Compare Visio versions and features (2024)

Save diagrams to OneDrive for business and view diagrams from virtually anywhere online​

Co-author, edit, and comment on diagrams in real time within the Visio web app

See where co-authors are working in the canvas with a simple presence indicator

Create, view, edit, and collaborate on diagrams within Microsoft Teams¹

View and share diagrams connected to real-time data

Embed Visio diagrams into Power BI dashboards and connect those diagrams to Power BI data²

Use almost any browser to create, edit, and share diagrams​

Start with a simple Getting Started experience and powerful search

Add flyout shapes, insert and delete shapes with connection healing, and change shapes while preserving diagram layout and shape metadata

Enjoy familiar layout features, such as auto align and distribute, and Smart Guides

Choose from a variety of starter diagrams and get up to speed quickly with contextual tips and tricks

Use Document Stencil to create a collection of shapes and quickly use them in your document

Get support for ruler and layers

Gridlines on canvas and snap-to-grid

Leverage the power of the ShapeSheet to describe visual relationships between elements in your diagram​

Validate your structured diagrams against pre-defined rules and fix the issues identified

Create a report of shape data that lists the text or data that is associated with your shapes

Use Drawing Explorer to view and alter objects and elements in your drawing

Use or write Macros or Visual Studio Tools for Office Addins to enable advanced drawing automation or customization scenarios

AutoSave your work—enabled by default for Visio for the web diagrams​

Use touch to work more naturally on a touch-enabled device​

View shapes in full fidelity online with intuitive pan and zoom functionality

Save diagrams locally in PNG or JPEG format with customization options for resolution, background color, transparency, and size​

Add hyperlinks to shapes that redirect to external sites, email addresses, files stored online, or pages within the same file​

Edit shapes using Control Points, and easily apply themes to create modern diagrams

Export diagrams in SVG format with an option to include or exclude their Visio data

Navigate through commands with Tell Me integration

Use your finger or pen to draw and annotate on a touch-enabled device​

Apply shape effect options, like shadow, bevel, glow, and others

Use templates for basic flowcharts, process diagrams, and block diagrams ​to create impactful stories​

Choose from dozens of built-in, versatile templates and stencils, including Basic, Matrix, Cycle, Pyramid, and Venn

Annotate your shapes with informative text by attaching callouts to shapes

Visualize relationships between phases and functions using a cross-functional flowcharts (or swim-lane diagrams).

Sketch your Azure or Amazon Web Services architecture with access to hundreds of Azure and AWS shapes​

Illustrate how devices and networks all work together with a variety of basic and detailed network templates, shapes, and connector tools

Visualize your systems and software using a rich repository of IT content including Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD) and UML Diagrams​

Model the behavior of systems and functions of a process with Specification and Description Language (SDL)

Visualize your organizational structure by using org chart templates and samples³

Brainstorm and organize your ideas visually using mind maps

Represent business processes graphically with a rich set of Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and Integration Definition for Process Modeling (IDEF0) content

Quickly create high-fidelity mockups and prototypes of your websites with web and mobile wireframes

Bring your architecture designs to life with a rich library of floor plan templates and samples

Get an overhead view of your office space, residential area, or public transportation route with templates for office layouts and directional maps

Access templates and sample diagrams that cover core education and extracurricular activities, including algebra, chemistry, physics, music, and sports

Communicate project schedules, tasks, and progress with timeline diagrams, Gantt charts, and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) charts

Create accurate, detailed business diagrams with templates for IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) diagrams, Pivot Diagrams, Six Sigma, and value stream maps

Create detailed engineering diagrams with templates for basic electrical and Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID)

Develop clear and professional design plans with templates for HVAC plans and plant layout

Simplify your system design process with Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)and rack diagrams

Design a SharePoint workflow in Visio or import a workflow from SharePoint Designer for Visio to generate a diagram⁴

Use containers to visually group your Visio shapes together and perform operations on the group

Access more than 250,000 shapes through the online content ecosystem in Visio

Access a rich repository of partner-created diagrams for a variety of industries

Get accessibility support with Narrator, Accessibility Checker, and high-contrast support

Help secure diagrams with Microsoft Information Rights Management (IRM)⁵

Support compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

View .vsd files created in Visio 2000 and later versions

Edit .vsd files created in Visio 2000 and later versions

Get support for UML 2.5 process standards

Get extended support for various process standards in Visio desktop, including BPMN 2.0, and IEEE

Validate diagrams using built-in and extendable business rules

Import DWG files, including enhanced file format support

Create diagrams from Excel data starting from Visio⁶

Apply a rich set of data graphics, icons, and colors to visualize data

Link diagram shapes to data from multiple sources, including Excel, SharePoint lists, and SQL Server

Generate org charts from data sources like Excel, Exchange, or Azure Active Directory⁷

Export parts of your diagram to PowerPoint for easy sharing and consumption

Automatically export Visio process diagrams, including shapes and their metadata, to Word

Export Visio workflows to Power Automate to quickly automate business processes⁸

Fully installed and always up-to-date version of Visio for Windows PC⁹

Each user can install the Visio desktop app on up to 5 PCs

Intuitive drawing experience—flyout shapes, inserting and deleting shapes with connection healing, and changing shapes while preserving diagram layout and shape metadata

Publish to Visio viewer

Auto align and space

Easy-to-apply themes to create modern diagrams quickly

Shape effect options—shadow, bevel, glow, and others

Starter diagrams and contextual tips and tricks

"Tell Me" support to search and navigate through commands

Draw tab—use finger or pen to draw and annotate

Versatile templates and thousands of shapes

Smart shapes for maps and floor plans

Ability to import DWG and DXF files into Visio

Sub-processes to break complex processes into manageable pieces

Option to validate diagrams using built-in and extendable business rules

Easy shape customization

Apply colors to shapes by using Hex color values

Container to classify shapes

Support for various process standards, including Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) 2.0

Electrical solution with Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) compliance

UML templates conforming to Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.5 standard

Sketch your Azure or Amazon Web Services architecture with access to hundreds of Azure and AWS shapes​

Create wireframe diagrams for web sites and mobile apps

Work with AutoCAD drawings

Easy access to third-party templates and sample diagrams

Create a database model from an existing database

Ability to link diagram shapes to data from multiple sources, including Excel, Excel Services, SharePoint Lists, SharePoint Business Connectivity Services, and SQL Server

Ability to apply an extensive set of data graphics and colors to visualize data

Automatic creation of data legends, providing a key for applied data graphics

Ability to refresh data automatically, either on a defined schedule or manually

Automatic generation of organizational charts from data sources like Excel, Exchange, or Active Directory

Rapid data connectivity with Excel tables and ability to swap data graphics with one click

In-app commenting on a diagram or shape

Co-authoring—two or more people working on a single diagram at the same time (Requires Microsoft 365 or SharePoint)

Ability to see where co-authors are working in the canvas with a simple presence indicator (for files saved in the cloud)

Secured diagrams with Microsoft file protection technologies

Delve support for team document discovery

Easy diagram sharing and access with the web app (Requires eligible SKUs from Microsoft 365, or SharePoint Online)

Intuitive pan and zoom to view shapes in full fidelity with the web app or iPad app (Requires eligible SKUs from Microsoft 365 or SharePoint Online)

Hyperlink to a web page or diagram file in the web app

Ability to search shape text in the iPad app

Ability to switch layers on and off in the iPad app

No-code dashboard with the web app (Requires eligible SKUs from Microsoft 365 or SharePoint Online)

Backward compatibility to open a Visio 2013, Visio 2010, Visio 2007, Visio 2003, or Visio 2000 file

Availability through Microsoft 365 as a subscription

Roaming application—ability to install Visio temporarily on a Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 7 PC

Touch support on Windows 11, Windows 10, and Windows 8 PCs

Compatibility with Windows 11

Ability to have an Office-like experience with high DPI and Dark Theme support