Student at Universidad Galileo
Real User
Allows you to collaborate online and modify things in real time, saving time
Pros and Cons
  • "The sticky notes are among the most valuable features. Also, the fact that it has templates so that I don't have to do things myself, starting from scratch, is very helpful. In addition, it's really easy to use. You can add stuff by clicking, without having to go to the options. You just click on something and the options you can use appear."
  • "One downside is that you can only modify things online, but when you download work, you download it as an image. It would be useful to have an option to modify it locally."

What is our primary use case?

I started using it for projects that I have to deliver at university. I see it more as a collaboration tool where you can create things, present them, and you can do idea maps. For me, it's mostly a graphics tool. If I had to present something that represents a hierarchy or a process, I could use it as well.

How has it helped my organization?

The ability for people to look at diagrams, rather than reading through written documents, saves time and money. It makes a presentation even easier to digest. It's faster.

What is most valuable?

The sticky notes are among the most valuable features. Also, the fact that it has templates so that I don't have to do things myself, starting from scratch, is very helpful. In addition, it's really easy to use. You can add stuff by clicking, without having to go to the options. You just click on something and the options you can use appear. So in general, what I like is how simple it is to use, and the templates.

The fact that it is compatible with both PC and Mac is important. I am a PC user, but I work with people who use Macs.

In addition, the fact that you can collaborate online and modify things in real time helps a lot. If you had to send things to a friend it would be a little more complicated. It saved me about five hours, due to the fact that we didn't have to send things back and forth.

What needs improvement?

One downside is that you can only modify things online, but when you download work, you download it as an image. It would be useful to have an option to modify it locally.

Also, in the web version, when I'm trying to log in it takes a while to load. It shows you a progression bar and that it's loading a document, but if it worked a little bit faster, it would be easier. Loading the projects I'm working on takes a lot of time.

Buyer's Guide
Lucidchart
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Lucidchart. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started using it about three or four months ago.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's pretty stable. I haven't had any problems with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would give the scalability a five out of 10. You have to download an image, which doesn't work as well.

How are customer service and support?

Tech support is pretty good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used some online tools, but I don't remember what they were called. When I was looking for a tool to help me, I found Lucidchart easier to use, without a requirement to purchase it. The other tools ask you for your credit card to try the free trial, and I didn't like that. That's why I chose Lucidchart.

How was the initial setup?

Setting it up was easy. I just created an account and started using it. It wasn't complicated.

What was our ROI?

My return on investment has been on hours spent. Going back and forth on documents is not only tiring but it takes a long time to complete a project that way. The ability to look at things in real time makes it a whole different experience. It makes work a little bit faster, helping you to more quickly finish stuff. It makes it easier for a team and makes projects easier to do.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I only use the free version.

What other advice do I have?

Try it out, because it's really good. It might be good to download the desktop version. The desktop would be easier because it doesn't take as long to load. But overall, it's good.

I rate it a nine out of 10. The reason it's not a 10 is the load time. But other than that, everything is good.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at a security firm with 51-200 employees
Real User
Useful for technical and non-technical people, helps in visualization, and saves time
Pros and Cons
  • "I really like the drag and drop feature because it makes the work easier. It is very easy to use. All the pieces are very good. All the icons and all the fields are available in the left panel. So, I just click, drag, and then edit a piece. When I showed it to my managing director, he was very inspired, and he also got a premium account for himself."
  • "Wireframing can be improved. For mock-ups and wireframing, only 10% of what is required is there. If they can develop this feature, it would be much better because it will then provide everything. Currently, we can design network diagrams, processes, etc., but we should also be able to do wireframing."

What is our primary use case?

I am using it for a wide range of diagrams for network configuration, process flow, etc. I am using its web version.

How has it helped my organization?

It is good for documenting things such as processes, systems, etc. Typically, for each project, I'll start with a new file, and for each and every step, I create more sheets under the same file. It is similar to Excel where you have multiple sheets in the same file. It is an effective way for me. It is very convenient and easy to use.

It provides real-time collaboration among users so that everyone is accessing and working on the same version of a document. We typically organize a Zoom meeting at certain times, and I do screen sharing, and a few other people join in. We work together by using collaborative editing options. Not every person who has access to the collaborative option is very technical. Sometimes, they might unknowingly delete something. When more people are collaborating, they can mix things together. Such human errors will come up, but they happen because of the people who are collaborating and not because of the tool. 

The ability for people to look at a diagram rather than reading through written documents saves time. The clients get the reality of what we are doing, which we consider as important. We can show what we are really working on, and they understand. 

I do a lot of process flows and diagrams. It is very important for me, not only for process flows but also for network designing and other such things. It has been helpful for understanding process flows or workflows, and that's the main purpose for which I use it. I have to forward the software process or application process flow to my development team. For non-technical people, such as a client who doesn't know the technical terms, Lucidchart helps in more visualization. When I present it and explain the process, people can easily understand it. That's the main advantage of using this one. For technical people, I spent a few hours defining the process flow, and they can understand it in five minutes.

Lucidchart saved us around 90% time as compared to the other solution. When you use presentation slides, it takes so much time to create a proper design. You have to insert each and every shape, and you have to connect things properly. Moreover, the slide sizes are fixed, and you can't extend the slides, which makes the work harder, whereas, in Lucidchart, you can extend a particular sheet to whatever size you want. You can also put everything together, and it still works fine. I own a development app in which we have more than 10 modules. For all 10 modules, I'm just using a single sheet. I just extend its height, and I am able to use a single sheet for the overall process flow. So, I don't need to go slide by slide to explain what is happening. Previously, to share my slides with other people, I had to put the file in one place and then send the link. If they didn't know much about designing slides, they used to mess up everything. With Lucidchart, this doesn't happen.

What is most valuable?

I really like the drag and drop feature because it makes the work easier. It is very easy to use. All the pieces are very good. All the icons and all the fields are available in the left panel. So, I just click, drag, and then edit a piece. When I showed it to my managing director, he was very inspired, and he also got a premium account for himself. 

I deal with technical sites. So, I typically use this for roster plans such as who will be on a particular project, and it has been very useful. 

When it comes to network diagrams, it gives us the flexibility to design a network on the go. This flexibility matters to us, and it makes us more productive.

It makes everything easy. It is very convenient as compared to other typical solutions. It makes my work easier. I don't need so much technical knowledge or experience of a particular software. I can just click and drag.

What needs improvement?

Wireframing can be improved. For mock-ups and wireframing, only 10% of what is required is there. If they can develop this feature, it would be much better because it will then provide everything. Currently, we can design network diagrams, processes, etc., but we should also be able to do wireframing. 

I design the process flow, and after the developer starts the process, I also have to design the UI. At present, I'm using another solution for wireframing or UI, but even in that, most of the icons are missing, so I have to get the icons from the internet. If Lucidchart can have the wireframing options into it, it will be a major success and helpful for us. Lucidchart already has the concept, but it does not have many options. You can select only limited options even if you have a premium subscription.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used Lucidchart as a student for two years. As a professional, I have been using it for the last one month after joining this organization.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is totally fine in terms of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is pretty okay. We haven't encountered any compatibility or accessibility issues so far. 

Currently, we have about three employees who are maintaining the Lucidchart pack. They dedicate roughly one or two hours per day. Each one has a different role. One is handling development, one is handling the testing, and another one is handling the database and backend stuff. Their roles are IT manager, system engineer, and assistant system engineer. 

It is one common license. We just share the permissions. So, we have one account, and I am the one maintaining the account. I have three other people who have fewer privileges. I share the documents with them, but they can't do much editing. They can only do limited operations.

Currently, we don't have any plans to extend its usage. After three or six months, when our initial project is rolled out, we might expand it and purchase more licenses.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have never contacted their technical support. There was no need to contact them because it is very straightforward and easy to use.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In my organization, they were creating presentations for any kind of process flows, but they didn't have a professional look. They had to spend more time on the explanation part to help clients visualize the process. With Lucidchart, everything is in a single place, and everything is properly designed and organized. When I explain something to clients, it is easy for them to visualize and understand it.

How was the initial setup?

Its initial setup was straightforward. You just create an account and make the payment. It doesn't require any implementation strategy.

What was our ROI?

The ROI is not in terms of money, but it is in terms of productivity. Previously, to explain the process flow to developers, we had to spend hours creating the presentations. The guy who held my position previously spent almost a week designing five slides that explained the process flow. He had to spend another three to four hours explaining it to our developers, so the duration was very long. With Lucidchart, I can create the whole process flow within a day, and when I show it to the developers, they can understand within five minutes. So, I can witness its effectiveness. It is also useful when there is an occasional change in the process, which sometimes can happen once in a month.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its pricing is very affordable and reasonable for the features that it provides. I am using its basic plan, and for my usage, it is perfectly reasonable. It suits perfectly.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

As a student, when I was searching for such solutions, I came across Lucidchart in Google search. I just created a trial account, and it was pretty okay. I then came to know that my university also provides premium access to Lucidchart. 

In my current organization, I didn't evaluate any other products before recommending Lucidchart to my manager. I know Lucidchart for the last two years, and I thought this would be a perfect fit for us. I recommended it to my manager and showed him how it works, and that's it. He approved to go with it.

What other advice do I have?

It is very flexible and easy to use. These are the two main things about Lucidchart. Moreover, it doesn't take so much technical support. It is just click-and-drag. With some of the other solutions, you need some technical knowledge to understand how it works, whereas Lucidchart doesn't require any technical knowledge. If you have experience working with Word, PowerPoint, or Excel, you can use it easily.

I have very occasionally used Lucidchart to create database schemas or modify existing data structures. I have not used Lucidchart's ability to compare different versions of documents. I might try it in the future.

I haven't tested it with Mac. I have a Lenovo PC and an HP workstation. It works fine with both. I have also tested it with Ubuntu, and it works totally fine with that. In our organization, everyone uses Microsoft.

I would rate Lucidchart a nine out of 10. It just needs more wireframing features.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Lucidchart
March 2024
Learn what your peers think about Lucidchart. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2024.
763,955 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Managing Partner at Seegmiller Gardner, PLLC
Real User
Leaderboard
Flexible and easy to use, with a helpful and extensive template library
Pros and Cons
  • "Lucidchart is a lovely tool for creating visual representations of any process or organization."
  • "When you want to add text to a connector arrow, I have not figured out how to position the text vertically. It always wants the text to stay horizontal."

What is our primary use case?

I used Lucidchart to build-out items such as business org charts, business processes/workflows, and product diagrams.

Lucidchart is much better than competitors that I have used, such as Visio. I am able to easily save off charts I have created in a PDF document, which is primarily what I do.

The flexibility of Lucidchart is great. It is easy to create swim lane process documents with as many rows as you would like. It is also very easy to include columns into the swim lane that allows you to show where one process ends and another picks up. This feature has allowed me to generate very detailed process documents that my employers have loved. 

How has it helped my organization?

Lucidchart is a lovely tool for creating visual representations of any process or organization. 

People always ask me what I build my charts in, as the graphical rendering in Lucidchart is superb. The tool is super user-friendly and intuitive and comes with hundreds of templates to get you started. The user interface for Lucidchart makes it easy to build visual diagrams very quickly.

The full tool kit included in the product has more features and functionality than I will ever need, including the ability to publish diagrams directly to a web page. 

What is most valuable?

I love the template library. It makes it easy to get started on a project without having to expend a lot of energy upfront trying to recreate the wheel. There are many, many templates to choose from across a wide variety of categories. It is easy to find a template category that works and then even find a template with a color scheme that works for what you need. I have often taken a template, with the color scheme I like, deleted everything out of it, and started from scratch just so I could get the colors I liked quickly. 

What needs improvement?

When you want to add text to a connector arrow, I have not figured out how to position the text vertically. It always wants the text to stay horizontal. This is frustrating when I would like the text to stay in-line with a connector arrow, or otherwise.

Also, printing hard copies of PDF files that I have saved from Lucidchart has always been a problem. Although I don't print copies very often, every once in a while I need to do that for a meeting. The hard copies always come out missing colors and components of the chart I have created. I'm not sure if this is an issue with my printer, Adobe Acrobat DC, or otherwise. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Lucidchart for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The Lucidchart cloud offering is super stable. I've never had any issues with it, even when my network has gone up and down. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The tool is not scalable, per se, but it does allow the user to easily share diagrams with other parties. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I used Visio in the past. Lucidchart's user interface is easier to use. I also prefer the look of the Lucidchart diagrams. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Pricing comes in at about $100 for a year's subscription, which is very reasonable if this is a tool that you will use more than once. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I have only used Visio and Lucidchart. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
it_user716550 - PeerSpot reviewer
Sr. Program Manager, Cloud Engineering and Operations at a tech vendor with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Semi-Reasonably Priced SaaS Solution With Lots of Templates To Choose From.

What is most valuable?

  • Cloud/SaaS Solution/Pay As You Go
  • Semi-Reasonable Pricing
  • Lots of templates to choose from
  • Integrates with other tools (e.g., Slack, JIRA, and most importantly Visio)
  • Easily converts Visio files on import
  • Can export to Visio
  • Because it’s a cloud solution, I can create/edit from one computer, and continue to edit on another, if needed.
  • Cheaper than Visio, and since It’s a browser solution, I don’t have to worry about having a single license on a single machine.

How has it helped my organization?

I pay for a personal license, but being new to the organization, I am trying to push the use of Lucidchart, especially for Mac users in lieu of setting up a Virtual Machine with Windows, and in lieu of OmniGraffle.

What needs improvement?

Anytime I need to print, I have to re-download/export. This is a mild inconvenience, but hoping it could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

One year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

No.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

No.

How are customer service and technical support?

This tool is so easy and intuitive that I’ve not had the need to contact technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Visio.

How was the initial setup?

Super easy! Sign-up for the free version, test it out, and if you like it, pay for the subscription and start using it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Bigger discounts for annual prepaid license.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

OmniGraffle.

What other advice do I have?

If you are looking for a solution that replaces Visio, Lucidchart is indeed the alternative. All of the benefits/features that I described above are the reasons why I would never go back to Visio.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Business Support Analyst at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Leaderboard
Real-time collaboration, with everyone working on the same version of a document, decreased project development time
Pros and Cons
  • "The templates are quite valuable, as is the fact that you can export to PDF, to a Visio document, or as a picture. These are valuable features for me because they give me the ability to make changes in any other product that I'm using. I'm not bound by one platform."
  • "One area for improvement is the fact that I had to create two sheets. I had to create a process flow diagram, and I had to create a timeline. I wasn't able to do that in one sheet. If they could add that kind of feature, where you could input a timeline and different types of templates into one worksheet, that would be really useful. I had to include two and then cut and paste, and that was an extra step for me."

What is our primary use case?

I am using it to create a process document showing a process flow with a timeline.

I'm using the web version.

How has it helped my organization?

It provides real-time collaboration so that everyone is accessing and working on the same version of a document and that has made the project development process faster. I've tried it with a few of my team members, and we've all worked on things simultaneously. The application provided good, real-time updates of the changes that were being made. It saved us almost a week getting the final product out.

The ability to look at a diagram, rather than reading through written documents, also saves time and money, absolutely. My manager wanted a visual representation of the process flow, and Lucidchart helped immensely. I was stuck for two to three months when trying to make a visual representation of the process flow and I wasn't able to get it done. Using Lucidchart, I did it in one day. I asked for a week, but I went back with the final process flow and diagram within a day, which was really surprising. They were expecting me to take a week to build it. It has increased efficiency.

What is most valuable?

The templates are quite valuable, as is the fact that you can export to PDF, to a Visio document, or as a picture. These are valuable features for me because they give me the ability to make changes in any other product that I'm using. I'm not bound by one platform.

When it comes to documenting things like processes and systems, it's pretty good. Everything is already created via a template and then you just input your details and make the small changes as necessary. It's quite time-efficient and easy to create charts.

And it is definitely important that it accommodates both Mac and PC users so that you are not bound to one kind of operating system. In organizations there are different users. Somebody will be using a Mac and somebody else will be using a Windows PC. It's essential that the tool is created for both operating systems instead of just one.

What needs improvement?

One area for improvement is the fact that I had to create two sheets. I had to create a process flow diagram, and I had to create a timeline. I wasn't able to do that in one sheet. If they could add that kind of feature, where you could input a timeline and different types of templates into one worksheet, that would be really useful. I had to include two and then cut and paste, and that was an extra step for me.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using Lucidchart for four weeks.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

While using it on the web, it has been pretty stable. It would be even better if I could use it as enterprise-wide software as a service, and not on the web.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I believe it is pretty scalable but I can't judge how it would perform if it was deployed on a server, whether that server was Lucidchart's or on-premises. But my initial impression is that it is quite scalable.

It is currently being used within my team only, consisting of three people, and we are all business support analysts or service analysts. I don't have the power to decide if it will be deployed further in my organization, but I would definitely recommend it. We could submit ideas of new, cool applications that would be helpful for our organization. I'm definitely going to do that.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't used tech support because it is fairly simple to use.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I went with it because we couldn't do certain things in Visio. I was Googling my use case and Lucidchart gave me templates and options that could combine to create a single process diagram with a timeline.

Switching from Visio to Lucidchart, was pretty easy. I was able to import my Visio files into the solution. That was pretty important because we had other process diagrams already created in Visio. We had to bring them over to Lucidchart so that we maintain them in a single platform.

How was the initial setup?

The setup is straightforward. There was no deployment because I'm using the application on the web.

What was our ROI?

I have definitely seen a return on investment in the amount of time it has saved versus the fees I had to pay. If I would have spent a week working on a product and still not have been able to get to the final diagram, that would have wasted a lot of man-hours.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The licensing is pretty cost-effective but I haven't considered it on an enterprise level.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Visio is fine for creating charts but I found it difficult to go through the Help section and find out how to do things in Visio. Lucidchart was easy to navigate and provided an easy way to build a chart. Using Visio was very time-consuming while Lucidchart was intuitive.

Lucidchart's capabilities for visualizing and understanding process flows or workflows are pretty good. With Visio, there's one thing that is missing when creating process flows. If I have to create direction arrows from one box to another, it is easier in Lucidchart to connect them. And it is very intuitive in the sense that it automatically does so if it is a sequential process, and that functionality does not exist in Visio.

I briefly tried another tool from Atlassian but it had the limitation of only working within Atlassian's tools. That was the only other product that I considered before Lucidchart.

What other advice do I have?

Lucidchart is quite interesting and an easy-to-use application. It offers you a range of templates that are ready to use. You can import your previous files from any other platform that you were using. It has various integrations that can be very beneficial if you are using enterprise applications like Slack and Salesforce, for example.

I have not tested the integrations but I expect they are quite useful because we use Atlassian Confluence and it would really be good to directly export from this application to Confluence. We do create process flows and flow charts in Confluence to make our customer base and to keep our Knowledge Base up to date. I haven't used the integrations because they have to go through a security review and be approved for use.

The biggest lesson I have learned from using it is that you need to take a leap of faith and try something new. Read the reviews, read the FAQs, and see the functionality. If you don't try, you won't get to know if it can help with what you are doing.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Game Designer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Makes it easy to collaborate and share
Pros and Cons
  • "The best part of Lucidchart is its comfortableness when sharing it with my teammates. Lucidchart provides me a folder for my ERD. I can make a dozen lists of my chart, then share them with my teammates easily through the diagrams of Lucidchart. This is their main comfortableness, which is the reason why I choose Lucidchart rather than some other chart program."
  • "They could provide more documentation or tutorials of ERDs or DDD on the Lucidchart site. That could be better."

What is our primary use case?

I make the domain-driven designs (DDDs) for my teammates as well as ER diagrams (ERDs).

I usually use Lucidchart with my work for some idea improvements or brainstorming.

How has it helped my organization?

Our company has a linking system where we can share hierarchies and general information with our teammates. I use Lucidchart to visualize the main system of our old game systems, like the DDD.

I make the domain-driven design, and through that I make the ERD. Then, through the ERD, I make the database schema. So, all the charts that I make or propose for new systems go through that process.

Lucidchart provides real-time collaboration among users so everyone is accessing and working on the same version of a document. First, I make the proposal or concept of the domain, then I review it with my teammates. If they accept the whole concept of the domain, I make it as a domain model through Lucidchart. So, that loop of feedback makes a better version of the DDD, ERD, or schema.

The concept of a product is something that can always change over time. So, it is good to have a diagram for visualization that makes changes easily. This is the essence of Lucidchart. I fully agree with the concept of Lucidchart because of this reason.

What is most valuable?

The best part of Lucidchart is its comfortableness when sharing it with my teammates. Lucidchart provides me with a folder for my ERD. I can make a dozen lists of my chart, then share them with my teammates easily through the diagrams of Lucidchart. This is their main comfort, which is the reason why I choose Lucidchart rather than some other chart program.

We use Lucidchart for documenting things, such as processes, systems, new teams, etc. I can share these via email to my product team using a Lucidchart shared link. I also declare the main domain of our game as Lucidchart. Then, the majority of my work is the relationship between domains and visualization through Lucidchart. 

It is very important that Lucidchart accommodates Mac and PC because of my job. When our designers usually make their presentations to customers or my teammates, we usually use the iPad. Lucidchart also provides an application version that works from PC to iPad. It is very comfortable to use and present to someone with my iPad. Therefore, it's very important to provide versions for both Mac and PC. 

What needs improvement?

There are some situations where there is a difference between their iPad, mobile, and PC versions. For example, when I use Lucidchart on a PC, the PC provides a layer system for Lucidchart. When I am using the PC, I can assign or change the layer of my chart. However, when I use Lucidchart on the iPad or mobile, I cannot find any UI or UX that provides a layer system. I am unable to find the shape or other layers on the mobile or iPad.

They could provide more documentation or tutorials of ERDs or DDD on the Lucidchart site. That could be better.

If there were any charts from Lucidchart that can be shared as real-time collaboration through Slack or DataPal, then that would make it better to use as a software program.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used Lucidchart for two months. 

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 50 employees in our company who already use Lucidchart. So, everyone in the company is using Lucidchart.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not used the technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In the past, I used draw.io for ERDs.

We switched because Lucidchart has standalone libraries, which makes it comfortable for me to create some draw charts or data flows. draw.io doesn't have anything like standalone libraries. When I use draw.io, I usually have to make my own standalone library for my work. Using Lucidchart, there is no reason to make my own standalone libraries because Lucidchart already has many good standalone libraries for their ERDs.

Lucidchart is essential. When I use other charts programs, like draw.io, there are no standard shapes nor standalone libraries. They cannot import my ERD or schema to a secure database. When I found Lucidchart, the program already provided the input system to SQL and MySQL. So, it is very comfortable to use this solution rather than another program.

I also switched from Visio to Lucidchart. Visio does provide some good functions and nice directories, but it is very hard to use on an iPad or mobile that is iOS-based. The major feature which made me decide to use Lucidchart is the compatibility because Visio doesn't provide good compatibility for the mobile or iPad. 

draw.io is a free program, but they provide very few standard libraries and no import programs. Visio has good features, but it does not have the compatibility. The reason that I selected Lucidchart was for my chart program.

How was the initial setup?

There were no problems downloading this program to my computer or iPad. Our country has a very good trial on the Internet. 

What was our ROI?

The real-time collaboration saves two hours a day for my team.

The ability for people to look at a diagram, rather than reading through written documents, has saved my organization time, and as a result money. Developers/artists don't want to read the documentation. They want to see the essence and relationship of their concept. They just want some simple diagrams to help them imagine their main concept. So, the visual diagrams are better than the documentation.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Other programs don't provide a print system, which Lucidchart does.

What other advice do I have?

It is not a complex system. It is very easy to use, collaborate, and share. I like it. It is easy to share, easy to learn, and has compatibility with PCs and iPads.

I already learned most of the information on how to make a schema or DDD in other assets. So, I did not use Lucidchart as my starting material.

We plan on exploring the solution’s integrations with Atlassian, Salesforce, Microsoft, Google Workspace, or other solutions.

I would rate this solution as an eight and a half out of 10.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Enterprise Architect at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Templates eliminate creating something from scratch and help realize significant efficiencies
Pros and Cons
  • "For documenting processes and systems, I would rate the solution a nine out of 10. I'm not aware of any other software that is as usable as this, because of the templates. They make documenting these things really easy."
  • "Perhaps it already exists, but if there were software to install the solution on a Mac, that would be helpful. I see that it's not in the App Store, so that's something that could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I have two main use cases. I am an IT architect, so I'm drawing IT architecture with Lucidchart. The second use case is that I'm using it to build some business models to describe my customers in a single slide.

It's a SaaS solution.

How has it helped my organization?

It's good for teamwork. If you need to collaborate on a certain drawing, whether a business process, or architecture, or anything else, having the team on the same platform is good. 

Also, the ability for people to look at a diagram rather than reading through written documents absolutely saves time and, as a result, money. An image is worth more than a book of words. It's impossible for me to quantify the savings.

Lucidchart helps realize efficiencies in the projects I use it for. For example, I will use Lucidchart for each of my customers to describe their business processes. For efficiency, it's really good in that sense. I would estimate it increases my efficiency by 30 percent.

What is most valuable?

The templates are good. They eliminate creating something from scratch and allow me to create from a framework. That saves time.

For documenting processes and systems, I would rate the solution a nine out of 10. I'm not aware of any other software that is as usable as this, because of the templates. They make documenting these things really easy. And when it comes to visualizing and understanding process flows or workflows it makes things easy to understand.

It's also integrated with Google Drive. This is mandatory because all the content I produce is stored in Google Drive. If this was not directly linked to Google Drive it would be a pain.

The fact that Lucidchart accommodates both Mac and PC users is also important to me because I'm using a Mac. If it didn't work on Mac I could not use it at all.

What needs improvement?

Perhaps it already exists, but if there were software to install the solution on a Mac, that would be helpful. I see that it's not in the App Store, so that's something that could be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Lucidchart for one month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have never experienced downtime, so it has made a very positive impression.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Because it is a SaaS version, it should be really scalable. But that's just a guess because I haven't had to scale it, given that I have just started using it. But I will use it more and more with my customers.

I have no idea how many people are using Lucidchart in our organization, but I can imagine that all the solution architects would be using it. That would amount to 10 percent of the company using Lucidchart.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not had to use their technical support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I switched from PowerPoint because in PowerPoint you have to build everything, while in Lucidchart it's already there with templates. It's easy to use.

How was the initial setup?

Because it's a SaaS, the setup was quite easy.

What other advice do I have?

Leverage the existing templates. Doing so is like taking advantage of someone having already done your job.

I rate it a nine out of 10. I would love to have the software on my Mac. That would make it a 10.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Software Engineer at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
I'm able to show what I'm thinking, including where I plan to put instances and where the database will be used
Pros and Cons
  • "It's very easy to use. I didn't go through any tutorials or any documentation. It was very easy for me to start. It is intuitive. Right after logging in, I was able to quickly just drag and drop and do the things I wanted to do, without any prior knowledge of the solution."
  • "Although it comes with a lot of pre-existing tools, it would help if it had some more design templates. By now, they must know what kinds of things people are trying out, and that should help them create more templates. I would also like to see a little more automation."

What is our primary use case?

I'm a software engineer and one of my tasks is to design a system for how data will flow and how things will be organized. That's what made me start using the solution. If I go one step deeper into this project, I will need to make database-specific diagrams, including class entity and relationships diagrams.

I use it whenever I have to start any new project, any new REST API, any new system design, or microservices. That's when Lucidchart is the primary tool to work with.

Lucidchart is a SaaS-based solution.

How has it helped my organization?

Previously, I used to draw diagrams on my notebook, and sometimes I would make PowerPoint presentations. After getting to know Lucidchart, I have been better able to convey my ideas. I'm able to show what I'm thinking and how I'm thinking, including where I'm planning to put the instances, where I'm planning to use the database, and what I want to include in the database. I am clearly able to show these things to the rest of the team. It is super good.

As a result, it has saved me time, on the order of at least 50 to 60 percent, because of the ease of use. In the long term, if I save that kind of time, and the rest of my team members are able to contribute ideas on the diagrams, it's obviously good for efficiency. I can now focus on other things. I can really focus on the code, which it would have taken a lot more time to get into.

The real-time collaboration, where everyone is accessing and working on the same version of a document, is also good. It is easy to understand what other people have done, and it has saved us time. We used to do everything on whiteboards in the office or wherever we met. 

In addition, the ability for people to look at a diagram rather than reading through written documents is helpful. Who reads documents anyway? Rather than reading something and creating imagined diagrams in the mind, why not just get to a diagram directly? That saves a lot of time. If I was spending four hours on something like this previously, over the course of a couple of days, I am now spending two hours on it. That amounts to a significant amount of money saved.

What is most valuable?

It's very easy to use. I didn't go through any tutorials or any documentation. It was very easy for me to start. It is intuitive. Right after logging in, I was able to quickly just drag and drop and do the things I wanted to do, without any prior knowledge of the solution. The intuitive design is my favorite part. I have really enjoyed it, so far. On the left panel I can see everything that I can imagine needing. On top of that, if I miss something, it's still there, I can still access it. It has everything I want.

It makes hierarchies easy to understand. It's not that I haven't seen this type of feature anywhere else, I have, but it's sleek and simple and has fewer colors and that makes it easy to grasp.

It's capabilities for visualizing and understanding workflows make doing so very easy. 

Another positive is that it allows me to share things with my team members and get their input, and then they can also modify it per their requirements. That is good for the overall process and for teamwork. That part is super smooth, and that's while we have been in a culture of remote work because of the pandemic. We don't know when it will be behind us forever, so Lucidchart helps me to build confidence in my design. Using the solution, the designs are not only in my mind, they are in a document, and the rest of the team can always see it. In the current COVID-19 scenario, it is the best thing for sharing ideas, for sharing the designs, for architects, for senior engineers, and everyone.

The fact that Lucidchart accommodates both Mac and PC users is also important because different teams use different environments and systems. It's easy to communicate and there is no barrier due to the user's system, and that's always good.

What needs improvement?

Although it comes with a lot of pre-existing tools, it would help if it had some more design templates. By now, they must know what kinds of things people are trying out, and that should help them create more templates. I would also like to see a little more automation.

For how long have I used the solution?

I started using Lucidchart a month ago and I'm on the demo version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability has been good and the solution has been efficient. It's my primary charting tool.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

As of now, it's difficult for me to talk about its scalability. In time, I'll be running into different, more, and larger diagrams. For now, I haven't felt any kind of lag in the existing environment. I haven't had to think about whether Lucidchart would be able to handle a lot more data.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not had to use their technical support yet.

How was the initial setup?

Setting up Lucidchart was easy and smooth. There was nothing complex about it. I was using it after about 10 to 15 minutes.

So far, there has been no maintenance involved.

What was our ROI?

So far, the investment has been good in terms of time and learning. It has given me good value in return, in terms of time savings and better communication with the team, which, again, has resulted in efficiency and time savings. Time is money, so it has helped me to save a significant amount.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I tried Gliffy but I didn't find it that attractive. Lucidchart has a better UI and UX. The sign-in time was quick and the process was easy and I was directly able to get into the content I wanted to work on. Exporting is also better.

What other advice do I have?

The biggest thing I have learned using Lucidchart is that it's always better to visualize, and help others visualize, what you are imagining or thinking, rather than sharing text or a document. It's on point. The diagrams help. I don't think anybody is interested in reading docs anymore.

I haven't tried any of the integrations so far, but it is good that those capabilities are there. I'll definitely use them, as required by my use cases. 

I have shared Lucidchart work via emails and invites, but it's good that it has a Slack integration because our company is using Slack. I intend on trying that feature, as Slack is good for informal communication. It will save time.

Everybody should be made aware of Lucidchart. People are aware of it already, to some extent, but everybody, including college students, should know about it. It just helps. 

If my use cases run into more complex scenarios and they need more features, I would definitely not hesitate to go for a premium version of  Lucidchart.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Lucidchart Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Lucidchart Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.