


Other specialist objects for the realization of your diagrams can also be found in the online “shape repository”. There are also versions available for macOS and Windows systems, which can be found in the download section of the official website.ĭia offers a standard set of general polygon and line objects, which can help you create diagrams and flowcharts for a wide range of industries an administrator could compile an overview of a firm’s network, an engineer could outline structural systems, or a database specialist could even visualize an ER (Entity Relationship) model. Most Linux distributions contain the installation files for the program within the package management system, or alternatively, can also be found in the GNOME software selection. As with most GNOME Project applications, Dia is subject to the GNU General Public License (GPLv2) and is available for use free of charge. This alternative to Microsoft Visio is based on the GIMP Toolkit (GTK+) which is written in C – a free component library that offers diverse control elements for the design of user interfaces. Here, we compile a list of free Microsoft Visio alternatives and compare them to the Microsoft visualization program.įrom the developers who brought us the GNOME Project, Dia is a visualization software primarily known through the GNOME Linux desktop environment of the same name.

If this is the case, then it is worth noting that cheaper, or indeed, free alternatives are available, and may be a better choice. It is probable that an available budget is too low to fund the acquisition of this Microsoft software, or perhaps that the program is too complex for the intended purpose. Nowadays, Visio is available as part of the “Standard” and “Professional” editions of MS Office, and also as an additional purchase for Microsoft 365.Ī quick glance at the scope and price of the program lets you know that the application is primarily designed for professional use in larger companies – something which also explains the relatively small circulation of the program. Since then, newer versions of the tool have been released regularly, but never as part of the various Office Suites.

Having adapted it to their own concepts, they then proceeded to publish it as part of their Microsoft Office family under the name Microsoft Visio. The turn of the century saw Microsoft purchase the company Visio, and with it the software of the same name, for approximately 1.3 billion dollars.
