I utilized Visio to craft visual aids for my presentations, including diagrams that visually illustrate data, such as flowcharts. Additionally, the solution was used to generate diagrams that showcase a series of connected ideas using arrow charts.
Student at Christ University
Useful templates, user-friendly, and highly reliable
Pros and Cons
- "A major benefit of Visio is its user-friendliness. Upon opening the program, you have access to a variety of pre-made templates, saving you time and effort. All you need to do is input your data into the template and you're ready to proceed with your project."
- "One issue I've noticed is that when working on a shared video link with a friend for Visio, there can be a delay in changes reflecting on their screen after I've made them. This also occurs when we're working on the same document. It would be beneficial if changes could be reflected in real-time. Additionally, I've experienced some text size issues with the flow task feature. Sometimes when I enter text, it appears very small, and increasing the size causes it to extend beyond the diagram, creating formatting issues. It would be helpful if these text and formatting issues could be addressed."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
A major benefit of Visio is its user-friendliness. Upon opening the program, you have access to a variety of pre-made templates, saving you time and effort. All you need to do is input your data into the template and you're ready to proceed with your project.
What needs improvement?
One issue I've noticed is that when working on a shared video link with a friend for Visio, there can be a delay in changes reflecting on their screen after I've made them. This also occurs when we're working on the same document. It would be beneficial if changes could be reflected in real-time. Additionally, I've experienced some text size issues with the flow task feature. Sometimes when I enter text, it appears very small, and increasing the size causes it to extend beyond the diagram, creating formatting issues. It would be helpful if these text and formatting issues could be addressed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for approximately a couple of months.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. I did not face any crashing or issues.
I would recommend Visio to individuals who don't necessarily use Microsoft software. With Visio, they can create visualizations and diagrams easily. Additionally, they have the option to download and share their work on their preferred platform, such as Google. Visio can be used for multiple platforms, regardless of whether you use Microsoft, Google, or other cloud-based services such as Amazon Web Services.
I rate the stability of Visio a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In my experience, Visio is highly scalable. I've used it within an organization that utilizes Microsoft OneDrive and Teams for their operations. This allowed for easy integration of Visio with the organization's existing Microsoft software and made it simple to share diagrams and visualizations with anyone in the company, regardless of their position or location within the organization.
We have approximately 1,000 people using the solution in the branch of the company I am working in.
How are customer service and support?
I have not faced any issues to need support.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Visio is a simple process. You can access it via the website and generate a link, which can be shared with others in just a matter of minutes.
What about the implementation team?
I can do the deployment of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My organization has paid for the solution. However, I have used it personally without payment. There is a free option available.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Visio a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Product Director at a outsourcing company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Very useful for network layout designs; regular additions and feature upgrades
Pros and Cons
- "They provide continual enhancements which are always very useful."
- "Extremely large complex drawings need to be saved on the cloud for access."
What is our primary use case?
This tool is mainly used by our engineers for network layout designs, to either document what's being deployed for a customer or to put together a proposal. We use it as a tool to graphically depict the network we're proposing to the customers showing what it will look like and which components will be included. We are customers of Visio and I'm the product director with sector security.
What is most valuable?
The solution has many readily available shapes and icons. Visio is a kind of industry-standard to some extent. Many companies have icon sets that can be imported into Visio and then used for network graphics or to specifically show a manufacturer's product model number. It's very useful. Visio has always been a pretty good product with continual updates. There will often be new features you didn't know you needed but once they're included, you can't imagine being without them. They're on the right track as far as I'm concerned.
What needs improvement?
If you get large networks where you're trying to detect everything in the network and you get lots of minute details, the drawings can get too large to send via email. You have to put it in cloud storage for people to access it. That's a byproduct of having a large, very complex graphic.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I've never had any problem with stability and all of them.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I've never heard of any concerns regarding scalability.
How are customer service and support?
Our own internal IT department deals with any support issues.
How was the initial setup?
Sometimes if you have to import icon or figure sets, it can be a little bit challenging. For the most part, it's pretty straightforward.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution 10 out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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IT Project Manager at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Not user friendly out-of-the-box but is fun to use and is very stable
Pros and Cons
- "It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward."
- "It's not the easiest software to use. It's not user-friendly out-of-the-box."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for tasks such as work charts, network diagrams, and process flows.
How has it helped my organization?
Process flows are probably the task we do the most. It's just how she diagrams, how a piece of software or a process should work. It's improved our organization.
What is most valuable?
It's pretty basic and fun to use.
You can go to YouTube and watch training videos. There's lots of information online about the product.
The solution can scale.
The product is quite stable.
It's my understanding that the initial setup is straightforward.
What needs improvement?
It's not the easiest software to use. It's not user-friendly out-of-the-box.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for about 20 or so years. It's been two decades; it's a long time.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is excellent. It never breaks, and I've used it for 20 years. Its performance is reliable. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution can scale. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so with relative ease.
We have around 200 people who use it in the company.
As of right now, we do not have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support is fine, as long as you can get a hold of someone. that can be tricky.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this solution, it's unlikely we had a different product. It was 20 years ago, and therefore it's been a long time.
How was the initial setup?
I didn't directly deal with the initial implementation. We have a team in-house that handles deployments. I can't speak to what the process was like or how easy or hard it was. Likely, setting it up was pretty straightforward and deployment takes a day. At least, that is my understanding.
We have a dedicated team that handles deployment and maintenance.
What about the implementation team?
We have our own in-house team that can manage the implementation. We did not need the assistance of an integrator or consultant.
What was our ROI?
After 20 years of using the solution, our company has definitely seen an ROI. I don't have exact details, however.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise license. We renew it on a yearly basis. We don't pay any extra fees and we partner with the Gartner group to help us when we have to renegotiate.
What other advice do I have?
I'm using the latest version of the solution. I can't speak to the exact version number.
We use both cloud and on-premises deployment models at this time.
I'd advise any company considering using the solution should first have a Microsoft team in place.
I'd rate the solution at a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT infrastructure manager at a legal firm with 51-200 employees
A tool that offers plugins with multiple products to offer a range of functionalities to its users
Pros and Cons
- "The product's initial setup is really simple."
- "There are some issues in Visio with the connectors, and it gets tricky when you want to connect objects with each other."
What is our primary use case?
I use Visio for high-level network design, and I use it for home planning since it is easy to use.
What is most valuable?
With Visio, one of its core features stems from the fact that you can get plugins for Cisco, Microsoft, etc. In general, Visio provides a plugin for sample diagrams, graphs, etc.
What needs improvement?
It will be a great improvement if Visio gets upgraded to provide its users more in the area of 3D. With Visio, when I plan for a house and the height of its walls, I should be able to view the walls in a 3D mode, which can be a huge product improvement.
SketchUp is a program that is not as easy as Visio to build 3D models. If I want to build a house in 3D mode with Visio, then I should be able to do so with one click that allows me to change the house model from 2D to 3D. I don't have the latest version of Visio, but in the version of Visio I use currently, I don't see any 3D mode provided to users.
There are some issues in Visio with the connectors, and it gets tricky when you want to connect objects with each other. The aforementioned aspect of Visio can be considered for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Visio for fourteen years. I don't have the latest version of Visio. I don't remember the exact version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution. Stability issues only crop up in Visio when there are some normal issues related to Windows or Microsoft Office, which may arise in cases when the system hangs.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
I am the only person who uses Visio in my company.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Visio is the first solution I have ever used, which is one of the major reasons why I still stick to it.
How was the initial setup?
The product's initial setup is really simple.
The solution is deployed on an on-premises model.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If I want to buy Visio for myself, I think it will be around 80 to 120 USD, though it is important to consider that I am unsure of its actual costs.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the overall product an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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."
- "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: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Principal Architect at a government with 10,001+ employees
Stable, easy to set up and a very popular product within the market
Pros and Cons
- "The initial setup is pretty straightforward."
- "There are too many features."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is primarily used for diagramming. I use it for a couple of different things, however, it's mostly for diagramming and documenting data center infrastructure including racks, wide area networks, logical designs, physical designs, and conceptual models.
How has it helped my organization?
The ability to clearly demonstrate and create labels has helped the organization immensely. To be able to create and to provide detailed configuration guidance on what ports to plug wires into, et cetera, is useful.
We use it to discuss design, network, and configuration options, as well as provide detailed guidance to the engineers on how to connect and how to configure our data centers.
What is most valuable?
The product itself is useful due to the fact that it's widely accepted. I can go out on the internet and I can pull down stencils in VisioCafe. I can easily get pre-drawn stencils for whatever I need and that makes life a lot easier.
The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
The solution is stable.
What needs improvement?
There are too many features. One of the things I find most annoying about Visio is the automatic connections. They're just like everything Microsoft does. They overdo it. There are too many features - especially when I have people who are not familiar with the tool.
Users will start creating text boxes for objects that already have a text feature. For example, if you've got a computer and you take a picture of a computer or a stencil of a rack-mounted server, people wind up putting text boxes next to it instead of double-clicking on the box and adding the title there. It's mostly user error, however, it's overwhelming for new users. They don't realize what can be done.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Visio since before Microsoft bought it. It's been anywhere from 15 to 30 years. I've definitely used it for more than a decade. It's been a while.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's reliable for the most part.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I use the desktop version of the product and cannot speak to how scalable the product is. It's only limited by the resources of the laptop itself.
In our company, we have 10,000 users on the product. It's used extensively. All departments use it.
I can't say if the organization plans to increase usage or not.
How are customer service and support?
I never need to call technical support. I cannot speak to how helpful or responsive they are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Our organization has used the solution for decades. We haven't used anything else.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. That said, I've also been doing this for three decades and therefore have had a lot of experience handling the process.
It's installed pretty cleanly. It's a Microsoft install and there's not really a whole lot of issues. If I don't have a stencil for what I'm drawing, I can go on VisioCafe and a couple of other websites to get them. You can get stencils for network devices, switches, routers, hubs, servers, and all sorts of fun stuff.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I cannot speak to the exact pricing. It's not an aspect of the solution I handle.
What other advice do I have?
We're a customer and an end-user.
Visio is one of the only approved products where I work, and it's one of the best.
I don't know if there's a newer version out, however, the only one I'm allowed, the only one the government provides me with is, is the 2013 version.
I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten. The only real problem is that there are too many features and it's somewhat overdesigned.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Technical manager at Koninklijke Bam Groep N.v.
Easier drawing capabilities needed, but integrates well and beneficial stencils creation
Pros and Cons
- "I think the best part of Visio is that you can import drawings very well into Microsoft Word. For example, if you put the Visio drawing into Word, you can double click on it and it opens in Visio. It is a very useful feature and something which I miss switching to Enterprise Architect. In Enterprise Architect, if I import a drawing into Word it does not open the diagram in Enterprise Architect. This is one of the strongest features and the ability to create your own stencils."
- "They could improve the drawing function, other solutions provide easier drawing capabilities."
What is our primary use case?
I work for BAM, which is the largest builder in the Netherlands. We have approximately 24,000 employees and we have a centralized IT that provides all products for our company. I use the solution for organizing many different types of visuals graphics. It has the ability to make drawings quickly with links, flowcharts, and organizational drawings.
What is most valuable?
I think the best part of Visio is that you can import drawings very well into Microsoft Word. For example, if you put the Visio drawing into Word, you can double click on it and it opens in Visio. It is a very useful feature and something which I miss switching to Enterprise Architect. In Enterprise Architect, if I import a drawing into Word it does not open the diagram in Enterprise Architect. This is one of the strongest features and the ability to create your own stencils. Additionally, it allowed the importation of AutoCAD drawings which was helpful because I did not have AutoCAD installed on my laptop.
What needs improvement?
They could improve the drawing function, other solutions provide easier drawing capabilities.
The UML drawings are quite limited, particularly the clause diagrams. You need to put a lot of effort to get everything right, compared to some other products I have tried.
In a future release, there should be more features in UML drawings. Generating drawings that belong to UML is quite an effort, everything is very tedious by hand and I prefer the methods which other competitors use which takes the effort away because some elements are done automatically. It requires fewer clicks with your mouse and fewer presses on the keyboard to accomplish the same result.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately 21 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have also used other UML tools and almost all of them are easier to draw in than in Visio.
What about the implementation team?
The implementation is done by our centralized IT team.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Enterprise Architect and have now switched to it.
What other advice do I have?
Visio is that it is a reasonable product.
I see Visio as something similar to Coral Draw, but more vector-oriented. For example, no picture, but vectors. I classified Visio more as a standard drawing program, it tries to be something else. I am drawing more and more diagrams in UML and Visio is not the ideal tool.
If I was going to rate Visio for generalistic drawings, it would be a solid eight. It is a good product, there is nothing wrong with it. However, this is not my main use case.
I rate Visio a five out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Database Specialist at Zwarthoed IT Solutions
Provides a lot of flexibility in writing graphs and customizing them and has many features compared to its competitors
Pros and Cons
- "The product provides a lot of flexibility in writing graphs and customizing them."
- "The solution is pretty expensive."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution to make graphs and schemas for infrastructure, application, and documentation.
How has it helped my organization?
We need proper documentation. The tool helps us during the project initiation to visualize things.
What is most valuable?
I have used it for so long that it is the product that I can work my best with. It has a lot of features compared to other competitors. The product provides a lot of flexibility in writing graphs and customizing them. It has a lot of stencils that we can use to make it seamless. I haven't seen that in other products.
What needs improvement?
The solution is pretty expensive. It could be cheaper.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s scalability a six out of ten. I do not need to scale it much.
How are customer service and support?
I do not contact support for Visio. I contact them for SQL Server. Sometimes, the knowledge of the people I talk to is not that good. Sometimes it's great, and sometimes it's not that good. It depends on the person who takes the case.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used draw.io in the past, but it was fairly limited compared to Visio. It didn't have a lot of functionality compared to Visio.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is pretty easy. We just have to install the tool. We do not have to do a lot of configuration. It would be somewhat different in a business setup, though.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I have a Microsoft 365 license.
What other advice do I have?
I prefer Visio. I have been working on it for a long time. It is a hassle to learn another tool. I will recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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