Creately
8.7#1 in diagramming toolsFree planFree planWebAPILinuxmacOS
VisitCreately vs SmartDraw
What both publish
| Fact | Creately | SmartDraw |
|---|---|---|
| Collaboration | Features include real-time editing, comments and tasks, and folder- and workspace-level sharing permissions with role-based permissions down to item fields. | Teams can edit diagrams in real time, comment, share links and use version history. |
| Desktop availability | Creately has a desktop application for Mac, Windows and Linux that caches documents locally and supports work during connectivity loss. | The current desktop launcher opens the web application, while SmartDraw says it runs on PC, Mac, browser and phone; the classic Windows desktop product is end-of-life. |
| Encryption | Creately states that connections use TLS 1.2 or higher and document content is encrypted at rest with AES-256. | The security documentation specifies AES-256 FIPS 140-2 encryption at rest and TLS 1.2 or newer in transit, with optional two-factor authentication and SSO. |
| Founded | 2008 | 1994 |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Australia | The Woodlands, Texas, USA |
| Integrations | The integrations page lists Google Drive, Slack, Confluence, and Microsoft Teams integrations. | Integrations include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams, Confluence, Jira, Trello, SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, AWS, Azure, GitHub, Entra ID, ChatGPT and Claude. |
| Praise: ease and templates | G2 reviewers repeatedly praise ease of use, quick diagram creation and the availability and editability of templates. | G2 reviewers repeatedly praise the intuitive interface, drag-and-drop creation, extensive templates, quick diagram production and collaboration. |
Creately plans
- FreeFree
- Starter—
- Team—
- Business$89 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
SmartDraw plans
- Individual$9.95 a month
- Team$8.95 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
Pick Creately if…
Creately suits teams that need a shared canvas for diagrams, planning, workshops, or research. Its self-hosted option may suit organizations seeking deployment within their own network or data center.
Pick SmartDraw if…
SmartDraw suits building and facility managers, construction and public safety professionals, investigators, and estimators needing specialized plans. It also fits IT, HR, software, and product teams creating collaborative diagrams and documentation.