I'd like to draw network diagrams and wonder if anyone can recommend a simple to use app for OSX. Drawing network diagrams app? Discussion in 'Mac Apps and Mac App Store' started. But it is a powerful tool, allowing you to switch between outline and diagram views dynamically, and each node can have comprehensive notes behind it. MacPaint X is a drawing tool for Mac which is based off the original MacPaint that was created by Apple for OS, having an auto saver and an updater. MacPaint X is a drawing tool for Mac which is. How to draw on there. Network Diagram Maker is a cross-platform network topology diagram design program which is compatible with Mac OS X, Windows and Linux systems. Network diagram maker is excellent in drawing network diagrams (AWS, Cisco, Rack.) on Mac, Windows and Linux. Draw professional network diagrams with Creately network diagram software. With Creately's online network diagram software, you can draw a simple network diagram to a complex network topology diagram without much effort. Shown above are some network diagram templates and network topology diagram. This Mac drawing software holds all the aces when it comes to versatility. Sketch can be used to create professional artwork, draw and design websites and so much more. Sketch is a vector-based application with several features such as a toolbar, canvas, editable shapes and so much.

• Free Drawing Software For Mac
• Free Network Drawing Tool

Although Microsoft has never released Visio for Mac 2019, the good news is there are some superb alternatives that can do everything Visio can on a Mac – and more.

In fact in some cases, we think the software featured here are even better than Microsoft’s product when it comes to visual communication and collaboration.

Most are certainly easier to use and in almost every case, are more cost-effective than Visio Pro which currently costs $589.99.

There’s no need to say goodbye to your precious Visio diagrams and stencils either.

All of the tools here can import and export MS Visio files althoughonly SmartDraw can export to the latest Visio 2016 VSDX format.

So whether you’re a Project Manager or Business Analysis that needs to visualize processes better, a Site Engineer that wants to easily draw floor plans or an HR Manager trying to make an org chart on a Mac you’ll find something here to solve your diagramming needs.

Note that if you’re a Project Manager looking for a replacement for MS Project which also doesn’t exist on Mac, you may also find our guide to the best Microsoft Project alternatives for Mac useful too.

Here then are the best Visio alternatives for Mac users in order of ranking.

1. SmartDraw

SmartDraw is easily the most powerful yet easy to use alternative to Microsoft Visio on a Mac.

The best thing about SmartDraw is that it does everything that Visio can but makes it far simpler and faster.

It’s been designed specifically to rival Visio (rather than just an all-purpose diagram tool like many others) and this is clear in the little touches that make it stand-out from the crowd.

For example, it’s the only alternative to Visio that can both import and export to the latest Visio 2016 VSDX format.

This is absolutely crucial if you need to work on diagrams with Visio based colleagues or Windows users.

The same goes for Visio stencils.

If you have hundreds of Visio stencils that you don’t want to say goodbye to, you can just import VSD and VSDX Visio stencils into SmartDraw and keep using them.

The results of importing and exporting Visio files into SmartDraw are generally very impressive as you can see below.

The interface of SmartDraw will feel familiar to anyone that’s ever used Visio but its far more user-friendly with a slick design that looks great on macOS.

One area where SmartDraw even blows Visio out of the water is in templates and objects.

There are more than 4,500 diagram templates in SmartDraw compared to little more than 100 in Visio.

These cover almost every conceivable need from flowcharts, org-charts and floorplans to topics as diverse electrical layouts and crime scene reconstructions.

The time you save by being able to instantly dive in and edit these ready-made templates means it takes significantly less time to create diagrams in SmartDraw compared to Visio.

The same goes for the toolset which has more than 34,000 symbols compared to around 1,800 in Visio 2016.

They look better too because they’re in high quality crisp SVG vector format.

One of the biggest advantages SmartDraw has over Visio is the Smart Formatting and auto-diagramming features.

SmartDraw automatically re-balances diagrams and layouts so when you change connectors and move things around, it adjusts things for you to keep things tidy.

This makes a big difference compared to Visio where you have to do a lot more painstaking and tedious manual adjustment of swimlanes, text wrapping, shapes and other diagram elements.

SmartDraw also recognizes that there’s a lot of Project Managers and Business Analysts out there making the switch from Visio need both a visual communication tool and project management tool on their Mac.

You can instantly turn SmartDraw Mind Maps into Gantt Charts and even send tasks to Trello where they are dynamically updated as task are completed.

This is a really slick touch to SmartDraw and we like the way changes made in one view, are instantly reflected in the other.

We also like the fact that SmartDraw doesn’t try to lock you into its own ecosystem and format.

If you want to share diagrams, you can easily can export files to Microsoft Office, PDF, SVG or PNG format.

Or if you just want to send someone a diagram online, you can send a URL of the diagram with customized permissions which allows anyone to view or edit it.

The same goes for Jira and Confluence. SmartDraw has plugins for both that allow you to create diagrams within Confluence for example without even opening SmartDraw.

This is another big plus over Visio which offers no official way of even viewing Visio diagrams in Confluence, never mind actually create diagrams in it.

Although there are other rivals to Visio that offer Confluence integration, SmartDraw has the best by some distance.

In summary, SmartDraw is a powerful alternative for anyone looking for Visio on a Mac.

It produces results as good as Visio but with considerably less effort and time.

You can get started now with SmartDraw for free to judge for yourself.

For a more detailed look, you can check out our in-depth SmartDraw review.

You can also see how SmartDraw vs Visio compare below.

SmartDraw vs Visio

Pricing: Single Plans $9.95/month – $5.95/month for up to 5 users

2. OmniGraffle Pro

If online apps are not your thing, OmniGraffle is the closest thing to a native Mac desktop alternative to MS Visio.

OmniGraffle is designed specifically for Mac although it’s a more artistic design tool than Visio and it’s not as easy to use at SmartDraw.

However, once mastered OmniGraffle produces attractive, professional diagrams, user interfaces and wireframes that look better than anything possible in Visio.

It’s important to note from the start that although OmniGraffle can import Visio files, it can’t export files to the latest Visio VSDX format like SmartDraw can.

If you’re going to working alongside with PC based Visio colleagues, that will rule it out straight from the off.

OmniGraffle Pro can import all Visio formats (VSDX, VSD, VDX) fand Visio stencil files (VST, VTX, VSX and VSS).

Note that Visio import support is not available in the Standard Version of OmniGraffle ($99).

Although there’s aren’t so many stencils and templates included in OmniGraffle, it has a dedicated following of users that have created repositories of free OmniGraffle Stencils.

Diagrams created in OmniGraffle look better than those in Visio because it uses high quality vector graphics. There are more tools for illustrating diagrams in OmniGraffle meaning you can create some really eye-catching flowcharts.

OmniGraffle is also the only diagramming software on Mac that allows you to use the Touch Bar on new MacBook Pros.

This helps streamline your workflow and improve productivity without having to use the TouchPad or mouse all the time.

It also has a very good native iPad app OmniGraffle for iOS ($49) that supports the Apple Pencil and syncs with Mac via iCloud.

Finally, for Project Managers, OmniGraffle is fully integrated with project management tool OmniPlan from the same developer.

OmniPlan is also a powerful project management tool which makes a great replacement for Microsoft Project on Mac.

Overall, we really like OmniGraffle because it’s designed specifically for Mac with the needs of Mac users in mind.

It’s not as fast and easy to use as SmartDraw and it’s more expensive but if you want something desktop based rather than Cloud based, OmniGraffle is one of the best alternatives to Visio out there.

You can try OmniGraffle free for 7 days by downloading it from the Mac App Store.

If you decide not to upgrade to the Pro version, you can still keep OmniGraffle as a free desktop Visio viewer on your Mac.

You can also check out our full OmniGraffle review for more.

Pricing: OmniGraffle Standard ($99.99) / Professional ($199.99 – includes Visio import support)

3. Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a powerful online diagramming software with strong team collaboration features and excellent integration with Microsoft Office.

While it’s not as slick as similar Cloud based solutions like SmartDraw and doesn’t come close to it in terms of templates, objects or graphics quality, it’s still one of the leading diagramming tools out there.

Lucidchart can import Visio files (although it can’t export to the latest Visio VSDX format).

You can also import Visio stencils in VSS or VSX format (although Visio templates in VST or VTX format are not supported).

One particularly nice touch is that Lucidchart tailors the interface and toolset according to your industry and needs such as engineering, flowcharting, UML diagramming etc.

Lucidchart really excels at multi user collaboration and allows you to chat with others inside the app, see revision changes, leave comments etc.

There are free Lucidchart plugins for JIRA, Confluence and Jive integration.

Lucidchart is very well-integrated with Microsoft Office 2016 so you can draw diagrams directly in Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

There’s also a handy Chrome plugin that allows you to draw diagrams offline.

Overall Lucidchart is an easy to use online diagramming tool ideal for team collaboration and those that need good integration with Microsoft Office.

For a more in-depth look at Lucidchart, check-out our full Lucidchart review.

You can also try a free trial of Lucidchart.

Pricing: $8.95+/month per user

4. ConceptDraw Diagram

ConceptDraw Diagram (formerly ConceptDraw Pro) is a cross-platform desktop alternative to Visio that works on both Mac and Windows PCs.

Firstly, it’s important to be aware that although it’s a decent diagramming tool, the Visio format compatibility in the Mac version is not great.

ConceptDraw Diagram claims to import Visio stencils in VSS format and Visio VSD/VDX (from Visio 2007-2010) but the reality is the formatting is a mess.

The same goes for ConceptDraw Diagram’s claim to export to Microsoft’s newer open XML file format VSDX used in Visio 2013 and 2016.

The VSDX import and export tool does not work well at all and certainly nowhere near as smoothly as with SmartDraw.

However, if Visio compatibility is not important to you, ConceptDraw Diagram does a better job of exporting diagrams to Microsoft Office and Evernote among other formats.

There are plenty of templates to get you going divided into different areas such as landscaping, engineering, management, science, flowcharts etc.

There’s also a rich collection of high quality vector objects, audiovisual clips, additional templates and tutorials in ConceptDraw Solution Park.

ConceptDraw Diagram allows you to create presentations and slideshows of your diagrams.

For Project Managers, it can be used alongside ConceptDraw Project which is a powerful project management software made by the same developer.

ConceptDraw Diagram is a viable option if you want something similar to Visio that works on both Mac and PC desktops.

You can try a free trial by signing up for a ConceptDraw account.

You can also check out our review of ConceptDraw Diagram For Mac.

Pricing: $199. Minor updates are free.

5. Gliffy

Gliffy is an extremely easy to use team focused Cloud diagram software that’s ideal for collaborating on UML, network diagrams and org charts.

Gliffy is actually divided into two tools, Gliffy Diagram and Gliffy Project. The latter is for integrating and sharing your diagrams with Atlassian products such as Jira and Confluence.

The biggest disadvantage of Gliffy is that although it can import Visio files, it can’t export to Visio which rules it out if you need to work alongside other Visio users.

Gliffy does however have a Chrome extension so although it’s Cloud based, you can create diagrams offline.

It also syncs with online storage solutions such as Google Drive and Dropbox directly from your desktop.

Gliffy’s WYSIWYG interface is based on HTML5 which means it’s fast and responsive.

It uses a drag-and-drop interface which makes it easy to add objects and connectors to your diagrams.

Gliffy is an excellent choice for teams as it has full revision histories for diagrams, private sharing and all users can leave comments on diagrams.

Sharing diagrams in Gliffy is also easy. If you want to share diagrams with a non Gliffy user, it generates a simple URL which can be shared on social media and other channels so anyone can view the diagram.

Gliffy allows you to export diagrams to Google Docs, presentations, web pages and most major image formats including JPG, PNG, PNG with transparent background and SVG.

There’s a good choice of real objects to illustrate diagrams with although there aren’t many templates to choose from.

If you just want a basic but easy online diagramming solution that imports Visio files, allows you to diagram offline and is suitable for teams, Gliffy is definitely worth checking out.

You can try Gliffy for free and test drive it for yourself. Be aware however that the free version of Gliffy makes your diagrams public so it’s definitely not suitable for confidential data such as network diagrams.

You can also check out our full review of Gliffy for more.

Pricing: Starts at $7.99/user per month

6. Creately

Creately is a lightweight, fast and cost-effective alternative to Visio. Creately is a lot simpler than Visio but you can create some pretty impressive diagrams, Venn diagrams, flowcharts and process flows with it.

Creately can import but not export to Visio VSDX format.

There are some neat touches in Creately like shared project libraries, a useful Google Image search tool and auto snapping of objects connectors.

Creately also integrates with Confluence, Jira and the G Suite Marketplace.

Creately has a Mac desktop client which allows you to draw offline and sync any changes when you go online again.

There are thousands of templates to choose from to get things done quickly.

You can create up to 5 diagrams for free in Creately before deciding whether it’s for you.

You can also read our review of Creately if you want to learn more.

Pricing: $5 a month or $49 per year for individual users.

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7. Textografo

If you mainly use Visio for creating flowcharts then Textografo is a data input based alternative with a clean, minimalist interface.

Textografo claims that by automating diagrams, it’s the fastest diagram tool on the market although it takes some getting used to first.

Textografo doesn’t cater for all diagram formats but consists of a Flowchart Maker, Mindmap Maker, Decision Tree Maker, Organizational Chart Maker and a Sitemap Maker.

Textografo takes a data input approach to diagramming by automating diagrams based on the data you feed it.

Textografo is designed particularly with business processes in mind especially those in Process Analysis, Business Operations, Software Development, Sales & Marketing and Customer Service roles.

Instead of drawing flowcharts by dragging and dropping shapes, you have to “program” it in Textografo using hashtags and instructions in the left hand margin and Textografo draws it.

So for example, if you type “#decision” a decision box will appear in the diagram or type “#circle” and a circle appears.

This removes the need to constantly align, resize and connect elements and objects in flowcharts by automating much of the process for you via syntax.

However, as much as you’d sometimes like to, you can’t just drag and drop elements. Everything has to go through the Textografo syntax editor.

You also can’t import or export Visio files into Textografo.

In terms of pricing plans, Textografo Essentials is the basic version of Textografo and costs $4 per month but is limited to 5 private diagrams and 50 shapes per diagram.

You can use Textografo free for 7 days before you have to purchase a plan.

You can also read our full Textografo review for a more detailed look at it.

Pricing: Textografo Essential costs $8 per month (limited to 5 diagrams) and Premium $14 per month.

8. MyDraw

MyDraw (formerly known as Nevron Draw) is a budget desktop alternative to MS Visio.

If the interface of MyDraw looks familiar, that’s because it’s heavily inspired by Microsoft Office’s Ribbon UI used in all MS Office products.

Visio file format support is excellent in MyDraw including support for importing older VDX format and VSSX stencils too.

MyDraw can also import, edit and export Visio VSDX files (although the results aren’t great with any type of Visio file).

MyDraw can also import family tree diagrams in GEDCOM format used in genealogy software on Mac. Other export formats supported include PDF, AutoCAD’s DXF format and as high-resolution images.

MyDraw has a very large number of shapes and objects to choose from and uses a powerful formula based engine similar to Visio.

It also has automatic layout algorithms to speed things up when creating diagrams.

There are plenty of free templates for simple mind maps, network diagrams, floor plans, fish bone diagrams, work flows, UML diagrams and electrical diagrams.

If you like to draw diagrams on your iPad, MyDraw also supports the Apple Pencil and other graphics tablets that work with Macs.

MyDraw isn’t quite on the same level as Visio but if you’re on a really tight budget and want a Mac desktop solution, it’s definitely worth downloading the free trial.

You can also check out our full MyDraw review for more.

Pricing: Starts at $69.00

9. Edraw Max

Edraw Max is a cheaper desktop alternative to Visio but with a strikingly similar interface.

There are a lot of similarities between Edraw and MyDraw, most notably that they’re both desktop apps plus they can both import and export Visio files.

In fact the Edraw Max UI is very closely modeled on Microsoft Visio’s ribbon interface – so close in fact that it’s actually hard to distinguish the difference at first glance.

Edraw supports high quality vector graphics allowing you to create eye-catching diagrams.

Edraw supports VDX as well as VSDX files although the exported results aren’t always great and may involve some manual adjustment depending on the complexity of the diagram.

Although there are only around 200 templates in Edraw Max, there’s enough there for basic flowcharts, org charts and brainstorming.

You can snap and connect shapes or objects easily and there’s enough to create basic Visio diagrams.

Overall, Edraw Max is an interesting option if you want something that looks like Visio, works on your Mac desktop but is considerably cheaper.

You can test it first with the fully functional free trial of Edraw Max.

You can also check out our full Edraw Max review for more.

Pricing: Perpetual License costs $179 with no upgrade costs for 3 years. Lifetime License costs $245 with no upgrade costs. Subscription costs $99 per year.

10. Ardoq

Finally, Ardoq is an Enterprise level, data input driven replacement for Visio which like Textografo, takes information you throw at it and then automatically generates Visio like flowcharts and diagrams.

It’s aimed particularly at Product or Project Managers as it calculates dependencies and can provide estimates of project timelines and completion dates.

Arqoq gives a good overview of complex workflows and systems so that they can get a better overview of knock-on effects and the interconnections between process flows.

It automatically translates complex data that you give it into useful flowcharts and diagrams. This means less time sketching flowcharts and process flows manually.

Diagrams dynamically update and change as you update the data that powers them such as via an Excel sheet or any other tool that has an API.

Although Ardoq doesn’t allow much manual adjustment of diagrams, there are templates that you can customize manually and a plugin editor to configure how Ardoq visualizes data.

Ardoq does not come cheap though. Because it’s aimed at corporate needs, pricing is only on request but even the basic Growth Plan will probably set you back around $999 per month.

You can request a free demo of Ardoq to see if it’s right for your organization.

You can also read our review of Ardoq for more.

Pricing: On request

Which Is The Best Visio Alternative For Mac?

SmartDraw is hard to beat as a powerful but far easier to use alternative to Visio.

Its been around longer than almost any other diagramming software and all that experience, features and user interface know-how has clearly gone into SmartDraw Online Edition (formerly SmartDraw Cloud) for Mac users.

Crucially, it’s the best alternative to Visio when it comes to importing and exporting VSDX files and if you’re going to be working with Visio based clients or colleagues, you should definitely look no further.

If you’re still unsure which is the right option for you, check out the comparison table of Visio for Mac alternatives below to see them head-to-head.

Visio For Mac Replacements Compared

Is Visio Part Of Office 365 For Mac?

Microsoft Visio is not included in the Standard version of Office 365.

However, Microsoft Visio Online is now available in commercial Office 365 subscriptions to both Mac and PC users but it only allows basic editing and viewing of Visio files and there are many limitations.

Visio Online is definitely not a replacement for Visio on Mac.

For example Visio Online lacks things such as shape data, you can’t edit hyperlinks in diagrams and there are annoying glitches like session timeouts if you leave the browser tab idle for more than a few minutes.

It also only works if you have saved the files in SharePoint Online or One Drive for Business – you can’t open Visio files that are saved locally on your Mac’s hard drive or sent to you via email.

Mac users can however leave comments for other users in diagrams and Visio Online is also integrated with Skype for Business for Mac so that stakeholders can discuss diagrams with others.

For iPhone and iPad users, there is also Microsoft Visio Viewer for iOS.

Are There Any Free Alternatives To Visio On A Mac?

The simple answer is you won’t get anything for free that can compete with a complex enterprise product like Microsoft Visio.

However, there are some free alternatives to Visio that allow a certain amount of diagram making for free.

Free Drawing Software For Mac

You will find however that there are strict limitations on them such as the number of diagrams, tools and files you can save.

They all use the free versions as gateways to encourage you to upgrade to the paid versions.

Is It Possible To Run Visio On A Mac?

Yes it is possible to run Visio on a Mac although we don’t recommend it as a solution as you can read here.

You can watch Visio running on a Mac below.

Why Is There No Mac Version Of Visio?

Free Network Drawing Tool

The main reason is the relatively small market share of Macs compared to PC.

The cost of dedicating a team of developers and engineers to creating and maintaining a macOS version of Visio is not considered economically viable by Microsoft.

Naturally, Microsoft also wants to keep its business users – which are the majority of Visio users – within the Windows ecosystem.

Is There A Google Version Of Visio?

There is no software made by Google that can compare with Microsoft Visio.

The closest thing available is Google Drawings which is free and allows you to draw very basic diagrams in your browser.

There’s also Google Sketchup but it’s a 3D modelling software mainly designed for doing CAD work on a Mac.

We hope this article has helped you find a replacement for Visio on your Mac but if you have any suggestions, comments or experiences with the software featured here, let us know in the comments below.

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Network Diagrams are essential for ensuring your have a complete understanding of how your network topology is interconnected and can give you an overhead view of whats going on in your network. Many times, it will help you visualize where your infrastructure is lacking and what needs to be upgraded/replaced.

Having a properly documented schematic of your entire network and connections can also ensure you can troubleshoot issues in a systematic order when they arise. Some of these software packages even automatically update your network topology map when new devices are added or removed from the network, which really cuts down on manually having to remove them yourself.

Below you will find an Extensive list of the Top (some of which are FREE) Network Diagram Software packages available for download and trials. A brief overview of the software is listed below to give you a better understanding of what it is capable of doing.

ConceptDraw Pro – Best Features Overall

ConceptDraw Pro is a very versatile Business diagramming and drawing tool that doubles as a network diagram tool as well. The software’s interface is very familiar to that of Microsoft Word 2007 in terms of button layout and menus. Because of its extensive menu and icon layout, it is Very Easy to use due to its Drag-n-Drop functionality, making this software easy to learn and use on a daily basis with very little training.

Sample of a Diagram Created in ConceptDraw Pro

You have the ability to create custom objects or shapes and saving them for future use within the Library. The software is Available for Download and Installation on both Microsoft Windows 7/8.1/10 (32 bit & 64 bit) and Mac OSX 10.9 and higher. Recommended RAM for both Operating systems is 1.5 GB and minimum 500 MB of space needed to install.

Price: $199 for ConceptDraw Pro

Lucidchart

Lucidchart has a great offering and as of lately, probably one of the top solutions for those looking to create quick and easy topology diagrams of their network infrastructure. They have a wide array of pre-built templates that are ready for you to plug in your data and quickly modify to your needs.

Some examples of pre-built templates include the following in this image:

As you can see, you can grab an existing diagram and not have to waste time configuring and building one from scratch that will likely take twice as long to get to the same starting point as one of these.

Lucidchart has a great pricing program in place that allows for flexibility of use and allows you to quickly scale to more users if needed on the fly. As of this writing, here is the pricing structure for Lucidchart for Network diagramming:

One of the most intersting and exciting features that stood out to us when looking at lucidchart was the fact that you could import and export Visio file format directly into Lucidchart and back out if needed. This gives you the flexiblity to share diagrams with people who are still using Visio for their diagramming needs.

Check out their Website for more information here:

Pricing:

They even have a Free Trial version that you can test out and see if you suits your needs.

Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper

Solarwinds Network Topology Mapper (formerly known as LANSurveyor), is one of the Best, if not the best, diagramming tools on the market right now, especially for the Price you are paying compared to Microsoft Visio. Built in network scanning Wizard and diagramming allows for jump starting your drawings and automatic detection of new devices and changes on the network make this tool indispensable, especially with support for extensive discovery protocols and methods including SNMP, ICMP, WMI, CDP, VMware® and Microsoft® Hyper-V®, along with many more.

This tool automatically builds network maps from single scans and populates them with industry specific icons and clipart, along with providing reports for VLANs, subnet scanning, switch ports and more. You can also exclude certain IP ranges and Subnets as needed through the Wizard. At this point, you can Group components by Roles, Vendor, Machine Type, Location, Subnet, VLAn or unidentified Nodes. Added functionality, such as viewing only certain Layers are an added bonus for further detailed views. You can then export your maps to PDF, PNG, Visio (.vdx file format) and even Orion® Network Atlas, along with exporting to SharePoint and other collaboration tools. PCI Compliance reports can also be exported out of this software quickly and effortlessly.

Price: FREE Trial for 14 Days and $1495 thereafter. Get a Quote on Professional Version.

Intermapper

Intermapper is network topology mapping and monitoring software for Windows, Linux, and Mac that provides a unique, sophisticated live view of network configuration and performance. Intermapper auto-discovers network devices and diagrams them on live network maps which users can personalize to reflect your unique IT infrastructure with hundreds of device icons, layout options, and background images.

Hierarchical mapping allows you to visualize the status of the whole network on a top-level map while drilling in to specific sub-maps by office location, floor, closet, etc. Intermapper maps show a color-coded status of network equipment and animate live traffic flow to give you at-a-glance information on your network health that few products provide, in an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop interface.

Price: Intermapper is priced by the number of devices you want to monitor. It’s free to monitor up to 10 devices. Subscription pricing starts at $303 for 25 devices. Device-based licensing starts at $765 for 25 devices. You can request a quote for a more detailed price estimate. Maintenance plans can be purchased for any paid plan, including email, live chat, and telephone support from technical experts and access to new software versions.

Find more Information about Intermapper at their Official Website:

CADE (Free)

Cade Software is a 2D vector Editor for the Microsoft windows platform. It is FREE and can be used over the Internet through either a web interface or the actual Desktop software itself. It boasts a “locking/unlocking” feature that allows multiple users to work on the drawing at the same time. The Layouts, Drawings and Diagrams can then be viewed on the internet through a web browser without the need for any additional plug-in's.

CADE Software uses file formats that are similar to other CAD programs, such as Autodesk Autocad and Microstation, utilizing the DXF 12 format for all its files. This allows the program to export Drawings and Maps out to various different formats, including EMF, JPG, PDF and XAML. The Server portion of the software gives users the ability to collobarote and share documents over the internet, as specifiied earlier. The server communications over the internet using XML format data and needs minimal software packages to get up and running, most notably PHP support.

Price: Free

Dia (Free)

Dia, based on Microsoft Visio, is basic business and network mapping tool that has no frill or thrills in terms of GUI and appearance. It now runs on Linux, Unix, Max OS X and Windows under GPL License.

Dia gives you the ability to create network maps which can then be saved in a custom XML format and also be exported out in EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF and Png file formats, providing either a vector graphic file or a PNG file format.

See our full Review of Dia here!

Price: Free

Diagram Designer (Free)

Diagram Designer is another very basic topology mapper, with a little more functionality then Dia, it brings a little more to the table than other software. First off, Diagram Designer has a lot more selection of icons and symbols to choose from and has a easy interface to use as well.

More so, the program itself has a small footprint of only 2Mb, and supports Importing/Exporting WMF, EMF, BMP, JPEG, PNG, MNG, ICO, GIF and PCX file formats.

Price: Free

eDraw

eDraw MAX definitely has the feel of Microsoft Visio and ConceptDraw Pro, with its elegant appearance and ease of use, it reminds us of using Microsoft Word, as the menu bar and ribbon is very similar to it. This software package is more of an All-in-One business diagram software, which allows users to not only map out LAN’s and WAN’s, but produce compelling organizational and flow charts, business presentations, building plans, web design layouts and many more.

eDraw is vector-based, which means you can Zoom in as close as you want without distorting any of the objects and elements on the page, and models can scale up if needed to print in large formats easily, and more importantly, print with clear, defined lines that are not distorted from resolution issues. This software package also has the feature to import Visio xml files and change as needed, giving you up to 2000 types of clip art bundled into the installation.

Price: Free Trial and $99 Full Edition.

LanFlow

Lanflow is a tool that is specifically meant for diagramming networks and computer related schematics primarily, unlike some of the previous software we discussed, that are more well-rounded in terms of flexibility and functionality (business diagramming). LanFlow is has a drag-n-drop interface with allows you to place network equipment onto the canvas and then use “connectors” to interconnect them all.

They give you the flexibility of defining borders and line weights as well. Some of the other features this software has to offer are hundreds of share and symbols, in both black & white and 3D, Vector based designs, Snap Grid functionality for easy alignment of items, flow symbols and jogs (also known as a crossover) and much much more. This software is fully featured and specifically designed for network mapping schematics.

Price: $99 for Single license and discounts available for multiple license purchases.

NetProbe

NetProbe isn’t your typical drawing tool, its more of a real-time device monitoring software for networked devices, that also gives you the ability to graphically draw elements on your network after its been scanned. This allows for better visualization of how your network is actually laid out and how everything is interconnected after the initial network scan and layout by the software.

From the looks of the actual software, the images of components are just that, images, and may not be scalable (vector graphics), so keep that in mind if you are looking for something that will Print and scale up correctly. The software is primarily made for monitoring network connected devices, but is definitely worth a mention due to its diagram capabilities.

Price: Standard Version: FREE (up to 8 hosts), Pro version is $40 (up to 20 Hosts), Deluxe is $80 (up to 45 hosts) and Enterprise is $295 (up to 400 hosts).

Network Notepad (Free)

Network Notepad (FREE) is just as the name of the software implies, a program for creating interactive diagrams of networks and their components. This tool has a great add-on worth mentioned called “CDP Neighbor Tool” (Cisco Discovery Protocol), which is basically a function that will pull information from the CDP table of a selected Cisco device that has CDP enabled and draw and map out the network components based on that table. Fully scalable using vector based graphics, zooming in and working on a granular level is a pleasure with no pixelated resolution and has the ability to create “Custom Shapes” for your devices within the software.

The interface of the software feels like Microsoft Word 2003 interface, with no ribbon menu as some of the other software we have reviewed. The FREE edition runs on Microsoft Windows 9x, NT, 2K, XP, Vista, with no mention of Windows 7, 8.1 or 10. The Professional version does however run on all the newer Microsoft versions, including Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and 2000. Just something to keep in mind when downloading it.

Price: Free version and Professional Version at £16 GBP per license.

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio is probably the most well known network mapping and layout software among Business & IT professionals alike. As you can imagine, the price of the Software justifies its position among the others, starting at $299 and going up to $590 for Pro Version, its no wonder that many of the software packages we reviewed above have built their interfaces around Microsoft popular Ribbon and Menu systems. The newer versions of Visio now have added functionality that allows people to comment on your Diagrams through either Visio itself or through a Browser (using Sharepoint) and even goes as far as built in Instant messaging using either Microsoft Skype for Business or Lync. Bundled into the software are over 70 pre-built templates and thousands of Shapes, including IT focused elements that represent Active Directory components, as well as detailed network components and Network appliances and routes.

Visio also has shapes and components for Data center, help desk, HVAC layouts, Enterprise and Home network diagramming and many more options. Its truly a fully featured diagramming tool for not only business professionals, but for IT professionals who need serious diagramming capabilities. One downside to Visio is the inability to scan Networks and automatically populate your diagram for you natively, although you can do this with an add-on for Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer called Visio Connector, which can be used to scan your network and view the results in a fairly thorough Visio diagram.

Price: Visio Standard = $299. Visio Professional = $589. Visio Pro for Office 365 = $15/month

Conclusion

We've reviewed all the aforementioned Network Mapping Software packages listed above and Highly Recommended you do the same, as each software has its pro's and con's and Extensive list of Features and Functionality. If you need a piece of software that will automatically map out Network Diagrams for you and keep it up-to-date, then try one of the software packages from above.