Flowcharts aren’t just for engineers, programmers, and managers. Everyone can benefit from learning how to make flowcharts, most notably as a way to streamline your work and life, and even to break free from bad habits.
The only problem is, what’s the best flowchart software?
Plenty of top-notch flowcharting apps exist, but they can be pricey. Microsoft Visio, the most popular option, is $300 (standalone) or $13 per month (on top of an Office 365 subscription). ConceptDraw Pro is $200. Edraw Max is $180. MyDraw is $70.
Is it really necessary to spend that much on a flowchart program?
These IDEs offer a variety of features, like: building Java applications, TestNG, debugging, code inspections, code assistance, JUNIT testing, multiple refactoring, visual GUI builder and code editor, Java, Maven build tools, ant, do data modelling and build queries, and more.
No! There are lots of excellent free flowchart software, especially for non-business users. If you don’t want to create stunning flowcharts using Microsoft Word (check out these Microsoft Office flowchart templates), then use one of the free flowchart tools below.
Note:Web-based flowchart apps have been intentionally excluded from this list.
1. Dia
Dia is a free and full-featured flowchart app. It’s also entirely open source under the GPLv2 license, which is great if you believe in the open source philosophy. It’s powerful, extensible, and easy to use.
If you’re looking for the best free alternative to Microsoft Visio, then Dia is as close as you’re going to get.
Key features and highlights:
- Simple and intuitive interface.
- Dozens of standard shapes, including UML, circuit, and database.
- Add custom shapes using XML and SVG.
- Colorize shapes and text with standard or custom colors.
Download:Dia (Free)
2. yEd Graph Editor
yEd Graph Editor is an excellent, up-to-date tool for flowcharts, diagrams, trees, network graphs, and more. You can download the app as a JAR file (which requires Java on your system) or an EXE (which includes a Java installer). It’s powerful and versatile, but the trade-off is an ugly, Swing-based interface.
Key features and highlights:
- Very little effort for professional-quality charts.
- Auto-arrange flowchart elements from messy to clean.
- Organic and orthogonal edge routing for connections.
- Several export options, including PNG, JPG, SVG, and PDF.
Download:yEd Graph Editor (Free)
3. ThinkComposer
ThinkComposer is a tool for professionals. In addition to flowcharts, it can handle business models, class diagrams, genealogy trees, timelines, use case diagrams, and more. It’s a bit overkill for one or two charts every so often, but a smart choice if you deal with flowcharts on a daily or weekly basis.
Key features and highlights:
- Create custom, reusable nodes and connections.
- Deep, multi-level diagrams for full visual expression of ideas.
- Compositions can combine many different charts and graphs.
- Generate PDF, XPS, or HTML reports based on your data.
- Open source and extensible with plugins.
Download:ThinkComposer (Free)
4. Pencil Project
Pencil Project is an old app that fell out of favor due to a long development hiatus, but things picked back up in 2015 and version 3.0.0 was released in 2017. Everything is now modern and up-to-date, making it an excellent choice for anyone who needs fast, simple diagramming with a minimal learning curve.
Key features and highlights:
- Tons of built-in shapes for all types of charts and interfaces.
- Create your own shapes or install collections made by others.
- Several export options, including PNG, SVG, PDF, and HTML.
- Import art from OpenClipart.org for use in charts and diagrams.
Download:Pencil Project (Free)
5. LibreOffice Draw
LibreOffice is arguably the best free alternative to Microsoft Office for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, and even visual diagrams. With LibreOffice Draw, you can easily add shapes, symbols, lines, connections, text, images, and more. It isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly flexible.
Key features and highlights:
- Custom page sizes, great for all kinds of chart types.
- Page map makes it easy to work on multiple charts.
- Advanced object manipulations, including 3D controller.
- Can open (but not save to) Microsoft Visio format.
Download:LibreOffice (Free)
6. Diagram Designer
Diagram Designer is somewhat primitive, and that’s partly because it hasn’t been updated since 2015. But don’t let that turn you away! It runs fine on my Windows 10 setup, and it’s more than effective for creating flowcharts that look nice. Could it be better? Of course. But for personal use, it’s great.
Key features and highlights:
- Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.
- No unnecessary features that steepen the learning curve.
- Import and export PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF, ICO, and more.
Download:Diagram Designer (Free)
7. PlantUML
PlantUML is unlike all the other apps in this list. Instead of a graphical interface, you create your diagrams using PlantUML’s scripting language. This is an excellent tool for programmers who don’t like mouse-based drag-and-drop. PlantUML requires Java on your system.
Key features and highlights:
- Define objects and relationships using PlantUML’s scripting language.
- Supports many diagram types: sequence, usecase, class, Gantt, etc.
- Export diagrams as PNG, SVG, or LaTeX.
Download:PlantUML (Free)
Other Useful Flowchart Tools and Apps
While desktop apps are ideal for creating flowcharts on a PC, they aren’t travel-friendly. If portability is a key concern, you might fare better with one of these mobile flowchart apps which are designed for diagramming on-the-go.
Would you rather use a web-based flowchart maker? We highly recommend LucidChart, which is best in its class. Or you can try out one of these free online flowchart makersThe 7 Best Free Online Flowchart MakersThe 7 Best Free Online Flowchart MakersNeed the ability to create flowcharts anywhere at any time without spending much, if any, money? Here are the best online flowchart tools that are free or reasonably priced.Read More. If you want a desktop app for macOS, try these free flowchart makers for Mac5 Free Flowchart Makers for Mac for Quick and Easy Diagrams5 Free Flowchart Makers for Mac for Quick and Easy DiagramsHere are the free flowchart makers for Mac that help you create flowcharts with the professional appearance you need.Read More.
Explore more about: Flowchart, LibreOffice, Organization Software, Planning Tool, Project Management.
- Dia does not follow common standard for text editing so it become awkward to work with in the long run
- Cell phone spy software enthusiast and researcher. With over 8 years in the business I can offer the most comprehensive analysis and recommendations for virtually any program on the market. Engineerroy68 at gmail com !
- Another great tool for flowcharts is Software Ideas Modeler. I firstly thought that it is only paid software but I found out there is a free standard edition and it supports flowcharts. I do not need more.
- Office removal tool for mac. draw.io <3
- I have been using Dia for a long while, until I discovered Draw.io and its integration with Google Drive. Never used another one since then.
- I have used powerpoint many times. Also, I recommend you go to youtube and pickup a few basic concepts of BPMN. It makes a huge difference. I should know as this is what I do all day everyday.
- Draw.io have an offline chrom app.
Java remains one of the most popular programming languages in the world, a position fostered by the language's simplicity as well as the robust ecosystem of integrated development environments on the market that support both general and specific coding objectives.
While many IDEs are part of a paid enterprise development stack, Java programmers enjoy access to several powerful and well-designed IDEs that are free, open source, or both. We highlight five of the most popular.
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Eclipse
What We Like
- Open source with large community.
- Large selection of plugins available.
- Easy to use.
What We Don't Like
- Management of plugins and add-ons is not as easy as others.
- Interface is dated.
Eclipse, which has been around since 2001, has been immensely popular with Java developers. It is open source software that is often used in the development of commercial projects.
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Featuring a variety of useful plugins, the best aspect of this platform is its ability to arrange projects into workspaces called Perspectives, which are visual containers that offer sets of views and editors.
Eclipse is robust and can handle large development projects that include analysis and design, management, implementation, development, testing, and documentation.
Eclipse offers a wide choice of options to developers, the most recent of which is Eclipse Oxygen, which debuted in 2017.
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IntelliJ IDEA
What We Like
- Great for Android development.
- Autosaves work.
- Easy to automate repetitive tasks.
What We Don't Like
- Less useful with languages other than Java.
- Costs to access some helpful features.
- Memory resource intensive.
Yet another popular IDE for Java developers is JetBrains’ IntelliJ IDEA, available as both a commercial Ultimate version and as a free Community download version.
Offering support for several build systems, this platform features intuitive code completion, code analysis, integration with unit testing frameworks, a full-featured database editor, and a UML Designer.
Hundreds of plugins are available for IntelliJ IDEA. Additionally, this platform features tools for Android app development.
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NetBeans
What We Like
- Very customizable to individual work style.
- Easy to learn and to use.
What We Don't Like
- Can be taxing to system resources, especially with plugins.
- User interface could use an update.
The NetBeans IDE offers advanced features and support for Java, PHP, C/C++, and HTML5, which helps the developer build desktop, web, and mobile applications.
This platform, which boasts a worldwide community of developers, is open source. Use NetBeans with all versions of Java from Java ME to the Enterprise Edition.
NetBeans offers database support, which the other free IDEs don't. Using its Database Explorer, you can create, modify, and delete databases and tables in the IDE.
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JDeveloper
What We Like
- Good at simplifying tasks and improving efficiency.
- Advanced code editing, completion, refactoring, and other features.
What We Don't Like
- Bulky program that uses a lot of resources.
- Not as flexible with plugins and other languages as other IDEs.
Developed by Oracle, JDeveloper is a powerful IDE that simplifies the process of development of Java-based SOA and EE applications.
This platform offers end-to-end development for Oracle Fusion middleware and Oracle Fusion applications. It allows for development in Java, SQL, XML, HTML, JavaScript, PHP, and other languages.
Covering the entire development lifecycle from design, code development, debugging, optimization, profiling, and deploying, the platform focuses on simplifying app development to the maximum possible extent.
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BlueJ
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What We Like
- Very simple interface.
- Easy to use.
- Barebones IDE, and lighter than others.
What We Don't Like
- Lacks support of plugins to add functionality.
- May be too simple for larger, complex projects.
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If you're a beginner, the BlueJ Java IDE might be right up your alley. It works on Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, and other operating systems.
Because this IDE is best for beginning developers, it has a robust Blueroom community to help users understand the software and find support.
You can install a handful of extensions to BlueJ — such as a remote file manager and multiproject workspace handler — to add or modify capabilities not offered in the base program.
I have tried others, but none of them satisfied me. Although Aqua is expensive, it has a student 'mode' that you can try for a while, or if you are one, use as you need. Version 4.7 does not limit the time you use. Best sql tool for mac postgresql. I prefer create tables, indexes and so on by commands, so I prefer Aqua Data Studio.
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The open source BlueJ project is supported by Oracle.