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Gliffy vs Plectica vs Zen Flowchart Comparison

Last updated:

Gliffy

4.1(188 reviews)

Starting at $8 /Month

  • Free Trial
  • Large Enterprises
  • Medium Business

Gliffy is web-based diagramming software that allows users to bring diagrams to life. Upload and share diagrams, import documents, add shapes, and drag and drop text for a meaningful collaboration experience. Stay on tra…

Plectica

Starting at $3 /Month

  • Individuals
  • Freelancers / Consultants

Plectica is software for creating professional, polished technical diagrams. It is used in the aerospace, manufacturing, and other industries to create richly-annotated drawings which clearly communicate the design of co…

Zen Flowchart

Starting at $5.90 /Month

  • Individuals
  • Freelancers / Consultants

Zen Flowchart is diagramming software that helps to plan and create flowcharts, organizational charts, workflows, life cycles, and other kinds of diagrams. Quickly and easily produce professional-looking visual reports,…

Gliffy leads on user satisfaction with a 4.1-star rating across 188 reviews.

Gliffy vs Plectica vs Zen Flowchart — at a glance

FeatureGliffyPlecticaZen Flowchart
Rating4.1 / 5
Reviews188
Starting price$8 /Month$3 /Month$5.90 /Month
Free trial Yes No No
Free version No No No
Best forLarge Enterprises, Medium Business, Small BusinessIndividuals, Freelancers / Consultants, Medium BusinessIndividuals, Freelancers / Consultants, Medium Business
CategoryDiagramming SoftwareDiagramming SoftwareDiagramming Software
PlatformsSaaS/Web/Cloud, Installed - Windows, Installed - MacSaaS/Web/CloudSaaS/Web/Cloud
APIAvailable
Support modesBusiness Hours, OnlineOnlineOnline
CertificationsGDPR
Data residencyGlobalGlobalUS

Key differences between Gliffy and Plectica

  • Pricing: Gliffy starts at $8 /Month, while Plectica starts at $3 /Month.
  • Free trial: Gliffy offers a free trial; Plectica does not.
  • Target audience: Gliffy is built for Large Enterprises and Medium Business, while Plectica targets Individuals and Freelancers / Consultants.
  • Deployment: Gliffy supports SaaS/Web/Cloud, Installed - Windows, Installed - Mac; Plectica supports SaaS/Web/Cloud.

Compare Gliffy vs Plectica vs Zen Flowchart — and walk away knowing which one fits.

01

Which tool fits your team best

02

Which is actually cheaper for your team size

03

Where each product wins, per real buyers

Most Diagramming Software tools look identical on paper. This comparison cuts to the differences that matter — pricing structure, team fit, and what real buyers found after signing up.

Gliffy - Diagramming Software
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Plectica - Diagramming Software
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Zen Flowchart - Diagramming Software
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Biggest differences

Start here before you go deeper into features.

Gliffy

Best for simple, collaborative web-based diagramming with easy drag-and-drop.

Choose if
  • You need a low-complexity, intuitive tool for quick diagram creation.
  • Your team requires real-time collaboration with alerts on edits and deadlines.
  • You want cloud-based access to support remote and distributed teams.
Consider alternatives if
  • You require extensive offline functionality for uninterrupted work.
  • You need highly advanced shape customization beyond basic templates.

Plectica

Best for creating detailed, richly-annotated technical diagrams in engineering.

Choose if
  • You need to communicate complex aerospace or manufacturing designs clearly.
  • Your team consists of design engineers or technical illustrators.
  • You want a flexible, productivity-optimized environment for polished technical visuals.
Consider alternatives if
  • You require simple diagrams for non-technical teams.
  • You are a large enterprise needing extensive integrations and customizations.

Zen Flowchart

Best for simple, cross-platform flowcharts and UML diagrams in small to mid-sized teams.

Choose if
  • You need quick, easy creation of professional-looking flowcharts and workflows.
  • Your team uses Windows, Linux, or Mac and requires cross-platform diagramming support.
  • You want built-in UML modeling tools for collaborative, detailed diagram projects.
Consider alternatives if
  • You are a large enterprise needing complex, integrated diagramming with advanced features.
  • You require extensive customization, integrations, or enterprise-grade diagramming capabilities.

Gliffy: Best for simple, collaborative web-based diagramming with easy drag-and-drop. Plectica: Best for creating detailed, richly-annotated technical diagrams in engineering.

Description

Gliffy is web-based diagramming software that allows users to bring diagrams to life. Upload and share diagrams, import documents, add shapes, and drag and drop text for a meaningful ... Read More about Gliffy

Plectica is software for creating professional, polished technical diagrams. It is used in the aerospace, manufacturing, and other industries to create richly-annotated drawings which ... Read More about Plectica

Zen Flowchart is diagramming software that helps to plan and create flowcharts, organizational charts, workflows, life cycles, and other kinds of diagrams. Quickly and easily produce ... Read More about Zen Flowchart

Entry Level Pricing

  • Starts from $8 , Billed Yearly
  • Starts from $3 , Billed Yearly
  • Starts from $5.90

Free Trial Availability

  • No free trial
  • No free trial

Spotsaas Score

What's this? ↗

9.2/10

8.6/10

8.7/10

User Ratings

Based on verified Spotsaas reviews

Best Company Size

1-50 employees51-500 employees
Small BusinessMedium Business
1-50 employees51-500 employees
Get pricing help
Get pricing help
Get pricing help

Software Demo

Demo

No software demo available

Zen Flowchart has not given any software demo yet

If you're the owner of this profile, add your demo.Contact us

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How do Gliffy, Plectica and Zen Flowchart Compare on Features?

Total Features

8 Features

8 Features

8 Features

Unique Features

No unique features

No unique features

No unique features

Get Quote
Get Quote
Get Quote

Compare Gliffy, Plectica and Zen Flowchart on pricing

Review starting price, plan structure, and free-trial access side by side so you can see which option fits your budget and buying process.

Pricing Option

        Starting From

        • $8 , Billed Yearly
        • $3 , Billed Yearly
        • $5.90

        Pricing Plans

        • Professional

          • Unlimited diagrams

          • Access to templates

          • Import from other applications

          Show more +

        • Enterprise

          • Easy admin controls

          • Centralized security

          • Team management

          Show more +

        • Basic

          • Up to 250 cards

          • Map building, storing, sharing

          • Attach files up to 25MB

        • Student

          • Unlimited cards

          • Unlimited building, storing, sharing

          • Attach larger files - up to 250MB

          Show more +

        • Pro

          • Unlimited cards

          • Unlimited building, storing, sharing

          • Attach larger files - up to 250MB

          Show more +

        • Browse all pricing plans
        • Not Available

        Pricing Page

        Gliffy pricing
        Plectica pricing
        Zen Flowchart pricing

        Other Details

        Organization Types supported

        • Medium Business
        • Freelancers
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Individuals
        • Medium Business
        • Freelancers
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Individuals
        • Medium Business
        • Freelancers
        • Large Enterprises
        • Small Business
        • Individuals

        Platforms Supported

        • Installed - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Windows
        • Browser Based (Cloud)
        • Installed - Mac
        • Mobile - iOS
        • Mobile - Android
        • Browser Based (Cloud)

        Modes of support

        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online
        • 24/7 (Live rep)
        • Business Hours
        • Online

        API Support

        • Available
        • Not Available
        • Not Available
        Get help choosing
        Get help choosing
        Get help choosing

        Security & Compliance

        Certifications, data handling, and security controls for IT and compliance evaluators.

        HIPAA

        ✗ No

        GDPR

        ✓ Yes

        Single Sign-On (SSO)

        ✓ Yes

        Data Encryption

        ✓ Yes

        Data Residency

        🌐 Global
        🌐 Global
        🇺🇸 US

        Gliffy vs Plectica User Reviews & Rating Comparison

        User Ratings

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        Rating Distribution

        98

        17

        5

        1

        2

        No reviews available for this product

        No reviews available for this product

        Spotsaas Editor’s POV generated by AI

        Buyer sentiment

        Overall positive sentiment highlights ease of use and collaboration features, tempered by limitations in free version and customization.

        What buyers like

        • Ease of use
        • Collaboration capabilities
        • Shape and template variety

        Common complaints

        • Limited free version features
        • Lack of advanced customization

        Buyer sentiment

        Insufficient user feedback to determine overall buyer sentiment.

        What buyers like

        • Detailed diagramming capabilities
        • Productivity optimization
        • Professional technical communication

        Common complaints

        • Lack of pricing clarity
        • Limited user reviews

        Buyer sentiment

        Overall sentiment is unavailable due to lack of user ratings and reviews.

        What buyers like

        • Ease of use
        • Cross-platform support
        • UML modeling capabilities

        Common complaints

        • Limited feature details
        • Pricing transparency

        Pros and Cons

        • Intuitive drag-and-drop interface enabling quick diagram creation

        • Extensive library of shapes and templates supporting diverse diagram types

        • Cloud-based access facilitating collaboration and remote work

        • Free version has limited features, often requiring paid upgrades

        • Limited advanced customization options for shapes and templates

        • Rich graphic user interface for detailed diagramming

        • Optimized environment for productivity and consistency

        • Ability to create richly-annotated technical diagrams

        • Lack of publicly available pricing information

        • Limited data on user ratings and reviews

        • Ease of use with quick creation of professional-looking diagrams

        • Availability across Windows, Linux, and Mac OS platforms

        • Includes UML modeling tool for more detailed diagrams

        • Limited information on advanced features and integrations

        • Unclear pricing details beyond freemium and subscription models

        Positive Reviews

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        No reviews available for the product

        Media and Screenshots

        Screenshots

        How to draw an ERD diagram

        5 Screenshots

        Plectica screenshot

        3 Screenshots

        System Flowchart

        1 Screenshots

        Videos

        video-0

        3 Videos

        video-0

        2 Videos

        No videos available.

        Alternatives

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        Disclaimer: This research has been collated from a variety of authoritative sources. We welcome your feedback at [email protected].

        Frequently asked questions

        Which is better, Gliffy or Plectica?
        Gliffy edges out the other on user ratings (4.1 vs -1.0). That said, the best pick depends on your use case — use the comparison tables above to evaluate each dimension.
        Do Gliffy and Plectica offer a free trial?
        Gliffy offers a free trial. Plectica does not.
        What is the starting price of Gliffy vs Plectica?
        Gliffy starts at $8 /Month. Plectica starts at $3 /Month.
        What are the top alternatives to Gliffy?
        Top alternatives to Gliffy include Miro, FigJam, SmartDraw, Cacoo, Microsoft Visio.
        What are the top alternatives to Plectica?
        Top alternatives to Plectica include Miro, FigJam, Mindomo, MindManager, MindMup.

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