Visio for Mac alternative: SimpleDiagrams vs Visio
There is no desktop Visio for the Mac. If you want a Visio for Mac alternative for quick, informal diagrams, SimpleDiagrams is a native Mac app you buy once and keep.
Who each is for
SimpleDiagrams
Mac users who want to sketch an idea, a process or a system quickly, in a friendly sketch style, and drop the picture into a document or a slide.
Visio
Organizations that run on Microsoft 365 and share formal diagrams as .vsdx files. On a Mac you use Visio for the web in Safari or Chrome.
Side by side
| Feature | SimpleDiagrams 5 | Visio |
|---|---|---|
| On a Mac | A native Mac app for macOS 15 or later, on Apple silicon or Intel. | Visio for the web, in Safari or Chrome. The desktop app runs on Windows only. |
| Price | US$49.99 once. No subscription. The licence never expires. | Included in Microsoft 365 Commercial and Education plans (work or school account), not Home or Personal. Otherwise Plan 1 at US$5.00 or Plan 2 at US$15.00 per user per month, paid yearly. |
| Works offline | Yes. The app has no network access at all. | No. Visio for the web needs an internet connection. |
| Hand-drawn look | Built in: sketch-style shape libraries, a Squiggly Connector tool and Quick Styles. | Hand-drawn themes in the Windows app. Not supported in Visio for the web. |
| Shape libraries | Six built-in libraries, plus more sketch-style libraries, from AWS and Google Cloud to value stream mapping, to download with a free account. Free | Built-in stencils. |
| Shape data | Add fields such as owner, cost or status to any shape. Edit them in the Shape Data panel, compare a whole page in the Page Data table, and export as CSV or JSON. Set up fields once for a whole library. | Full Shape Data in the Windows app. In Visio for the web, Plan 1 and Plan 2 can fill in existing fields but not add new ones; Visio in Microsoft 365 can only view them. |
| Export | PNG, PDF and SVG. Print. | PDF, PNG and JPEG on the web. SVG in the Windows app. |
| Visio files (.vsdx) | No | Yes, its own format |
| Real-time co-authoring | No | Yes, in the browser |
| Windows | No | Yes |
Visio prices are in US dollars, as of September 2026.
Why people choose SimpleDiagrams
- It is a real Mac app, not a web page. It behaves the way your other Mac apps do.
- You pay once. There is no subscription to keep up.
- It works on a plane. The app has no network access and collects no analytics. See our IT and security statement.
- You can add your own data fields to shapes on a Mac, then compare and export them. No Windows PC needed.
- The informal, hand-drawn look is the whole point. Diagrams were never so easy.
When Visio is the better choice
- You need to open, edit and send back .vsdx files.
- Your colleagues work on Windows.
- You edit the same diagram with others at the same time.
- You need strict notations such as BPMN, or shapes linked live to Excel or other data sources.
Download SimpleDiagrams 5 and try it free for 7 days
The free trial is in the download from this site. The Mac App Store edition is paid up front and has no trial.
One licence covers one person on every Mac they use. Buying for a team? There are published discounts from 5 licences. See team pricing.
Also weighing up OmniGraffle? Read OmniGraffle alternative for Mac: SimpleDiagrams vs OmniGraffle.
Sources
- Microsoft: Use Visio on a Mac
- Microsoft: Visio for the web FAQ
- Microsoft: Visio plans and pricing
- Microsoft: Visio Plan 2
- Microsoft: Visio service description, features
- Microsoft: Design features compatible with Visio for the web
- Microsoft: Save a Visio diagram as an image file
- Microsoft: Add data to Visio shapes
Competitor details checked . Prices in US dollars; check the vendor's site for current terms.