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Pencil Project VS SimpleDiagrams

Compare Pencil Project VS SimpleDiagrams and see what are their differences

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Pencil Project logo Pencil Project

Single-user mockup / wireframing / diagramming tool

SimpleDiagrams logo SimpleDiagrams

Explain Yourself. Visually.
  • Pencil Project Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • SimpleDiagrams Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-21

Pencil Project features and specs

  • Open Source
    Pencil Project is an open-source tool, making it free to use and modify according to your needs.
  • Ease of Use
    The software is user-friendly with a simple and intuitive interface, making it accessible for beginners.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users on various platforms can utilize the tool.
  • Wide Range of Templates
    Provides various templates and stencils for web, mobile, and desktop applications to speed up the design process.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Supports exporting designs in multiple formats like PNG, PDF, SVG, and even integrates with popular tools like OpenClipart.org.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, it has a community of users and developers who contribute to its development and provide support.

Possible disadvantages of Pencil Project

  • Limited Collaboration Features
    Unlike some paid tools, Pencil Project lacks advanced collaboration features which can be essential for team projects.
  • Performance Issues
    Users have reported that the software can be slow or laggy, especially with complex diagrams or longer usage periods.
  • UI/UX Limitations
    While it covers basic design needs well, it lacks some advanced UI/UX prototyping features available in premium tools.
  • Limited Online Resources
    There are fewer tutorials, plugins, and extensions available compared to more popular commercial alternatives.
  • No Cloud Storage
    The software does not offer built-in cloud storage or synchronization options, which can be a drawback for users needing secure storage solutions.

SimpleDiagrams features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    SimpleDiagrams offers an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create diagrams quickly without a steep learning curve.
  • Affordability
    The software is relatively inexpensive compared to other diagramming tools, making it accessible for individuals and small teams on a budget.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize diagrams with a variety of shapes, symbols, and styles, allowing for personalized and specific diagram creation.
  • Offline Access
    SimpleDiagrams can be used offline, ensuring that users can continue working on diagrams without an internet connection.
  • Export Options
    The application supports multiple export formats, making it easy to share diagrams in different ways, such as via PDF or PNG.

Possible disadvantages of SimpleDiagrams

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more advanced diagramming tools, SimpleDiagrams may lack some features like real-time collaboration or cloud-based functionality.
  • Basic Graphics
    The graphical elements are relatively basic, which might not be sufficient for users needing highly detailed or professional-looking diagrams.
  • No Real-Time Collaboration
    Lacks options for multiple users to work on the same diagram simultaneously, which can be a drawback for teams needing collaborative features.
  • Platform Dependency
    As a desktop application, it may not offer the same flexibility as cloud-based solutions in terms of accessibility from different devices and platforms.
  • Updates and Support
    Users may find that updates are less frequent, and customer support might not be as robust as larger, more established software platforms.

Analysis of Pencil Project

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Pencil Project is a good choice for users looking for a cost-effective and easy-to-use tool for creating mockups and wireframes. Its open-source nature and the community support further enhance its value.

Why this product is good

  • Pencil Project is well-regarded for being a free and open-source GUI prototyping tool that is user-friendly and versatile. It provides a variety of built-in shapes, templates, and stencils which makes creating mockups and wireframes straightforward. Its integration with various platforms and export options to file formats like PNG and PDF also adds to its flexibility and convenience.

Recommended for

    This tool is recommended for designers, project managers, and developers who need a simple yet effective solution for GUI prototyping and wireframe creation. It is also suitable for smaller teams or individuals with limited budgets who are looking for a no-cost alternative to more complex and expensive design software.

Pencil Project videos

+ Add

Pencil Project | Free UI Mockup Design Software

More videos:

  • Demo - Wireframing with Pencil Project Demo

SimpleDiagrams videos

+ Add

Review of SimpleDiagrams business diagramming software

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Pencil Project and SimpleDiagrams)

Pencil Project

SimpleDiagrams

Diagrams
100 100%
Diagrams
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
Design Tools
100% 100
Flowcharts
100 100%
Flowcharts
0% 0
Productivity
0 0%
Productivity
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Pencil Project and SimpleDiagrams

Pencil Project Reviews

10 Best Visio Alternatives for Cost Effective Diagramming [2022]
Pencil Project is one of the best Visio alternatives which is open-source GUI prototyping software suitable for developers to create mockups, flow charts, floor designs, etc. It has a rich set of shapes and designed collections that make it easier to draw.
Source: todaystechworld.com

SimpleDiagrams Reviews

We have no reviews of SimpleDiagrams yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Pencil Project seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 11 times since March 2021. 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.

Pencil Project mentions (11)

  • Uizard: Figma alternative with low learning curve
    I am a software developer, so doing UX is never my strength. From time to time though, I would resort to using the open source tool Pencil (https://pencil.evolus.vn/) to get a low fidelity mock-up. Lately I've been encountering bugs where images would come out broken when I re-open my wireframe in Pencil. Frustrated of the issue on Pencil, I tried out uizard yesterday, and have been really happy with it. It's... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Quick UI-design tool for mockups?
    Thanks for your replies. I checked some of them out, but I found one on my own that fits me perfectly: Pencil. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Best practice to draw/describe UIs in plain text?
    I wouldn't use text to illustrate a GUI. We use Pencil with the crayon-styled stencils to make quick mockups. The crayon styling makes it clear that they're just mockups so people don't poke at the style aspects of the design. We've gotten great feedback from our clients that these are effective illustrations too. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Simple tool for network documentation?
    I use MS Visio at work and Pencil (free) at home. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • A blog web design with Inkscape, what do you think about it?
    Thank you ! Of the ones I have tested, the only one that really works is Pencil, unfortunately, it lacks a lot of functionalities, and it is still far from being as practical as Figma, adobe xd etc. I think Inkscape is much more practical and powerful, but maybe it's just because I'm used to it :). Source: over 3 years ago
View more

SimpleDiagrams mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of SimpleDiagrams yet. Tracking of SimpleDiagrams recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Pencil Project and SimpleDiagrams, you can also consider the following products

draw.io - Online diagramming application

Wireflow - Create beautiful flowcharts

Penpot - Design freedom for teams

WriteMapper - Skyrocket your writing productivity using mind maps 💭

LibreOffice - Draw - Draw, LibreOffice, ODF, open standards, creative software, vector drawing

Text 2 Mind Map - Make a dynamic mind map from a plaintext nested list

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