Lucidchart vs SmartDraw

Lucidchart9.0Visit SmartDraw8.6Visit

Higher score Lucidchart #3 in Diagram Software 9.0/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Lucidchart

vs

SmartDraw #7 in Diagram Software 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 3 features Visit SmartDraw

• Lucidchart fits best

  Collaborative business and technical diagramming

• SmartDraw fits best

  General-purpose diagramming with office integrations

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Side by side

Feature	Lucidchart 9.0/10 Visit ↗	SmartDraw 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.6
Ranking	#3 in Diagram Software	#7 in Diagram Software
Best for	Collaborative business and technical diagramming	General-purpose diagramming with office integrations
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Web	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Live chat, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML, 2FA	SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS
Integrations	100+ integrations	14 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Lucidchart 2/3 · SmartDraw 3/3
Real-time collaboration	✓	✓
Desktop app	—	✓ (best)
Version history	✓	✓
Specs
Diagram types	flowcharts, org charts, entity relationship diagrams, sequence diagrams, mind maps, UML/class diagrams, process diagrams	floor plans, site plans, building layouts, evacuation plans, accident reconstructions, crime scenes, circuit diagrams, wiring diagrams, electrical plans, planograms, flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, ERDs, data flow diagrams, timelines, mind maps, Gantt charts, cause-and-effect diagrams
Export formats	PDF, PNG, JPEG, SVG, VSDX, VDX, JSON, CSV, BPMN	JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF, Visio
Import formats	VSDX, VSD, VDX, JPEG, PNG, .drawio, XML, BPMN, XPDL, OmniGraffle flat files	PDF, VSD, VSDX, Visio stencils, Lucidchart files, JPEG, PNG, SVG
Maximum editors	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports business, technical, process, and data diagram types Real-time collaboration plus revision history with restore support Links data from Google Sheets, Excel, and CSV sources	Supports business, technical, IT, floor-plan, and project diagrams Real-time collaboration, comments, and version history Integrates with Microsoft, Google, Atlassian, and storage tools
Cons	Access is limited to the web platform The Free plan allows only 3 editable documents The paid Individual plan starts at $9 per month	No free plan is available The broad feature set may exceed basic diagramming needs Regular Individual and Team prices are billed annually
Our verdict	Lucidchart is a cloud-based workspace for creating diagrams, visualizing data, documenting processes, and collaborating with others. It suits business and technical teams working on flowcharts, UML diagrams, entity relationship diagrams,… Read the review →	SmartDraw is diagramming and scaled-drawing software for organizations, professionals, and non-technical users. It covers flowcharts, workflows, organizational charts, mind maps, project charts, technical engineering and IT diagrams, data… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Lucidchart — where it wins

  • Supports business, technical, process, and data diagram types
  • Real-time collaboration plus revision history with restore support
  • Links data from Google Sheets, Excel, and CSV sources

  Where it doesn't

  • Access is limited to the web platform
  • The Free plan allows only 3 editable documents
  • The paid Individual plan starts at $9 per month

• SmartDraw — where it wins

  • Supports business, technical, IT, floor-plan, and project diagrams
  • Real-time collaboration, comments, and version history
  • Integrates with Microsoft, Google, Atlassian, and storage tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • The broad feature set may exceed basic diagramming needs
  • Regular Individual and Team prices are billed annually

• Lucidchart9.0/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial

  A broad, collaborative diagramming workspace with a free tier and web-only access.

  Visit LucidchartFull verdict →
• SmartDraw8.6/10 · Paid

  A broad diagramming suite for teams that need office integrations and collaboration.

  Visit SmartDrawFull verdict →