and technical functionality, like the ability to set and check rules, consider Microsoft Visio.
• If you want an intuitive, browser-based flowchart program with an iPad app that supports a variety of diagrams, Lucidchart is worth checking out.
• If you want a visually rich program with an abundant selection of examples for many types of diagrams that also enables you to create infographics, Edraw may be a good option for you.
• If you need flowchart software that is both inexpensive and includes real-time collaboration features, check out Creately.
• If you're looking for a Visio alternative, for example if you're a Mac user but your clients use Visio, Lucidchart and ConceptDraw Pro can also export files in Visio format.