A quick guide to the advantages and disadvantages of using Microsoft Visio.

1. Pros and Cons of Using
Microsoft Visio

2. Pros
• The market leader in diagramming software.
• Has a wide variety of diagramming shapes.
• Includes several variations per edition
(Standard, Professional, Pro), with varying
price & feature options.
• Visio Pro offers some cloud benefits, including
automatic updates and multiple installations.

3. Pros cont’d
• Most professionals are already familiar with Visio.
• Visio Standard and Professional are downloaded products and
can be used for as long as they’re compatible with your device.

4. Cons
• Visio is prohibitively expensive for many organizations.
• The price seems unreasonable when compared to the lower
pricing of similar tools (e.g. OmniGraffle, Lucidchart).
• Many users claim that Visio’s later iterations (especially 2010
and 2013) are unintuitive.
• There are also complaints about Microsoft’s poor customer
service.

5. Cons cont’d
• Visio for Mac doesn’t exist, nor does Visio for Linux. It only
works on Windows operating systems.
• The desktop versions of Visio only receive updates every few
years.
• The program doesn’t run on mobile devices.
• Visio doesn’t support collaborative editing without additional
products.

6. Visio alternatives
• Many alternatives to Visio are available, including desktop programs and
web-based ones.
• Web-based tools offer advantages like:
•Collaborative sharing and editing
•Login from any device or location
•Mobile access to your documents
•Constant automatic updates and fixes
•Compatibility with any browser or operating system

7. Visio alternatives cont’d
• Consider an alternative like Lucidchart. It’s easier to use, more
affordable, and just as secure as Microsoft Visio.