Recently, I needed to create a flowchart while working away from the office. I had my laptop and I had Internet access, but that particular laptop did not have Microsoft’s Visio flowcharting software installed.
Instead of downloading Visio, I discovered a cloud-based flowchart and diagram application called Draw.io (www.draw.io).
Five whole minutes later, having already created my first simple chart, I said aloud: “Damn! THIS is how cloud-based apps should work!”
Here’s why:
- It’s entirely browser-based. No software to install.
- No login or registration required. Go to www.draw.io and just go to work. How refreshing – not having to give my email to yet another company.
- Incredibly easy to use. Drag-and-drop, fast and intuitive.
- Powerful flowcharting capabilities with tons of objects to use (and you can even create your own).
- Can save files to your desktop, Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
- Export to PDF, JPG, PNG and GIF.
- Manage styles, fonts, colors, etc. to make your charts more prettier.
And it’s free, which is great. But what also truly impressed me was how Draw.io looks and functions like a traditional desktop software app. You would be hard-pressed to spot the difference.
If you need to knock out a quick chart or even something more complex, I recommend give Draw.io a look.