SimpleDiagrams vs Visio on the Mac

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 hand-drawn 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: hand-drawn 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 hand-drawn libraries, from AWS and Google Cloud to value stream mapping, to download with a free account. Free Built-in stencils.
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.
  • 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 diagrams linked to data.

Try SimpleDiagrams 5 free for 7 days

Download the free trial Buy a licence

One licence covers one person on every Mac they use.

Also weighing up OmniGraffle? Read SimpleDiagrams vs OmniGraffle.

Sources

Competitor details checked . Prices in US dollars; check the vendor's site for current terms.