draw.io vs SmartDraw:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, draw.io had more branded searches than SmartDraw among diagramming software worldwide. draw.io had about 2.3 million branded searches, while SmartDraw had 92,900. draw.io made up 37.6% of all diagramming software searches we track, and SmartDraw accounted for 1.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about diagramming software, draw.io appeared in all five answers and SmartDraw in one. draw.io was mentioned before SmartDraw in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
draw.io, about 25 searches for every 1 for SmartDraw
Who does AI mention more?
draw.io, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
draw.io, named ahead of SmartDraw in every answer
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Top diagramming software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, draw.io appeared in all five answers. SmartDraw was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. draw.io was listed before SmartDraw in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- draw.io1st
Lucidchart2nd
Miro3rd
Mermaid4th
Whimsical5th
Excalidraw6th
Microsoft Visio7th
SmartDraw8th
Creately–
Gliffy–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- draw.io5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Miro5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Lucidchart5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Excalidraw3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mermaid3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Whimsical3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Microsoft Visio2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SmartDraw1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Creately0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Gliffy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about diagramming software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which diagramming tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best diagramming tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best diagramming tool for flowcharts?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“diagramming software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“flowchart software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is draw.io or SmartDraw more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for draw.io and SmartDraw by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten diagramming software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for draw.io, SmartDraw. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | draw.io | Miro | Excalidraw | Lucidchart | Microsoft Visio | SmartDraw | Mermaid | Creately | Gliffy | Whimsical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.1% | 33.3% | 8.2% | 12.4% | 8% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.61% | 0.17% | 0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.3% | 29.8% | 9% | 11.2% | 8.2% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 0.67% | 0.15% | 0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.3% | 30.1% | 11% | 9.2% | 8.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.55% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.5% | 29.3% | 10.7% | 9% | 9.9% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.44% | 0.19% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.6% | 28.5% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 9.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.53% | 0.18% | 0.02% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.7% | 29.3% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 8.1% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.54% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 36.9% | 29.5% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 8.1% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.44% | 0.13% | 0.01% |
| May 2026 | 40.5% | 26.6% | 12% | 10.2% | 7.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.4% | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.6% | 29.5% | 13.2% | 9.4% | 8.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 0.11% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.3% | 28.2% | 15.6% | 9.4% | 8.3% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.28% | 0.13% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.5% | 28.2% | 15.6% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 0.28% | 0.13% | 0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.6% | 30% | 13.5% | 9.3% | 6.8% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.3% | 0.09% | <0.01% |
How has the draw.io and SmartDraw comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- draw.io was ahead of SmartDraw in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, draw.io’s share of searches among diagramming software worldwide moved from 34.1% to 37.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.3M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SmartDraw’s share of searches among diagramming software worldwide moved from 1.7% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 92.9K.
How did search popularity change for diagramming software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, draw.io gained share of searches among diagramming software worldwide, from 35.5% to 37.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for SmartDraw worldwide fell 17.3% over 12 measured months, from 112K to 92.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using draw.io’s and SmartDraw’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among diagramming software
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