February 26, 2025
12:36 PM
Creating, maintaining, and updating organizational charts can be a major headache.
Whether you draw them manually, wrestle with cumbersome spreadsheets or presentation software – or, you are simply frustrated with a tool that lacks advanced features – the effort you put in is time-consuming, inefficient, and prone to errors.
By now, you’re on the hunt for a solution that offers a more streamlined, automated process. In this article, we will compare the best org chart software (link to product comparison chart down below) on the market to ensure you choose the right tool for your needs.
We’ll explore key features, pricing, integrations, and more to help you make an informed decision, and ultimately, save value time and resources.
Org chart software solutions generally fall into two categories: specialty org chart platforms and broader flowchart and diagramming tools.
Which one is better? It depends on your specific needs.
To choose the best org chart software, consider if you need a multi-purpose tool (to serve various departments), or if you need a software that focuses solely on creating org charts (primarily for HR use).
We’ve put together a comparison chart to help you draw a better distinction between org charts and org chart software alternatives – more specifically, flowchart and diagramming software.
| Specialty Org Chart Software | Flowchart and Diagramming Software | |
| Focus | Create org charts to assist with workforce planning, performance tracking, and employee data integration | Create flow charts and diagrams for multiple use cases (e.g. mind maps, process flows), including org charts |
| Ideal for | HR departments in need of robust org chart functionality and HR-specific workflows | Organizations looking to leverage diagramming software for multiple departments |
| Examples | OrgChart, Ingentis, Sift, Pingboard, Organimi | Visio, LucidChart, SmartDraw, Creately, Miro |
In addition to acknowledging the “main focus” of these tools, there are several key criteria to consider when evaluating specific org chart software alternatives.
These capabilities play a huge role in accurately visualizing your workforce, enhancing organizational clarity, and significantly improving time savings, resource allocation (and your overall frustration).
Many of the best org chart software providers have powerful automation capabilities to integrate employee data from multiple HR systems, allowing you to draft up data-infused org charts instantly.
For example: OrgChart has direct integrations with 50+ HR systems, which means you don’t have to manually input employee data to create org charts, and you can integrate data from multiple systems in one central location. Click to see if your existing systems are compatible!
Other companies, like Miro, let you import CSV data files to create an org chart. However, keep in mind that CSV file imports won’t automatically update when you change your system of record.
Impersonal, generic org charts often fail to resonate with stakeholders. Dedicated org chart tools empower you to personalize your charts to align with your brand identity.
This includes incorporating brand colors and logos, instilling a sophisticated and professional look. Branded org charts not only enhance visual appeal but also increase buy-in from key players and foster a sense of employee loyalty.
Beyond branding, top org chart software offers extensive customization options. You can adjust reporting lines, highlight key data points, and tailor the chart’s appearance to effectively communicate your organization’s structure and priorities. This granular control allows you to create org charts that are both visually appealing and highly informative.
Sometimes overlooked, having a smooth export process simplifies collaboration and ensures that your charts are accurately represented across different platforms and devices. Robust export options ensure your org charts maintain their intended appearance and clarity, regardless of how or where they are shared.
OrgChart, for example, is known for its best-in-class PDF and PowerPoint (PPT) export capabilities, guaranteeing that your charts retain their professional look and feel when presented to stakeholders.
Glitches in file transfers can distort the visual presentation, negatively impacting your brand image and the usability of the org chart itself. Imagine sharing a chart where lines are misaligned or data is misplaced! It can create confusion and undermine the capabilities of your team.
Real-time collaboration features eliminate bottlenecks and version control issues that often arise when multiple people are involved in creating and updating organizational charts.
Instead of emailing files back and forth and trying to consolidate changes, team members can work together simultaneously on the same chart.
With real-time collaboration, feedback can be incorporated instantly, changes can be tracked transparently, and approvals can be obtained more quickly.
The best org chart software goes beyond basic drawing and visualization capabilities.
To effectively manage your organizational structure, choose a dedicated platform designed specifically for org charting and related HR tasks.
Some features HR professionals benefit from in specialty org chart software include:
When it comes to evaluating top org chart software options, several common pricing structures exist:
Beyond the base price, consider hidden costs like implementation, licensing, or support fees. It’s also important to think about scalability, especially since your costs may increase as your organization grows.
Many of the best org chart software options offer intuitive user interfaces. However, any new tool will have a learning curve.
Accessible and responsive customer support is crucial for ensuring your team quickly grasps the basics and can unlock the full potential of the software. Excellent customer support can also help you discover lesser-known features that enhance your org charts.
For example: OrgChart customers frequently uncover additional functionalities that further improve their charts, streamline their workflows, and provide even greater insights into their organizational structure, even during a simple conversation with our support team!
We have compiled a list of the best org chart software providers based on the criteria that matters most to customers and clients.
| Focus | Employee Data Integration | Org Chart Customiz -ation | Export Capabilities | Real-Time Planning & Collaboration | Special Features | Price | |
| OrgChart | Org charts | Integrates with 50+ HR systems | Granular design and security options | Recognized for “best-in-class” high quality PDF, PPT, Sharepoint, and more | Yes | Advanced workforce planning change tracking, multiple data integrations, historical data access | Tiered pricing based on features and employee count |
| Workleap PingBoard | Employee profiles and engagement | Integrates with multiple HR systems | Some customization options | Can embed into web portal and export as PDF or PPT | Yes | Mobile app version, Slack and Teams integrations, employee directories, search and filter capabilities | Per user per month |
| Organimi | Org charts | Integrates with multiple HR systems | Some custom branding and access control options | Can embed into web portal and export as PDF or PPT | Not promoted in marketing materials | Slack and Teams integrations | Tiered pricing based on employee count |
| Sift | Employee profiles, directory, and engagement | Integrates with multiple HR systems | Some custom branding and access control options | Can export to PDF, JPG, and PNG | Not promoted in marketing materials | Mobile app version, Slack and Teams integrations | Tiered pricing based on features and user counts |
| Ingenitis | Org charts and workforce analytics | Integrates with a limited number of HR systems | Limited customizations and calculations | Can print org chart; PPT export only available at certain tiers | Yes | Advanced workforce analytics features | Pricing upon request |
| LucidChart | Diagramming tools | Integrates with a limited number of HR systems | Limited custom branding and access control options | Multiple export options | Some planning and collaboration features | Slack and Teams integrations, reporting dashboards | Priced per user |
| SmartDraw | Diagrams, whiteboards, and data visualization | Microsoft products and CSV files | Limited custom branding and access control options | Multiple export options | Real-time collaboration only | Mobile app version, pre-designed templates | Priced per user |
| Creately | Diagrams | Does not integrate with HR systems | Limited customization options | Must have premium plans to export as PDF (PPT not available) | Some planning and collaboration features | Pre-built diagram templates | Priced per user per month |
| Miro | Diagrams and whiteboards | CSV files | Limited customization options | Can export as PDF but not PPT | Real-time collaboration only | Integrates with 160+ business tools | Priced per member per month |
| Visio | Diagrams | Microsoft Excel | Limited customiz -ations | Limited | No | Microsoft Office integrations | One-time purchase or monthly per user subscriptions; licensing fees and add-on fees |
When you take into account all org chart software options – all their features, all their pros and cons, and the return on investment – choosing the right option can be challenging.
One of the most effective (and fastest) ways to come to a decision is to align your must-have capabilities with the “main focus” areas of the software.
Each org chart software provider emphasizes key focus areas and tailors their product to expertly accommodate those specific needs.
For example: OrgChart is a dedicated org chart software provider that helps HR professionals achieve the customizations they want for the org charting tasks they need.
While a solution like OrgChart is ideal for visualizing reporting lines, planning significant organization changes and creating on-brand, sophisticated org charts, it won’t fulfill generalized diagramming needs like Visio, SmartDraw, or Miro.
For some, OrgChart software may be too specialized for what they need.
For HR professionals who want a user-friendly, collaborative, and customizable org chart software, OrgChart was built to serve you.
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