What is the difference between Lucidchart and Draw.io (diagrams.net)?

Lucidchart is best for Teams wanting professional diagramming and flowcharts, while Draw.io (diagrams.net) is best for Anyone wanting free, full-featured diagramming. Lucidchart starts at Free and Draw.io (diagrams.net) starts at Free.

Is Lucidchart or Draw.io (diagrams.net) cheaper?

Lucidchart starts at Free with a free tier. Draw.io (diagrams.net) starts at Free and is free.

Is there a free alternative to Draw.io (diagrams.net)?

Both Lucidchart and Draw.io (diagrams.net) offer free tiers.

Lucidchart vs Draw.io (diagrams.net)

Lucidchart is intelligent diagramming platform for flowcharts, wireframes, and technical diagrams, while Draw.io (diagrams.net) is free, open-source diagramming tool that works in the browser with no account needed. Draw.io (diagrams.net) is open source and can be self-hosted, giving you full control over your data. Lucidchart is built for teams wanting professional diagramming and flowcharts, whereas Draw.io (diagrams.net) targets anyone wanting free, full-featured diagramming.

At a glance

	Lucidchart	Draw.io (diagrams.net)
Best for	Teams wanting professional diagramming and flowcharts	Anyone wanting free, full-featured diagramming
Starting price	Free	Free
Free tier	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Free tier available	✓	✓
Open source	—	✓
Confluence Plugin	—	✓
Flowcharts	✓	—
Free	—	✓
Integrations	✓	—
Many Shapes	—	✓
No Account	—	✓
Real-Time Collab	✓	—
Templates	✓	—

Lucidchart

Strengths

Includes Flowcharts as a core feature, purpose-built for diagramming workflows
Real-time collaboration so multiple designers can work on the same scene together
Free for 3 documents — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
Established product with 16+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in diagramming
Mobile experience lags behind the desktop version in features and polish

Try Lucidchart → Full review

Draw.io (diagrams.net)

Strengths

Open source and transparent
Includes Free as a core feature, purpose-built for diagramming workflows
Fully open-source — you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in
The core product is free with no paywalled essentials

Weaknesses

May lack some advanced features
Self-hosting is free but requires server maintenance and DevOps knowledge
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Ecosystem of third-party integrations is smaller than the market leaders in diagramming

Try Draw.io (diagrams.net) → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Both Lucidchart and Draw.io (diagrams.net) are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.

Feature gaps: Lucidchart offers Flowcharts, Integrations and Real-Time Collab that Draw.io (diagrams.net) lacks. Draw.io (diagrams.net) brings Confluence Plugin, Free and Many Shapes that Lucidchart does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target any size teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Open source: Draw.io (diagrams.net) is open source, meaning you can self-host, audit the code, and avoid vendor lock-in. Lucidchart is proprietary — you are trusting the vendor with your data and uptime.

Where each tool shines: Lucidchart's biggest strengths are: includes flowcharts as a core feature, purpose-built for diagramming workflows. real-time collaboration so multiple designers can work on the same scene together. Draw.io (diagrams.net)'s biggest strengths are: open source and transparent. includes free as a core feature, purpose-built for diagramming workflows.

Watch out for: With Lucidchart, users commonly note that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade. With Draw.io (diagrams.net), the main complaint is that may lack some advanced features.

Choose Lucidchart if...

Your profile matches its sweet spot: teams wanting professional diagramming and flowcharts
You specifically need Flowcharts and Integrations
You care about real-time collaboration so multiple designers can work on the same scene together
The free tier works for you: free for 3 documents

Choose Draw.io (diagrams.net) if...

You need a tool built for anyone wanting free, full-featured diagramming
You need self-hosting, data sovereignty, or the ability to audit source code
You specifically need Confluence Plugin and Free
You care about includes free as a core feature, purpose-built for diagramming workflows