Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Flowchart Software

SmartDraw vs Creately

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 2 checks side by side
Higher score SmartDraw #6 in Flowchart Software 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 3 features Visit SmartDraw
Creately #7 in Flowchart Software 8.6/10 Free plan · 7-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Creately

SmartDraw leads on 0 checks, Creately on 1, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 2 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSmartDraw · 8.7/10
  • Free planonly Creately
  • Free trialonly Creately
  • Most featuresSmartDraw · 1 of 3

SmartDraw scores higher on our rubric for flowchart software: 8.7 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #7.

Creately offers free plan; SmartDraw doesn't.

SmartDraw is the better fit for teams needing flowcharts plus technical diagrams. Creately is the better fit for teams combining flowcharts with workshops and workflows.

  • SmartDraw fits best

    Teams needing flowcharts plus technical diagrams

  • Creately fits best

    Teams combining flowcharts with workshops and workflows

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature SmartDraw 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Creately 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.6
Ranking #6 in Flowchart Software #7 in Flowchart Software
Best for Teams needing flowcharts plus technical diagrams Teams combining flowcharts with workshops and workflows
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $5/mo
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — 7 days
Deployment Cloud, Desktop Cloud
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, Linux Web
Support Email, Live chat, Docs Email, Live chat, Docs · 24/7
Compliance SOC 2, GDPR, PCI DSS SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 14 integrations 1,500+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features SmartDraw 1/3 · Creately 0/3
Flowchart templates Not checked yet Not checked yet
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Offline access Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Import/export formats Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported platforms Not checked yet Not checked yet
Diagrams on free plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Combines flowcharts with floor plans and technical diagram types.
  • Supports real-time editing, comments, and version history.
  • Imports and exports Visio files and connects to major work platforms.
  • Creates flowcharts and 70 other diagram types on an infinite canvas
  • Combines templates, voting, and presentation mode for workshops
  • Adds Kanban boards, timelines, and AI-generated diagrams
Cons
  • There is no free plan.
  • Subscriptions are paid annually.
  • Enterprise pricing is not published.
  • Free canvases are limited to 45 items each
  • Starter and Team cap canvases at 1,000 and 1,500 items
  • The feature breadth may be more than flowchart-only work requires
Our verdict

SmartDraw brings flowcharts together with scaled floor plans, organizational charts, mind maps, project charts, and technical diagrams. It is aimed at professional teams across areas such as construction, facilities, public safety,…

Read the review →

Creately is a cloud-based visual collaboration platform for people and teams who need more than flowchart creation. Its infinite canvas brings diagramming, workshops, and project workflows together: users can make flowcharts and other…

Read the review →
  1. SmartDrawFlowchart Software 8.7Paid
  2. CreatelyFlowchart Software 8.6Free plan · 7-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • SmartDraw — where it wins

    • Combines flowcharts with floor plans and technical diagram types.
    • Supports real-time editing, comments, and version history.
    • Imports and exports Visio files and connects to major work platforms.

    Where it doesn't

    • There is no free plan.
    • Subscriptions are paid annually.
    • Enterprise pricing is not published.

  • Creately — where it wins

    • Creates flowcharts and 70 other diagram types on an infinite canvas
    • Combines templates, voting, and presentation mode for workshops
    • Adds Kanban boards, timelines, and AI-generated diagrams

    Where it doesn't

    • Free canvases are limited to 45 items each
    • Starter and Team cap canvases at 1,000 and 1,500 items
    • The feature breadth may be more than flowchart-only work requires

More comparisons

All flowchart software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update