- Created by Seibert Media employee, last modified on Jul 13, 2023
The comparison highlights the difference from the perspective of our draw.io for Confluence app, as many Confluence customers are looking for an integrated solution to replace Visio.
Import and Export
Import and Export | draw.io | Visio |
|---|---|---|
Import data from different formats | Yes (Gliffy, Visio, PNG with XML, CSV) | Yes (from other MS tools in Visio Professional) |
| Export our diagrams to share them with external users | Yes (PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, VSDX, HTML, XML, URL) | Yes (PDF via Print, URL) |
| Enable users without access to the commercial diagramming solution to work with you on diagrams | Yes (with the draw.io open-source apps) | No |
Security and Sustainability (Permanence/Endurance)
| Security and Sustainability | draw.io | Visio |
|---|---|---|
| Solution 100% embedded into Confluence | Yes | No |
| Use the Confluence search functionality to search for text in diagrams (indexing of diagram content) | Yes (Full indexing) | No |
| Revision history to enable audit trails | Yes (on Confluence and app level) | Yes (on Visio level) |
| Link and synch diagrams that already exist | Yes | No |
Control over where your data goes (in Confluence Cloud) | Diagrams are created in your browser and saved to Confluence ONLY (no draw.io servers involved) | Diagrams are saved to the Microsoft Cloud |
| Change Log documentation | See https://drawio.link/changelog | Yes |
Usability
| Usability | draw.io | Visio |
|---|---|---|
| Supports all of the relevant diagramming use-cases (such as Flowcharts, BPMN, UML, ERD, Mindmaps, etc.) | Yes | Yes |
| Draw diagrams with your colleagues in realtime (collaborative editing) | Yes, see demo in Confluence Cloud | Yes |
| Support of Drag & Drop functionality |
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| Accessibility of format shapes and connectors |
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| Link shapes to other content |
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| Ability to have multiple pages per diagram where you can display subprocesses etc. | Yes | Yes |
| Option to use layers in diagrams | Yes | Yes |
| Use shortcuts to quickly draw e.g. flowcharts | A lot of shortcuts available https://drawio.link/shortcuts | Only basic shortcuts |
Versatility
| Versatility | draw.io | Visio |
|---|---|---|
| Create diagrams via AI | Yes, with our Smart Templates | No |
Create a diagram from code | Text, PlantUML, Mermaid, SQL, and CSV | From other MS tools (Excel, Access…) |
Use Mathematical typesetting to draw diagrams | Yes | No |
Whiteboard feature | Yes, with our additional Board macro | No |
| Crop images inside a diagram | Yes | No |
Collapsable/expandable shapes and container shapes | Yes | No |
Assistant for automated layouts | Yes | No |
Create and connect new shapes at the same time (with our without a shortcut) | Yes | No |
| Advanced connectors | Yes, connector can take shortest path or customized routes (with definable waypoints) | Yes |
| Animate connectors | Yes, show flow direction | No |
Customization
| Customization | draw.io | Visio |
|---|---|---|
| Create custom libraries and make them available by default for the rest of the company | Yes, adding images AND shapes via Drag & Drop (no shape limits) | Opportunity to create custom shapes |
| Create templates from custom diagrams | Yes | Yes |
| Have a personal library (scratchpad) where you can store individual shapes | Yes | No |
Meet corporate design guidelines: Implement and use your custom fonts | Yes | No |
Implement and use your custom colors | Yes, as color palettes | Yes, as color themes |
| Color picker functionality | Yes | No |
You want to migrate from Visio?
Export your Visio diagrams in the .vsdx format and drag and drop them on a blank draw.io canvas.
It's that easy. If you need any help, just contact us.
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This content was last updated on 07/13/2023.
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