5 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Visio
The best self-hosted alternatives to Microsoft Visio are draw.io, Excalidraw and tldraw.
About Microsoft Visio: Microsoft's diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and network diagrams.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Microsoft Visio without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
draw.io
jgraph/drawio
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Note-taking & EditorsJavaScriptDocker - Rank 2:
Excalidraw
excalidraw/excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
UtilitiesTypeScriptDocker - Rank 3:
tldraw
tldraw/tldraw
Infinite canvas whiteboard and SDK for drawing and diagramming.
Source-availableUtilitiesTypeScript
Why switch
Why teams move off Microsoft Visio
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Microsoft Visio's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Most self-hosted alternatives to Microsoft Visio are free to run for as many users as your server can handle; source-available ones may cap usage, so check each license. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 5 Microsoft Visio alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
draw.io
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Note-taking & EditorsDocker - 2
Excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
UtilitiesDocker - 3
tldraw
Infinite canvas whiteboard and SDK for drawing and diagramming.
Source-availableUtilities - 4
WBO
Web Whiteboard to collaborate in real-time on schemas, drawings, and notes.
Team ChatDocker - 5
ChartDB
Database diagrams editor that allows you to visualize and design your DB with a single query.
Database ManagementDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Microsoft Visio?
draw.io is the most popular open-source alternative to Microsoft Visio, with 8,585 GitHub stars. Excalidraw and WBO are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Visio?
Yes. 4 of the 5 apps on this page are open source; 1 is source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps, limits on hosted use or a paid license for production, so read them before you commit. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Visio?
Yes. draw.io, Excalidraw and WBO ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Microsoft Visio?
Start by exporting your data from Microsoft Visio, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.