SmartDraw

Pros

SmartDraw is a very complete plication for all types of diagrams that you need, has great virtues with respect to Visio that can be considered the number one in the market or at least used, when you need to diagram a project from the basic algorithm to the more complex gantt diagrams , this tool is very useful, it makes you much easier in work (in my experience much easier to use than Visio) the connection between diagrams is simpler, since finishing a diagram makes it much easier to do the following, has a wide range of options and templates that help you in the creation process, contributing to the development of diagrams for systems that you are going to develop, a very useful tool for projects where you need to correctly capture what you want to develop, use it, try it for yourself.

Cons

Its main against is the price, the full version is very expensive although it allows you to enjoy the desktop version and its cost is very high, I think you should download it to compete more in the market.
The speed of the online version sometimes fluctuates negatively, it is a mistake that must be corrected.

Pros

Easy to use, great graphical design. Drag-n-drop design. Easy to access templates.

Cons

Cannot manipulate the design as much as I would like. It's a graphic program, but not as easy as you might expect. Cost.

Pros

Great shapes, very intuitive layout, easy to adjust the design.

Cons

Only have yearly pricing, yet they display the prices in cost per month. This is misleading.

Pros

Can create your mind maps and complex flowchart of any kind with ease.
Using it on office desktop and well integrated with Microsoft office suit. Also compatible with google docs which is very helpful

Cons

So i didn't find anything and i will strongly recommend this for pm and business analyst activities.

Pros

I tried Smartdraw for the first time in 2016 and I was impressed by the ease of use ; I understood the major workings around this program in a matter of days.I have used Smart draw for Gantt style charting , simple drawings ,including floor drawings when I moved to my new home a while back.
Smartdraw provides users with a variety of modules ,making it a program which can be leveraged by different professionals in different career fields.

Cons

Smartdraw doesn't allow for remote collaboration like what I have come to expect from months of recently embracing Lucidchart. I have also found out that when creating Gantt charts with this program , I am limited in the number of coloumns I am allowed to use.

Pros

I liked the price and the easy project management Tool Set.

Cons

Newer version does not allow import of Excel or Text files to build org charts. This is a show stopper for me!

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Choosing SmartDraw

Switched From

Pros

I' using SmartDraw for many years and my opinion is the same :An inexpensive but fantastic software for both network diagrams and any other business and other needs.
Cheap but very good.

Cons

I installed the 2020 version a couple of months ago but opening old files was particularly slow.
I tried completely uninstalling the software and reinstalling it but didn't notice any improvements.
I spoke to other users of different company and they confirmed the same opinion.

Alternatives Considered

Reasons for Switching to SmartDraw

Pros

SmartDraw comes with a large number of templates that are customizable. You'll rarely have to build a chart from scratch with those. The software also consists of almost all the tools one would need to make a chart.

Cons

Using of the software does need a bit getting used to and the workspace is not the most state-of-the-art for this software category.

Pros

This software not only helps you draw but has other activities you can plan,organize any kind of project you want to build.I got the free trial and it is great.it is good as a starter for a first timer that desires to create activities for work,school,club,organization.

Cons

the free trial is limited,but it is worth learning the basics of creating document,forms,and lots of projects that you are going.

Pros

The interphase is awesome, and you have no limits using this software you can a simple diagram showing a workflow or you can do a complex net design for established a network in an office building, you can even design plans of houses or do 3D models for engineering processes.

Cons

It is really expensive, if your are going to buy it be sure of spend that amount of monet in one software, the best option is use the online version.

Pros

I like the assortment of graphics that are available with Smartdraw.

Cons

I dislike the cost of Smartdraw. I am using an older version because of the cost to upgrade to the latest one.

Pros

Where this software really shines for our business is its ease of use for submittal drawings when bidding and creating contracts for jobs. It allows us to empower our salesmen to create their own submittals without the expense or training needed for some of the more "professional" suites. This means for smaller projects we do not need to tie up our senior estimators, leaving their time free and better spent with CAD. What this means is that for job cost, we are able to use lower wage employees to perform simpler tasks and not eat into the margins of a job from utilizing higher paid engineers.

Cons

It can be a bit finicky in trying to get it to do exactly what you want it to do. Its ease of use sometimes means that you are fighting those very elements that make it easy to make it do what you want it to do. Snap to grids and the like, while toggle-able, provide an annoyance when they should "just work".

Pros

Loaded quick, and easy to use. But this is NOT why I'm writing this review... The review is for the CONS!

Cons

I liked this product until the license expired, THEN I couldn't even access my work, I had to PAY to see MY OWN WORK. They didn't limit the software, they locked you out and away from your work. For this reason I WILL NOT USE this software any longer. I will not have MY WORK held captive by a software producer.

This software is CRAP if this is how they treat their clients who spent a years subscription, only to find all the work they did in a year is no longer accessible.

Pros

Ease of manipulation of floor plans, handy clip arts. User friendly, can move groups of objects together. 3D modeling is something we rarely use, but it was easy to learn to do.

Cons

I don't care for the cloud based option and it seems like this is what it is migrating to. I prefer to save copies to my hard drive. I was unable to open previous files unless I upgraded software as well. That isn't right.

Pros

If I'm being honest, the only thing that I like about SmartDraw is how the org chart looks once completed. It is also great that you can save it as a PDF file afterwards. It has a professional look to it and it is very nice that each tab I have in the system saves as a new page when in PDF format.

Cons

When I open the program, it seems as though a new problem arises. Sometimes I cannot copy and paste a section of the org chart, I cannot see all of the tabs I have, or I cannot make any edits. While I do like how the org chart looks, getting to that point is rather frustrating. While I would love to be able to write a good review, I constantly run into issues which takes up a lot of my time.

Pros

Simple to use, I guess. You can get started straight away adding walls and dimensions.

Cons

It is utterly useless if you actually want anything precise. I'm an architectural designer, and the most basic thing I need to be able to do, even if I'm just measuring up an existing building, is change the thickness of the walls, but this doesn't seem to be possible! Without even this basic feature, it's just an utterly useless piece of software to me.

After seeing this software, though, I realise why many estate agent's floorplans are so poor. If they use software like this, there just isn't the amount of flexibility within the software even to draw a normal house, let alone anything which is complex or has a variety of unique features. I think SmartDraw really need to up their game, and in doing so, could enhance the quality of estate agents floorplans for everyone!

Pros

With SmartDraw, I can create visual documents in an easy way, in addition to streamline the work, smartDraw has templates that come with a library of shapes and symbols, which I can use with just drag them to the worksheet. I can add textures and photos to further improve the document.

Cons

-Consume abundant resources, and its installation is so slow that it becomes tedious waiting until fully charged.

Pros

The software offers a great assortment of templates, including charts and graphs, that I quickly develop and use for client proposals. The results are always sharp and professional looking.

Cons

The only drawback is that the software works with my Windows Desktop computer but I can not use the software on my Mac.

Pros

Very well to make Process Flow Diagram which is very important in any industry to manage process and design data.

Cons

Sometimes dows not work very well. You cannot open files between different version, in others words if you make any work at x-version after you cannot open the same file in another version which is a bad aspect because must be compatible between version.

Pros

We used SmartDraw to reorganize our warehouse. It was quick to drop in wall dimensions, racking, conveyor belts and obstructions like support beams. Everything is pre-rendered and you input the dimensions of your equipment to customize it. It also allows for colors to be added to help in identifying different racking styles or belt types.

Cons

We use the web-version and for the size of our warehouse it can slow the system down and make it difficult for making a quick adjustment to be made. Something simple like moving a row of racking can take several minutes instead of seconds. I used the trial PC version and did not have these issues, so it appears to be a web-only issue.

Pros

It contains every equipment module which makes it easy to develop new process diagrams on top of usual tasks.

Cons

I could not import in another file version like jpeg or pdf.

Pros

Excellent value for the money. Contains a wealth of symbol libraries and is relatively easy to pick up.

Cons

Some of the options for line thickness, etc. can e a bit difficult to locate at first until you get used to it. The snap function barely works sometimes and works too well other times.

Pros

We found the best format for our organization chart in SmartDraw. Easy to use and design the chart that you want. One of the best subscriptions we have now.

Cons

So far none, we are enjoying every feature of SmartDraw.

Pros

Intuitive for the most part. No training necessary. Easy to move section around to redirect workflow. Can insert photos and hyperlinks and tables, change colors and the shape of boxes.

Cons

Couldn't figure out how to take an existing workflow and flip it from a vertical format to a horizontal format. Free version was worthless.

Pros

SmartDraw is straightforward and easy to learn.

Cons

Advertised as free but is only a free trial. Functionality is limited to simple drawings

Cons

I tried to use the free trial on this software. As soon as I finished the drawing I couldn't export, share or print without purchasing. Furthermore I tried to sign in, figuring I could at least save it online to show my builder the plans and got notified that my trial had now expired and I had to pay if I wanted to access my plans again. So basically if I want to see my plans ever again that I spent the last 2 hours drawing, I have to pay smartdraw, and they only have an option to purchase annually. It's super underhanded and sneaky the way they try to get people to pay for their software, as a result, if ever I need any design software, I will most definitely NOT be using or recommending smartdraw.Thanks for wasting 2 hours of my life smartdraw.

Pros

Very easy and simple way to make a layout study oir even trace new process flowcharts diagrams.

Cons

Maybe the webapp funcionality, several errors while open and costant shut down.

Pros

I has little to say for Pros: because it is just as easy to draw boxes without having this program. I learned every feature and applied all of the program's features. It is likely that you could get a beginning design to give to someone, as a simple floor plan, if that is what you need. But be sure to print it to preserve your work after each little change.

Cons

Customer service is practically nil and there is no "help" or troubleshooting. If you try to contact them for support, you have to wait and see if they will send you an email the next day - and they usually won't. If you get the email, it does not remotely address the trouble or offer to talk you through it if their "solution" or instruction is not on point. Really disappointing. There is no auto save unless you are working in the Cloud for this program. Further, it constantly just stops and closes itself - and dumps all of your work during that session, even if you have been saving! So, then the hours of work are permanently lost - no kidding, EVEN if you pushed save. If you use it, you must remember to save, save, save - after each little line or inclusion and then print. Then close the program before its instability causes it to just close itself as to the design you are working on. If you don't close it down, you will lose all of your work. Then - get this - when you reopen a file after it has decided to shut down, it says that there is a recovered work file and asks if you want to open it and recover it. If you say "yes" the program shuts down again, over and over and over. It is so unstable that it can't hold up to the tasks it claims to be performing with its features, such as layers, measurements, inserting photos, etc.

Pros

The most impactful features of SmartDraw include an extensive library of templates and shapes, drag-and-drop editing, real-time collaboration, integration with Microsoft Office, and compatibility with Windows and MacOS. The product is relatively easy to use, with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, which makes it simple to create diagrams with minimal effort. Integration with existing business processes is also straightforward since the product works with most existing file formats.

Cons

Features that I feel are missing or could be improved: Better support for text orientations when editing diagrams, Ability to customize the interface based on user preference.Aspects of the product that are difficult to use: Tooltips are not always clear, making it difficult to understand how to use certain features; navigation can be confusing, especially when trying to find specific parts, Customizing diagrams can be time-consuming, especially when using the software for the first time. Integration with existing business processes should be easy with SmartDraw, but depending on the complexity of the business processes, this may become difficult.

Pros

This is a heavy duty, feature packed software. Whereas most software with this degree of functionality is usually not intuitive, BizzDesign is. It is incredible for being able to integrated documentation with process flows and diagrams.

Cons

The cost is a little high. I think it's worth it overall though.

Pros

Lots of examples and help videos
Enterprise discovery tools are great but expensive

Cons

Stated the Enterprise version would import Visio but it is not a 100% conversion to SmartDraw format so that the properties of the Visio document carry thru in the same way with the same functionality.
*) Layers don't really stay intact.
*) Significant amount of the custom formatting gets lost.
*) Support and 'help' is primarily from static Web Videos. While they may provide some help, there is not much detail about what steps to take when things DO NOT work -- so one needs to call in and request support. No exactly the fastest turnaround.

Pros

The interface would be great if it worked. At the price, it would be a great value, if it worked.

Cons

1. Many, many bugs. In particular, things often move when they shouldn't, and saving your work never works like you expect it to. In particular, if you save a project, via the "save" button, then "save as" another file, the work that was "saved" on the original is lost. They refuse to acknowledge this bug, but, over the phone, they did explain to me how to use templates, which gives a decent workaround for this bug, for me. Which brings me to:
2. When you contact customer support via email they are absurdly unhelpful. The last time I sent a bug report in, I included step by step instructions for reproducing the bug. Every single reply I received had nothing to do with the bug. I continued to ask "could you reproduce this bug on your end?", a question that they never answered once. Bugs are not a thing that customer service seems to be allowed to talk about, which is unfortunate, given how full of bugs this software is.

Pros

Relatively inexpensive, somewhat easy use

Cons

Lost count...tried using SmartDraw to create a floor plan for a house we are building and so far have a list of about 2-3 dozen issues and it keeps growing. I have encountered each issue multiple times on different computers with different operating systems so I know it is the program. Issues range from minor issues like I try to expand walls or measure lines with a click and drag of a mouse and the wall or measure lines jumps from 3 foot in length to 45 foot in length or longer or I try to copy and paste a door and a wall gets pasted to major and the most frustrating issues like locking up every 10 - 15 minutes or after a I save a file then reopen it later, doors and windows have moved, room measure lines in some places have moved (even locking objects does not fix this). They sent me an updated version, but it did not help. Then they wanted me to disable user account controls even though it could cause security issues because they know it creates a lot of false positives, nice.

Pros

First of all, I love the software layout and its design. I usually use smartdraw to create flowcharts, simple electric circuit diagrams.Well designed Inbuilt templates are available for users and tools to help the user design templates from scratch

Cons

Although there are some features that I haven't tried yet, the rest are working just fine for me

Pros

It's very easy to draw up a basic house floor plan.

Cons

Limited symbol options specific to interior design. If you use too many JPEG images within the file the system struggles to convert to PDF. (which isn't the case with my other design software). Often glitches when opening files and/or is very slow to open existing documents.

Pros

I really like the differents tools that this software provide us, I'm a lawyer and for some diagrams this software let me have a great experience, I really like it, this software it's absolutely great

Cons

This software was so good, it doesn't have things I don't like but I think that the interface can be more friendly and easy to understand for new users

Pros

There are lots of templates to start with, which makes it a lot easier to get started with this software.
I like the integration with popular tools such as Trello and Jira.
I also like the easy export to PDF. It's a great feature I use a lot.

Cons

There's definitely a learning curve before one can confidently use this software.
I often find that zooming in doesn't work as smoothly as I'd expect.

Pros

Powerful but easy to use platform with numerous applications across industries.

Cons

Complexity - which is a factor of how robust the software is, so it’s not really a criticism.

Pros

Product has many symbol libraries in mechanical/plumbing/industrial/fire protection and more than LucidChart, which is good for my needs. Compatibility with Visio and LucidChart a plus. Menus are generally easy to use.

Cons

Symbols are difficult to use, lacking functional attachment points. But the show-stopper is that, at least in this release, the software is very unstable and crashes repeatedly as another reviewer commented. I use Firefox 88.0 (64-bit) on a MacBook Pro under OS Big Sur 11.0.1, I have reported the problem to both Firefox and SmartDraw. It remains to be seen whether SmartDraw or Firefox respond with an acknowledgment of the problem and a stated intention to fix it. I will post an update later in the week, accordingly.

Pros

Very easy to draw flowcharts.
Easily import and export visio. Available at cheap price and can easily replace visio i believe which is much costlier. One can use its rich library of colours.
Templates help alot to quickly built mocks.

Cons

When I used i didn't find multiple user facility.

Pros

Its an essential tool especially in IT Field to design network topology. Almost everything is there in templates to make the diagram more presentable and selfexplanatory.

Cons

Nothing at the moment as negative. Never changed to any other software for network design drawing.

Pros

Good when it works, good symbol library, versatile

Cons

Have the desktop version for drawing floor plans only and have persevered with it for 2 years (version 2017). It regularly crashes on me as others have detailed. If it crashes once you may as well start again as it will crash continually after that. For the price I paid I was hoping for much better and feel ripped off.

Pros

This product ships with a lot of prebuilt content, templates that can let you create quick and easy diagrams, visuals, etc for presentations.

Cons

We bought this thinking it might be a lower cost replacement for Visio and that we'd be able to use the Project Planning template for our PM needs. Neither turned out to be true. This tool will give you a good variety of templates, but if you want to move something manually... forget it. Don't like how the basic flowchart looks or need to make room for a 3rd branch? You'll go back to Visio after a month. Project plans look create, but when you need to update 1 date good luck. ugh. This had a lot of potential but it just isn't flexible enough for real use cases in our experience.

Pros

*Templates for diagrams.
*Simple to use.
*Can use for small to large projects.
*Multiple type export facility.
*Easier than Visio.

Cons

*Not features as Visio.
*Bit expensive price for a tool.
*Not able to multi-users collaboration.

Pros

Create your diagrams and document the processes step by step of your workflow, ideal for planning strategies, powerful and easy to use, contains many templates to choose from to make your visual presentations.

Cons

The price can be a problem, since it is really expensive

Pros

Program was a little easier to use then some other programs. Wasnt overly difficult

Cons

Not as good features that other programs offer. expecially if your a advance person in design

Pros

I was a programmer in the 70's and flowcharts and diagrams were how we designed applications and programs. SmartDraw was a great tool to get ideas "on paper" without having to draw it out, erase changes and store the diagrams in a file folder. It was a great transition to a digital format.

Cons

No tool is a "perfect fit" for everyone and doesn't solve every need but this fills the diagram need nicely.

Pros

2D Floor feature . I used to implement software monitoring solution at customer site. Very often I have been asked to insert as background of the network map the floor plan of the building to easily determine the physical location of the network devices.

Cons

At time I used it there was not SmartDraw Cloud now available. This is perfect for small/individual business.

Pros

My absolute favorite thing about SmartDraw is the simple drag and drop to build out anything from mind maps to flowcharts and more. An especially good investment for anyone needing to make their ideas clear and points understood in a powerful way.

Cons

The design of the dashboard could be better. It is a bit boring for all that it does. The layout would be better if I had the whole screen and the options to drag and drop were at the top.

Pros

Great software for flow charts and process maps. Used extensively for 3 years under a one time license.

Cons

Was only available for Windows at time of last use, since then it has moved to a subscription, web-based platform which is a significant cost considering other better-value or free softwares that can do the same.

Alternatives Considered