SmartDraw Flowchart Maker - Product Review

Summary (TLDR):

Review Summary: SmartDraw’s UI is too outdated and overly complex for a task as simple as building process flowcharts.
Has Flowchart Symbols: Yes
Ease of Use: 3/5
Collaboration: Yes
Overall Score: 3/5

Introduction 

SmartDraw is the only flowchart program that allows you to create perfectly structured diagrams with a few easy keystrokes in two different methods. As you add or remove a step, the software rearranges and organizes all parts of your workflow to ensure that everything looks great, even if you want to draw shapes and lines freely. 

Check out our SmartDraw flowchart maker - product review to make the best use of it.

Main Features 

Quick Start

SmartDraw contains built-in templates to get you started quickly, with over 70 different diagram types. Its auto-formatting power ensures great layouts in minutes. SSO, document preservation, extensive account administration, collaboration tools, and more are included. 

Furthermore, it makes the conversion process easier by letting you import Lucidchart and Visio files. Thus, it is suitable whether you are working alone or with a large corporate group. 

Integration With Other Applications

SmartDraw works side-by-side with the tools you already have. Diagrams can be easily added to Google Workspace, Atlassian's Confluence, Microsoft Office, Jira, and other applications. Feel free to save and share your files to Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Cloud storage, and other file storage.

Maximum Data Automation

With integrated extensions, you can make diagrams, including ERDs, Data-rich org charts, and data class diagrams, or use shape data and create manifests to enrich any diagram. Not only that, but you can also link to an AWS account and have the visualizations automatically generated. 

Advantages  

• Easy-to-use: SmartDraw has more icons, a library of templates, diagrams, and tools than its rivals, so you will never have to start from scratch. This powerful tool for diagramming ensures that your flowcharts are always presentation-ready. Apply the theme with the right color scheme before exporting, sharing, or printing to make your website look professional. 
• Real-time collaboration: Add comments and criticism to any diagram to communicate with your teammates. Save diagrams in shared team folders so that you all can work on the same diagram simultaneously. You can also quickly share your diagram with someone who does not have SmartDraw by emailing them a simple link.
• Can be used both online and offline: SmartDraw supports both online and offline usage, and it can be accessed and used from any internet-connected device.
• Automated features: SmartDraw's automated capabilities allow you to load files and have diagrams generated for you in no time. By simply clicking buttons and mouse, you are free to move, add, and remove shapes; they will be linked and formatted automatically.

Disadvantages 

• Quite costly: SmartDraw was only accessible on Windows when you last used it. It has since moved to a web-based version, subscription-based platform software, which is a premium point compared to free or readily available software.
• Slow speed: The speed of the online version, even when using simple commands, sometimes fluctuates negatively, which is a bug that needs to be fixed.
• Limited training options: They will only offer free live instruction whether you have 5+ people attend the training session, inconvenient for small groups.
• Poor customer service: Even if you tried to contact them for help, you would have to wait until the next day when they email you. If you receive the email, it will not remotely cure your problem nor inform you whether their "solutions" or instructions are incorrect.
• No work saved: Things move around, and preserving your work rarely goes as planned with this diagram software. In case you save a project using the "auto save" button and then "save as" another document, the effort that was "saved" here on the original will be lost or complex to be recovered.
• No custom floor plans: There are no preset adjustable floor plans, so trying to make it do exactly what you want can be challenging and time-consuming.

Pricing 

This great productivity flow diagram software can be accessible in a variety of ways. The first option is to purchase it as a SmartDraw download software for Windows, and the second option is to subscribe to the SmartDraw Cloud service.

The product for download comes in 3 versions: Standard at $297, Business at $397, and Business at $2,995 (starting price) if you choose Windows programs.

The Standard Account offers fewer audiences and hundreds of templates than other levels, but it can cover most bases. It uses these elements for emergency and disaster response, floor plans, engineering and CAD, healthcare, infographics, legal, landscape planning, science, retail and software, education, web design, etc.

Everything in the Standard plan is available with the Business Account, including access to additional business-themed templates and audiences. The topics covered are cause and effect, flowcharts, decision trees, maps, marketing charts, mind maps, network diagram design, and organizational charts.

‍