Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LucidChart VS Graphviz

Compare LucidChart VS Graphviz and see what are their differences

LucidChart logo LucidChart

LucidChart is the missing link in online productivity suites. LucidChart allows users to create, collaborate on, and publish attractive flowcharts and other diagrams from a web browser.

Graphviz logo Graphviz

Graphviz is open source graph visualization software. It has several main graph layout programs.
  • LucidChart Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-10
  • Graphviz Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-18

LucidChart features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    LucidChart features a clean, intuitive interface that makes it easy for users of all skill levels to create diagrams and flowcharts quickly.
  • Collaboration Features
    The platform offers robust collaboration tools, including real-time editing and commenting, which make it easy for teams to work together efficiently.
  • Integration Capabilities
    LucidChart integrates seamlessly with a variety of other tools such as Google Drive, Slack, and Microsoft Office, enhancing its utility within existing workflows.
  • Template Library
    The extensive library of templates and shapes helps users get started quickly and ensures that their diagrams maintain a professional appearance.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    LucidChart is compatible with multiple operating systems and can be accessed via web browsers, enabling users to work from any device.
  • Advanced Features
    Advanced functionalities, such as data linking and automatic formatting, provide powerful tools for creating complex and precise diagrams.

Possible disadvantages of LucidChart

  • Cost
    The subscription plans can be expensive, particularly for small businesses or individual users requiring access to premium features.
  • Learning Curve
    While the interface is user-friendly, mastering all the advanced features and capabilities may take some time and effort.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users report lag or performance issues, especially when working on very large or complex diagrams.
  • Limited Offline Access
    LucidChart is primarily a cloud-based tool, which means that users need a stable internet connection to access their work.
  • Feature Overload for Basic Users
    Some users might find the extensive range of features overwhelming, particularly if they only need to use the tool for basic diagramming tasks.

Graphviz features and specs

  • Automated Layout
    Graphviz uses sophisticated algorithms to automatically produce visually appealing layouts for graphs, reducing the need for manual adjustments and saving time.
  • Customization
    Offers a range of customization options, allowing users to tweak the appearance of nodes, edges, labels, and overall graph style.
  • Versatility
    Supports multiple output formats including SVG, PNG, PDF, and PostScript, making it easy to integrate graphs into various types of documents and applications.
  • Integrations
    Graphviz can be integrated with multiple programming languages and platforms, such as Python, Perl, and web applications, increasing its usability across different environments.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source software, Graphviz is free to use, modify, and distribute, which makes it accessible for both personal and commercial projects.

Possible disadvantages of Graphviz

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find the learning curve steep due to the detailed syntax and numerous configuration options available.
  • Performance Issues with Large Graphs
    Rendering very large and complex graphs can be slow, which may hinder real-time or interactive applications.
  • Limited Interactivity
    Graphviz-generated diagrams are static, lacking features like node dragging or dynamic updates, which are available in some modern visualization tools.
  • Error Handling
    Error messages and debugging can be less insightful, making it difficult for users to identify and fix issues in complex graphs.
  • Aesthetic Limitation
    While offering some aesthetic customization, it can be challenging to achieve more intricate or modern visual styles compared to dedicated graphic design tools.

LucidChart videos

Lucidchart tutorial for beginners

More videos:

  • Review - Lucidchart in 90 seconds
  • Review - Lucidchart Review

Graphviz videos

Graphviz - Make Diagrams - Ubuntu 10.10

More videos:

  • Review - Use Soot and Graphviz to Generate and Visualize Java Call Graphs

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LucidChart and Graphviz)
Diagrams
69 69%
31% 31
Flowcharts
71 71%
29% 29
Wireframing
88 88%
12% 12
Flow Charts And Diagrams
72 72%
28% 28

User comments

Share your experience with using LucidChart and Graphviz. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LucidChart and Graphviz

LucidChart Reviews

Top 5 Zeplin Alternative
Lucidchart is another professional application that helps designers create and share flowchart diagrams. This allows the project management teams to brainstorm on the designs and give valuable additions. This tool is suitable for anyone in any given industry playing any role due to its prowess and ease of use in creating professional flowcharts. These charts are good for...
10+1 Best Workflow Management Software 2024 For Maximum Efficiency
While both Manifestly and Lucidchart are user-friendly, Lucidchart falls short in comprehensive task management tools. It works better to visualize the workflow in a chart, while Manifestly is more result-oriented making sure you don’t miss anything with its checklists and comprehensive automation.
Source: www.manifest.ly
9 Best Brainstorming Tools for Startups & Entrepreneurs in 2023
The intelligent diagramming tool Lucidchart brings people together to develop the future and make smarter decisions. Teams and individuals may quickly and easily sketch out where they are, what they need, and what comes next. Quickly picture the organisational structure, processes, and systems used by your team. Intelligent diagramming enables you to more quickly, clearly,...
Source: dhandhokaro.com
10 Best Visio Alternatives for Cost Effective Diagramming [2022]
Lucidchart is a product of Lucid Software Inc. and is designed to run on browsers that support HTML5. Nowadays Lucidchart is being used by reputed MNCs and IT industries for making data flow diagrams, mockups, flow charts, etc. There are many inbuilt shapes, floor plans, mockups, and other Android setups.
Best 8 Free Visual Paradigm Alternatives in 2022
Next, we have Lucidchart. A popular online application, the app boasts great features and is probably one of the easiest to use. Lucidchart is capable of producing simple and complex charts and diagrams. On the other hand, you can only enjoy the app for free for a limited time. After that, you will have to subscribe to its premium subscription to continue enjoying its full...
Source: gitmind.com

Graphviz Reviews

Top 7 diagrams as code tools for software architecture
Graphviz is a graph visualization software for representing structural information as diagrams.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Graphviz seems to be a lot more popular than LucidChart. While we know about 86 links to Graphviz, we've tracked only 5 mentions of LucidChart. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LucidChart mentions (5)

Graphviz mentions (86)

  • Ask HN: What do you use to create diagrams?
    Depends on the diagram. But a lot of times it's OpenOffice Draw[1]. I might also use Archi[2] or GraphViz[3] depending on what I'm trying to do. [1]: https://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html [2]: https://www.archimatetool.com/ [3]: https://graphviz.org. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Fixing Left and Mutual Recursions in Grammars
    Isn't Graphviz [1] the standard tool for this? [1] https://graphviz.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • ClickHouse: The Key to Faster Insights
    EXPLAIN AST: With this clause, we can explore the Abstract Syntax Tree, we can also visualize this via Graphviz. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Blockdiag – simple diagram images generator – blockdiag 1.0 documentation
    While inactive blockdiag was small and nice for automatically annotating documentation. As you can see it hasn't been maintained for a few years. https://github.com/blockdiag/blockdiag With complex diagrams, I find good old PlantUML diagrams more useful if not as initially pretty as mermaid. Plus it will output archimate without having to touch that UI https://plantuml.com/ But really it is horses for courses.... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Introduction to Haskell Diagrams
    Use a high-level language like Plant UML, D2, Graphviz which are good for the purpose they are designed for, but not for generic purpose diagramming. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing LucidChart and Graphviz, you can also consider the following products

draw.io - Online diagramming application

yEd - yEd is a free desktop application to quickly create, import, edit, and automatically arrange diagrams. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix/Linux.

PlantUML - PlantUML is an open-source tool that uses simple textual descriptions to draw UML diagrams.

OmniGraffle - OmniGraffle is for creating precise graphics like website wireframes, an electrical system designs, or mapping out software class.

Dia - Dia is a GTK+ based diagram creation program for GNU/Linux, MacOS X, Unix, and Windows, and is released under the GPL license.

Visio - Simplify and communicate complex information using data-linked diagrams.