The most valuable feature is that it is integrated with other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, as well as at the backend with products like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.
Infrastructure Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees
Integrated well with Microsoft tools and the Office suite, but it needs better support for third-party tools
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that it is integrated with other tools in the Microsoft Office suite, as well as at the backend with products like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams."
- "I think that it feels a bit outside with respect to the icons that are available."
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
I think that it feels a bit outside with respect to the icons that are available.
It should be easier to integrate with other platforms like Confluence, or other content management platforms for exporting and collaborating on drawings.
It would be helpful if Visio could open drawings from other kinds of tools.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visio for at least 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution and we plan to continue using it for the foreseeable future.
Buyer's Guide
Visio
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Visio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Visio is a scalable product. We have perhaps 300 users in the company.
How are customer service and support?
I have not been in contact with technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I did not use another similar solution before this one.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team installed the product for me.
What other advice do I have?
If you are using other Microsoft products then I can recommend using Visio.
I would rate this solution a six out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Has a good interface but it needs better third-party integration
Pros and Cons
- "The interface is the most valuable aspect of this solution."
- "When you use a BPA solution you can open an end-to-end process in one window, go down, or go up between layers to different places. You should be able to see descriptions of the steps of the process."
- "My colleagues are not satisfied with this solution for many reasons."
What is our primary use case?
We use Visio for process diagram.
What is most valuable?
The interface is the most valuable aspect of this solution.
What needs improvement?
My colleagues are not satisfied with this solution for many reasons. They don't see end-to-end processes or the layers of one process.
When you use a BPA solution you can open an end-to-end process in one window, go down, or go up between layers to different places. You should be able to see descriptions of the steps of the process.
Integration with third-party vendors is another aspect that needs improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for three to four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We don't have any stability problems.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have local technical support. We have an IT department and the department solves all of our problems. They contact local support if need be.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price will always be high. It depends on the organization size, how many processes there are, and what requirements you have for the solution. If you require additional features like analysis, it will be a different price. It's a balance between requirements and price.
What other advice do I have?
My recommendation would depend on a few factors like the size of the organization. If it's a small organization and it does not have so many processes, I think Visio is a good solution. For larger organization solutions like Segnavio and Orbus would be better. Those are more complex solutions.
I would rate Visio a six out of ten. We don't have a holistic vision of our processes so I can't open a process. If I open a process in Visio, I can't see how it's connected to other processes.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Visio
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about Visio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
920,929 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Lead Process Improvement Manager at a insurance company with 10,001+ employees
Very flexible, easy to use, and stable
Pros and Cons
- "We are all familiar with it, and it is easy to use. There is a lot of flexibility, and you can add shapes if you want."
- "It would be nice if there is a database behind it. We have looked into this functionality, but all of the other solutions that have a database are very locked down, and you have to use them their way. You can't define your own stuff. For example, we have a system X, and I want to define system X myself and have it available. If I am ever going to make a change to system X, I want to pull up all the drawings that are associated with system X. I want to be able to search and pull all those drawings. Visio should have the ability to capture metrics associated with each step in the process. For example, based on a specific time, I should be able to link the data to a spreadsheet, which is kind of like the data analysis on the process."
- "It would be nice if we could develop a custom database."
What is our primary use case?
As process improvement professional I map out current state processes either at the value stream or swim lane level, at times both. With current state I identify pain points and bottlenecks do root cause analysis, identify possible solutions, and make recommendations on which ones I think would be the most effective. Then incorporate them into a proposed future state.
How has it helped my organization?
Once we developed custom templates and shape libraries it provided a common look and feel that our stakeholders have come to understand, which is helping them to develop a continuous improvement mindset.
What is most valuable?
We are all familiar with it, and it is easy to use. There is a lot of flexibility, and you can create custom templates with standard shapes.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if we could develop a custom database. We have looked into this functionality, but all of the other solutions that have a database are very locked down, and you have to use them their way. You can't define your own systems, tools, and inputs etc. For example, if we have systems that are used in multiple processes, and we want to know what processes use those systems we should be able to query the database for processes that include a specific system. A uses case could be system X being phased out so we need to know what processes will be impacted, so that we can ensure that those processes are all taken into account in any decisions to replace that system.
Additionally, Visio should have the ability to capture metrics such as demand, work time, cycle time, .. for each step in the process. Then those metrics should be able to be linked to a spreadsheet to enable data analysis that remains aligned with the process map so that changes remain aligned between Visio and Excel. Other systems attempt to provide this functionality, but the spreadsheet functionality is not as robust as Excel.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are no scalability issues. We are a nationwide company, and there are around 5,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
I never had to contact them.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I never used another solution long-term, but I have evaluated various and continue to see Visio as the best option.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was easy. It has been around for so long. All of us have used it before, so it is not like it was new to us.
What was our ROI?
Good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Most other tools are expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was already using Visio for years before evaluating other options.
What other advice do I have?
I advise standardizing the file naming conventions so it is easier to find what you need when you need it.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Integration Architect at a university with 5,001-10,000 employees
Flexible and easy to use in architectural modeling, but it needs better integration with external data sources
Pros and Cons
- "One of the things that I like is the automation from external data."
- "The most valuable features are ease of use and flexibility."
- "I would like to see better integration with external data sources."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case is modeling architecture requirements.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are ease of use and flexibility.
One of the things that I like is the automation from external data.
The user interface is fine.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better integration with external data sources.
Sharing work with colleagues is sometimes an issue with this product.
I would like to see integration with Microsoft Teams.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for the past fifteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Visio is a very stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Given that it's a desktop application, you can't scale it. You can't do much and sometimes, sharing is an issue.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have never used technical support.
They do have lots of videos and everything is available online.
How was the initial setup?
As it is a Microsoft product, the installation is easy.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The yearly cost is approximately $400 CAD ($300 USD).
What other advice do I have?
My advice for anybody who is implementing Visio is to establish the right templates for your project. Templating the models is very important so that everybody has the same ones.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Project Development at INECO
Intuitive with an easy setup and a good interface
Pros and Cons
- "The solution makes it very easy to make exciting pictures and designs. Everything is very intuitive and simple to figure out."
- "I love that interface a lot."
- "The user interface could be more robust."
- "It can export to AutoCAD, however it doesn't do so very effectively."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution to make new core designs. I connect the designs to the projects I'm involved with.
What is most valuable?
I love that interface a lot. I've been involved with design my whole life, and this solution is an excellent program in terms of assisting with design projects. You can work on quite large projects with Visio.
I've used the solution for so long, and I have so much experience with it, I'm quite comfortable using the technology.
The solution makes it very easy to make exciting pictures and designs. Everything is very intuitive and simple to figure out.
What needs improvement?
I'm not sure of the features that are missing. It's a pretty complete solution.
In some instances, I do feel that AutoCAD is a better solution to use. I find AutoCAD makes better lines and has a few better capacities.
The maintenance of the solution could be better. It might be better on a PC. I'm not sure.
I'm not sure if Visio is the best for 3D designs. One does have to make a bubble. It's typically better to do such designs in AutoCAD.
I find that, in order to get money, advertisers, etc., AutoCAD is a better solution.
The user interface could be more robust. It can export to AutoCAD, however it doesn't do so very effectively. You really struggle with exports as they end up exporting in different forms. It doesn't translate exactly. What is white in Visio ends up being black in AutoCAD. Ultimately, you have to go and fix everything. It's not that easy. You end up losing quality.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used Visio in the past 12 months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
In general, the solution is pretty stable. However, occasionally, we do experience a bug or glitch.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of the solution depends on the project. You can only put it on so many devices. We have a rather large company, so we have quite a few people on the solution. Not everyone in our organization uses it. It's just specific departments. We're in telecommunication, and we use it in our department specifically.
How are customer service and technical support?
I'm a big fan of support. They've been very helpful in the past. I'm satisfied with the level of service they provide to me.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also used to AutoCAD and I can make beautiful designs with it. AutoCAD is more complicated, the final drawings are not better than with Visio. That's the main difference.
However, when you have to sell something like Architectura, the screen isn't as clean on AutoCAD.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't too complicated. It's straight forward.
You have to spend your time with it in order to funny understand the solution in the beginning. It can be a little crazy at first due to the fact that there are a lot of rules we don't use. That said, it's not difficult to learn.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I'm not sure what the pricing is for the solution. I know that AutoCAD is very expensive, therefore, it's possible Visio is comparable.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using the latest version of the solution.
I use Visio now, and I'll use it going forward. I imagine I'll always use it. I have used AutoCAD, however, I prefer Visio. It's my favorite as I'm so comfortable with all of the aspects of the solution after working with it for so long.
Overall, I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Business Process Management Specialist and Business Continuity Management Coordinator at a insurance company with 501-1,000 employees
Very fast with great documentation but has limited scalability
Pros and Cons
- "The fact that it's on-premises allows you to get fantastic speed. It's got a faster response rate, it doesn't lag, and it doesn't have any latency when you're working on it."
- "If you look at ARIS, for example, or Signavio, the flowchart combines all the details and with the click of a button I can create a process manager. That would be something that Visio could add. It would cut my workload in half."
- "The scalability is limited."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for business process design.
What is most valuable?
The simplicity of the solution is great. It doesn't have a lot of menus, so it's easy to navigate.
The fact that it's on-premises allows you to get fantastic speed. It's got a faster response rate, it doesn't lag, and it doesn't have any latency when you're working on it.
The solution has a very comprehensive set of icons. It has a BPMN location and a lot of other different locations you can use at the same time.
Microsoft offers great documentation of the product.
What needs improvement?
The reason we're moving from Visio to another program is the fact that you can link the library on ARIS or Signavio. These you have to save them on the save drive which as a collaboration. It's not working for us. There needs to be better configuration at this point. We need something a bit more flexible in that sense.
The scalability is limited.
If you look at ARIS, for example, or Signavio, the flowchart combines all the details and with the click of a button I can create a process manager. That would be something that Visio could add. It would cut my workload in half. Currently, once I'm done with drawing the flowchart, I need to take it and put it in that document and then explain what the flowchart is.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using the solution for four to five years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good. It's reliable. It doesn't crash on us, or freeze. I don't recall any bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is average. It's not as scalable as other options. Organizations that need to expand it may run into issues.
We have about five to ten users on the solution at our company.
How are customer service and technical support?
I've never required technical support. I can't speak to the level of service they provide.
That said, there is great documentation, so it's pretty easy to troubleshoot by referencing those if you need to.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've tried ARIS and Signavio. We're still looking for a solution that can replace Visio for us. We're looking for something that can link our library.
How was the initial setup?
In our organization, the IT department takes care of the initial setup. I wasn't part of the deployment process.
What other advice do I have?
We're just a customer. We don't have a business relationship with Microsoft.
We're using either the 2015 or 2016 version of the solution.
The first question a company needs to determine how complex the processes are and how much depth, how much detail they want to document. If it's simpler and they want to get away from the flow chart and then present it somewhere else (such as on a PowerPoint or a report) Visio is a great option.
However, if you want to actually manage your processor, simulator, have a database, or have workflows in order to get approval within different departments or, for example, create documents after a flowchart, then I'd recommend other programs.
Overall, I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
HRIS Specialist at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees
Better for visualizing various types of workflows than more primitive methods of tracking
Pros and Cons
- "The ability to visualize a workflow is certainly an advantage over just tracking a process in something like Excel."
- "It is pretty easy to use if you are looking for this type of solution."
- "The behavior of the interface can sometimes be unpredictable."
- "The only problem I tend to have is that sometimes when I am moving objects around within the interface I lose the formatting or it changes type or linking."
What is our primary use case?
I am an HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) specialist. I use Visio for a variety of things.
- I do work charts on it.
- I do WiX (Windows Installer XML).
- I do all swim lane mappings.
- I do process mapping.
That pretty much covers it.
What is most valuable?
The ability to do my mappings is the most valuable feature in the solution. It is the reason I have and use the product.
What needs improvement?
I am fairly happy with the program. That would be about 90 percent happy. There is not really much that is wrong with it.
The only problem I tend to have is that sometimes when I am moving objects around within the interface I lose the formatting or it changes type or linking. You have just got to get used to the connectors not staying in the right spots or how they behave as you work with it and know how to repair it. When you are moving stuff around the joins sometimes just do not go where you want them to. That is the join arrow or shapes or connectors might intuit what you are trying to do in another way than you might intend.
It is an issue with learning the user interface and working within the behaviors of the program. When you move stuff around and it might move off the visible page, you just have to know to resize to make it fit in the view again. That part of the interface could be more intuitive or left to the control of the user.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Visio for least eight years although I think it is closer to ten, actually.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a pretty stable solution. I do not experience much in the way of bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I do not really have experience with scalability when it comes to this solution. In my department, it is just me using the program. Outside my department, I guess our IT department and our business analysts use it. I know because we are involved in doing some work with the IT department and they use Vizio extensively. I would say there are like five or six business analysts in that area who use it. I guess if you need to scale usage, you buy another license.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not had to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before using Visio, we did not use to do a lot of process mapping and our work charts were done in Excel. I was already fairly familiar with Visio, so that is why we got a Vizio. Vizio is a part of the package for the Microsoft suite, but it is an additional cost. So Vizio is not in the standard package but it is a product that is very compatible with familiar components in the Microsoft Office suite.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup and installation were easy. It was even less than an hour, I think.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Visio is about a $180 dollars to purchase. It is a one-time licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
The only real comment I have for people thinking of adopting Visio is that it is pretty easy to use if you are looking for this type of solution.
On a scale from one to ten (where one is the worst and ten is the best), I would rate Vizio as an eight-out-of-ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Deputy Manager, Quality Assurance at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Great designation feature that assists us with our required flow symbols
Pros and Cons
- "A good designation feature."
- "Scalability is good, and at the project level, we have supposedly 1,000 users that interact with Visio, and it is used extensively."
- "Inventory feature could be improved."
- "The inventory feature could be improved. On projects, there are sometimes inventory tasks that are lacking."
What is our primary use case?
Mostly, we're using the solution for working with objects and network diagrams and all the charts. I'm the deputy manager of quality assurance and we are customers of Visio.
What is most valuable?
Most of the time we're dealing with designation so that feature we find very easy and useful because we have a continuation for the required flow symbols. It also provides access for profile pics for the designation. Sometimes there are other options, such as timelines, that I also use but less often.
What needs improvement?
The inventory feature could be improved. On projects, there are sometimes inventory tasks that are lacking. Imagery could also be improved. I'd also like to see increased visibility.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the solution improves from version to version, although sometimes it doesn't feel very user friendly. Inserting visual formats creates issues with stability. That aside, it is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is good. At the project level, we have supposedly 1,000 users that interact with Visio. It's used extensively.
How are customer service and technical support?
I'm satisfied with the technical support. The documentation is reasonable.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was not complex because we had support and Visio assisted us with the deployment although it was actually carried out by our own company.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The fee is per license and there are no additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
I'm comfortable using this solution and I would recommend it.
I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Business Process Manager at a maritime company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Flexible and easy to use, but it should have a better connection to the workflow
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the set of diagramming tools."
- "If you just want to draw basic models and create systems diagrams, and not do anything too clever and link it together, then it will work well because it's quite flexible and easy to use."
- "The big downside to Visio is that it's very difficult to push the design through to Power Automate, to become a workflow that you can use."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use Visio for creating mind maps and other visualizations.
I also use it for process modeling, but we are searching for a specific business process modeler because Visio doesn't have the full scope of capability that we need.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the set of diagramming tools.
It is quite flexible and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The big downside to Visio is that it's very difficult to push the design through to Power Automate, to become a workflow that you can use.
The process modeling capability would benefit from a quick modeler tool, such as one where you use a table that is populated using the BPMN 2.0 format.
In the future, I would like to see a connection with the workflow so that you can create your model and then execute it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for about ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is something that needs to be improved.
The models are not linked together, so unless you're using SharePoint or you've defined your own workflow, there is no version control. This makes it more difficult to collaborate, link models, and make sure that everybody is using the latest version. Essentially, you have to build your own framework from scratch in order to do that.
We have about 100 users, most of which are end-users. It requires minimal administration.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not had to contact the vendor for support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
This was the first proper diagramming tool that we have used.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Our IT department installed it, and I think that it took a couple of hours to deploy.
What about the implementation team?
Our in-house team is responsible for the deployment, maintenance, and providing support.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our license for Visio is including with the Office 365 subscription.
What other advice do I have?
This is a product that I can recommend, albeit for limited use. If you just want to draw basic models and create systems diagrams, and not do anything too clever and link it together, then it will work well because it's quite flexible and easy to use.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Managing Director at The Benchmark Company
A stable solution for process mapping with good support, but the design needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features are process mapping and identifying responsibilities."
- "The design and the look and feel, need to be improved."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of this solution is for process mapping, and to streamline simulations.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are process mapping and identifying responsibilities.
What needs improvement?
The design and the look and feel, need to be improved. Also, the pricing can be improved for organizations.
In the next release, I would like to see simulations capabilities and artificial intelligence included.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for many years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable, we have not experienced any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable product.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is reasonable for individual use but for an organization, the costs is high.
There is an annual licensing fee.
What other advice do I have?
It's a good product and I can recommend Visio to others.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
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Updated: October 2026
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