Visio vs. Lucid: Which is the Better Org Chart Software?

You don’t have to tell us twice about the importance of creating an org chart. It can help with everything from showing hierarchical relationships inside a company to attracting great talent and creating a culture of transparency.

As businesses enter 2022 and transition from a year of rapid change due to the global health crisis, the benefits and use cases of an accessible, up-to-date org chart continues to grow.

But as more people join the organization, depart or are promoted to a different role, it can be difficult to keep track of all personnel changes without the help of tools.

There are several different org chart tools available these days, ranging from lean and free services to robust platforms with flexible features that can meet any user’s specific needs.

Two names consistently emerge over and over in the search for the best software: Microsoft Visio and LucidChart.

Whether you are just launching your business or at a point in your scaling where you’re looking for a bit more organization for your people, check out this breakdown of two of the most popular org chart makers available right now.

Microsoft Visio

If you are already using the Microsoft Suite at your company, its easy-to-use org chart maker Visio will likely save you time and hassle.

Officially a flowchart and diagram maker, Microsoft Visio has a user-friendly option for creating and visualizing org charts. Used for a variety of different charts and diagrams, Visio comes with dozens of organization chart templates, and other ready-made designs for flow diagrams, floor plans and information charts.

Users like: How easy Microsoft Visio is, even for first time users. It has a drag-and-drop interface and allows users to export documents as PDFs. It has advanced features that are well laid-out, especially for users familiar with other Microsoft products.

Drawbacks: If you are not a regular Microsoft user, Visio might be an expensive option when there are plenty of similar alternatives out there. It’s also custom-made for PCs. It can be used on Apple products, but only in a web browser.

Price: A monthly subscription for the web app starts at $5. Additional subscriptions can be purchased for both the web and desktop apps that start at $15 a month. For single desktop licenses, Visio Standard and Visio Professional go for $280 and $530 respectively.

LucidChart

Lucid is a visual collaboration software tool that was created primarily because founders Ben Dilts and Karl Sun had a hard time using Visio. The team created LucidChart in 2010 as a cloud-based visual workspace tool that lets users design charts and diagrams in a dynamic way.

LucidChart offers several other use cases such as business process maps and plotting future org charts as your company scales.

Users like: How quick and easy it is to get set up. Users can start from scratch or build out charts from any one of Lucid’s predefined templates. Simply drag-and-drop members of their org chart in a dynamic and intuitive way. Plus, signing up is free.

Drawbacks: It still takes time to understand the drag-and-drop interface.

Price: An individual plan starts at $7.95 a month (paid annually) with options to scale. A team account starts at $27 a month (paid annually), with each team member on the plan being $9. A free version is also available.

Should I make an org chart in Excel?

Again, creating your own organizational chart is highly personable and easily adjustable. Excel org charts can be highly useful if made properly — however, doing so is time consuming and takes considerable knowledge of the platform.

There are other software programs that are more user-friendly and free to use that work as perfectly good alternatives to a traditional excel chart.

The one exception is if you are looking to quickly import your team into a new software. In this case, having an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file ready to go will ease the pain of uploading team members for an entire organization.

Build an org chart for free with The Org

Building a business is expensive enough as it is, so why make your org chart software an additional expense? Try building a public org chart for free with The Org.

It's the easiest way to show off your team to the world, while reaping the benefits of running a more transparent organization. Plus, you can add open roles seamlessly into your org chart, letting prospective candidates view their potential manager and team mates.

Because org charts on The Org are accessible to everyone, you can find inspiration by browsing the org charts of thousands of other organizations across the globe.

This includes some of the biggest companies in the world, like Google, Tesla, and Amazon. Use The Org to see how they’ve structured their internal teams, use it to look for open positions, and better understand how teams work together.