Visio Reviews

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.

The most valuable feature is the set of diagramming tools.

It is 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.

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.

I have been using Visio for about ten years.

The stability is good.

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.

We have not had to contact the vendor for support.

This was the first proper diagramming tool that we have used.

The initial setup is straightforward. Our IT department installed it, and I think that it took a couple of hours to deploy.

Our in-house team is responsible for the deployment, maintenance, and providing support.

Our license for Visio is including with the Office 365 subscription.

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.

I use Visio when I'm writing a client report in Microsoft Word, and I want to put in a simple graphic to supplement the text or better explain something. Visio's graphics are not complicated. They're quick and easy to create, so I use them mainly for what I would call static graphics, like simple charts and diagrams.

Visio has improved my workflow by making it easy to create charts, diagrams, and essential illustrations to use in my client reports and proposals. It has saved me a lot of time I would otherwise spend creating visuals for clients manually.

One of the most valuable features is the online support from Microsoft. Whenever I'm stuck with a problem, I can contact customer support. They will almost certainly get back to me within a reasonable time frame. They're good with that.

It is easy to use online tutorials and training videos provided by Microsoft and elsewhere, such as on YouTube. So, if I want to create a new diagram, add some shapes, or increase the weight of a connection from one object to another in my graph, I can easily find out how to do that.

Another aspect that I enjoy is the seamless online integration. For example, there's the ability to download all sorts of extras like different shapes, stencils, objects, etc., for free directly from Microsoft into Visio. Also, I like that you can drag and drop online pictures straight from the Web into Visio.

There could be better integration between Visio and Word, especially when it comes to importing graphics from one to the other. Visio's graphics don't seem to play well with other applications. Sometimes I move a business process graphic to a Word document. It doesn't copy the picture correctly, or it leaves some of the connectors off. Or it puts the wrong one in or changes the font for no apparent reason. That's a pain in the neck, and it's one of my biggest complaints about Visio.

Moreover, when I connect a caption to a drawing and move the drawing, sometimes the caption gets left behind. And if you shrink the size of a drawing, I'd like Visio to scale the font automatically. Small details like this would significantly improve the product.

Aesthetically speaking, the graphics can be a bit crude and simplistic. The graphics are sufficient for most purposes, though dated in their appearance. Visio is a static program that tries to keep things simple for most users. However, I would appreciate it if Microsoft made an allowance for at least slightly more complicated graphics. As they are now, they do not inspire or motivate interest in the subject. People don't look at the graphics and say, "Wow, that's a great graphic." They look at it and say, "Uh-huh, move on. Next!" It's a lot of the sameness.

I would also love to see Visio with a more intuitive and reliable data linking feature. I shouldn't have to program or develop any complicated code. Just press a button, connect to the spreadsheet, and update it. For me, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. You should trust your application so that when you need it to link, it links. It would help to know that Visio is using the latest data, mainly because you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of a customer with wrong or outdated data especially when you have a time crunch and have little time to verify if an application worked as you wish it would.

I like dynamic programs. I want to take inputs from other places and have the application automatically update my chart and know that it's correct. And not only do I want it updated, but I wish to document updates, so I can see what updates were selected and used. So, if the document references a spreadsheet or an Access database, it shows where the data came from, what version it is, and the date. If you're doing a nice bar chart in Visio and you want all the bells and whistles, you can see the source material and revision of the chart so that you don't have to go back and say, "Is this right?"

I want to create my objects and my object library more easily. I think you can do some of that, but it's not that simple. I haven't had a lot of experience creating objects, but when I did tried, it was awkward.

The support is okay, though not super great; I wouldn't expect it to be. Visio is not a program where you need a lot of hand-holding for most tasks. It's quite suitable for those who want to drag and drop, so support isn't too crucial, though there is room for improvement.

I have been using Visio since it first came out in the early 1990s.  It hasn't improved much in that time.

It's very stable. I have never had a crash in Visio ever.

For my use case, there's not much need to scale it up in any meaningful sense. When I'm writing a proposal or preparing a report for a client, I try only to put in a sufficient number or well-considered graphics to get my point across.

I typically create my graphics and place them in a Word document. And then I hope they stay together as I move things around during the editing and review processes. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. So, in terms of scalability and accuracy, Microsoft could improve integration and consistency between their Office applications.

I haven't had to use technical support very often at all over the years. I might have used it only once or twice in the past twenty-something years. I'd rate the support I received as a five out of ten. Not too good, not too bad. Thankfully, they've gotten rid of a lot of the need for that kind of tech support by putting better help and documentation online.

Microsoft offers training videos online that teach the basics of Visio well enough. I can also go on YouTube if there's something unique or unusual that I need to do. Frequently, somebody's already done it, and I can quickly learn how they did it.

Suppose you do want technical support. In that case, Microsoft has a reasonably active Visio user group. However, it's not real-time help, and you may have to wait a little while for a response. If you want somebody to help you live, you're going to have to pay a third-party company for that kind of support. I don't use Visio so much that it's worth going that route.

Neutral

I used a similar solution to Visio many years ago, designed for business flowcharts and business processing. The company that built the software went out of business.

It's easy to get started with mocking-up simple flow charts and diagrams. Still, it can get very complicated when setting out anything a bit more detailed—especially when getting titles, labels, and font sizes to match up. Suppose you want to make a custom organizational chart or a product line chart with all the details and specifications. In that case, I suspect you'll need to set aside some time to learn the user interface more thoroughly.

In-house.  

I haven't actually calculated an ROI, but I would approximate that I save at least two hours' time of cumulative manual effort for each graphic built with Visio.

The licensing process is a breeze. Buy the license and download the application from Microsoft. Enter the license key in Visio to activate the software.

No.  I've used Visio for many years.  It does what we need it to do and is good enough for the simple graphics we use, but perhaps, we could improve our graphics if we had a more dynamic and creative graphics application.

I like to call Visio a program for the graphically impaired. I use it because I hate spending lots of time preparing graphics, especially when our clients don't spend a lot of time studying them. I would recommend skipping any fancier alternatives unless your business demands it. Most people might benefit from adding quality visuals to their documents but don't have design skills. In that case, I recommend using Visio instead.

As long as you don't have excessive expectations, it will do what you need it to do and do it for a reasonable cost.

I would rate Visio an eight out of ten.

We use the product for business modeling and workflow design.

The product only functions well professionally, with adding additional software for configuration.

We have been Visio for more than 20 years.

The product is stable.

The product is only scalable if utilized with additional software.

The initial setup is straightforward. However, it only fits a professional approach if you add additional software. It can be deployed on-premises and on the cloud.

I rate Visio a seven out of ten. I recommend it for beginners. However, I advise others to use it along with additional software.

We use the solution mainly for designing purposes. It helps us design activity charts, sequential charts, and other diagrams.

They should improve the solution's customer support service.

We have been using the solution for more than twenty years.

The solution is finely stable.

The solution's customer service team could be well-equipped with the required information.

We used PowerDesigner earlier.

The solution's initial setup is straightforward.

You have to purchase a license to use the solution.

I rate the solution as a six.

I'm into designing, so I'm using Visio for creating diagrams. Mostly it's for network, architecture, or data flow diagrams, depending on what the customers need.

What I like best about Visio is that it's flexible.

Sometimes, if I need to draw quickly, I use Microsoft PowerPoint, but if I need icons, which Visio has, I use Visio.

I also like that the solution gives me a much more powerful range of options.

The improvement I want to see in Visio is being able to edit it more quickly, particularly when pulling it out of another software and then editing it on that non-Visio software. Currently, the process affects the overall performance because it's not as quick as I want it to be.

If I were to add a new feature in Visio, and if I went wild, it's the feature of creating new diagrams from Visio, even if I'm on another document. If Visio is running in the background while I have another document open, it would be interesting to be able to draw diagrams on that document.

I've been using Visio for a few years now.

I didn't contact the Visio technical support team, and from what I know, the IT team didn't have to contact support either. Once, there was a bug, and the IT team couldn't do the installation until the next day, but even then, there was no need to contact the Visio support team. As a product, it's intuitive.

Setting up Visio is easy because you just need to check the block, click, and then it'll be set up, but that's because my company uses Microsoft 365. Setup-wise, I'm rating it as eight out of ten.

I'm not involved in the licensing of Visio for my company. However, for Visio licenses for my customers, I am.

Around fifty people use Visio within my company.

People in the company use Visio whenever necessary, but I use it more frequently. I talk to customers a lot, and I'm part of the sales process, which means I need to create diagrams, so I use Visio a few times a week. My usage is usually greater than other developers in my company.

I don't have any particular advice for people who want to use the solution, but Visio is a user-friendly product and easy to use.

My rating for Visio is eight out of ten because it's a good product.

My company is a Microsoft user.

I use Visio to go to meetings on Zoom.

I use Visio all the time.

Visio is stable.

Visio is scalable.

Installing Visio is straightforward.

The price could be lower because it is too expensive in South America when paying in dollars or euros.

We use Visio for architecture modeling. We also use it to facilitate communication with other people.

The feature I like most about Visio is that it acts as a facilitator of communication, as it displays information that's easier to understand.

The only area for improvement we see in Visio is its integration. It could be improved, but in terms of features, we are really satisfied with the standard features of this solution.

An additional feature I'd like to see in Visio in the future is database integration. It would be good if it could be integrated with a database or data system to better manage the data, which would also help it communicate better with other applications.

I've been using Visio for seven years now.

We didn't experience any performance issues with Visio. It's a stable solution.

The setup and implementation of Visio went smoothly.

The popularity of a product is an indicator of its price. Because of the popularity of Visio, its price is on the higher side.

I don't have an intensive experience with Visio on architecture.

Within our organization, there are more than 20 users of this solution.

We are satisfied with Visio, but we are not intensive users of it. We have not been able to try out all of its features.

We didn't have a chance to contact technical support because we have not experienced any performance issues from this solution.

My advice to people who would like to try Visio is that it may not be the best solution in the market for architecture modeling, or for other modeling purposes, but it is effective in facilitating communication with others.

With one being the worst and ten being the best, I'm rating Visio a seven.

My primary use case of this solution is for process mapping and a little for organizational charts. We are customers of Visio.

The solution has a fairly intuitive interface. When it comes to process mapping, the best thing about it is that it's already configured for swim lanes and for drag and drop and easy manipulation of the objects and connection lines. It makes it a very easy-to-use solution. In comparison, if you're using PowerPoint, you have to manually size things and then adjust the font and it's very tedious trying to get everything connected. In contrast, Visio is very fluid, very interactive, and designed with features that reduce the manual work for basic flowcharts.

As a user, it would be helpful if Visio was in a native format recognized by Microsoft Word products, but that's not the case.

We have been using this product for 20 years. 

The solution is stable. 

The solution is scalable. We're a global company although I'm not sure how many in the company use this product on a regular basis. 

The initial setup is straightforward and the solution is intuitive enough that you can begin using it immediately. 

I rate this solution eight out of 10.