12 Best Block Diagram Software for Windows [+Bonus Tool]

Adobe Illustrator – Extremely versatile

Adobe Illustrator is a great tool for creating diagrams, including block diagrams. Most users rely on Illustrator to create logos, vector images, icons, book illustrations, and so on.

But the software is extremely versatile and can be used for other purposes such as creating flowcharts and diagrams, email marketing templates, textile design or shoe design, and much more.

Back to our block diagrams now. Not only can you use Illustrator to create diagrams, but you can also edit and customize them afterward.

Moreover, with this industry-leading solution, you can draw personalized flowcharts and diagrams seamlessly. Using the creative features of Illustrator and your imagination, you create all kinds of visual diagrams within minutes.

You can therefore scale up essential projects and have multiple data visualization designs at your fingertips.

How to create diagrams in Adobe Illustrator

1.  Open a new document and draw a square to insert the first block
2. Copy the first block to insert a new one. Repeat the action whenever necessary to insert new blocks.
3. Now, start drawing lines to connect the blocks
4. Click on the Stroke button and select the type of arrowheads you want to use
5. In the left-hand pane, click on the Text button to add text to the blocks.

Interested in trying out Illustrator?

Adobe Illustrator

With Adobe Illustrator you can easily create all sorts of diagrams, not only block diagrams.

Free trialVisit website

Microsoft Visio – Spell-check feature

Visio is one of the easiest block diagram software to use but is also one that perhaps has the most comprehensive of features.

It comes with a tutorial as well, should you still need while an excellent help and support program too can be relied on just in case you face any issues.

Also, the reason Visio is called one of the easiest block diagram software to use is that it allows you to enter text right into the shapes themselves.

That is not all, editing is easy too as you can always replace the shapes without needing to delete those first.

There is spell-check feature available as well while the symbols resize on their own to match the surrounding texts. Adding additional connector points is also a breeze. Visio offers a subscription model of ownership.

⇒ Get Microsoft Visio Standard

Smartdraw – Numerous templates and objects

You might be stumped by the sheer number of templates and objects that the app has on offer. That said, getting started with creating block diagrams using a template of your choice is an absolute cakewalk.

Integration options with the app are equally appreciable so that anything created on Smartdraw can be easily integrated with MS Office programs such as PowerPoint.

This makes for an instant head start when say you are making business presentations and you need to draw upon something created using Smartdraw. Unfortunately, the app does not support the Visio format.

However, all of the goodies come for a price. You can check that by clicking on the link below.

⇒ Get SmartDraw

Creately – Professional block diagrams

The template selection on Creately isn’t as expansive as many in this list but still has excellent features for the templates it does have. That makes it an outstanding platform for creating professional block diagrams with ease.

Creately also allows users to collaborate in real time when creating a block diagram. Besides, there are both web and desktop versions of the app as well.

That is not all as a low list price makes Creately quite cheap as well compared to its peers.

However, the one not-so-likable aspect of Creately is that each time you need to change or cancel an account, you will need to get in touch with the company.

⇒ Get Creately

Gliffy – Cloud-based

Gliffy is another block diagramming app that you can rely on. It also is entirely cloud-based and is compatible with Google Drive, Confluence, and JIRA.

That makes it really easy for users to collaborate in real time when executing complex projects that involve several teams.

The app also comes in both free and paid versions with the former having fewer templates and other features to offer compared to the paid version.

The browser version is completely free and is best suited for students or others who need relatively simple block diagrams to make.

The interface is also extremely easy as you just need to drag and drop the various individual shapes.

For the paid versions, Gliffy comes in two versions, the Personal and the Team versions billed monthly or annually.

⇒ Get Gliffy

yED Graph Editor – Tabbed interface

yED Graph Editor might need some getting used to getting started but that perhaps is a small price to pay to get along with the state-of-the-art software.

It otherwise is an inviting interface that you are greeted with and once you have got the hang of it, creating block diagrams on the yED Graph Editor will be a breeze.

Another plus with the yED Graph Editor is that it offers a tabbed interface so that you can have multiple files open at the same time.

The interface is modular too so that the properties not needed can be closed to liberate more viewing area. You can also save the actual diagrams in several formats which even include HTML and PDF.

Also of course there is no dearth of shapes and connecting lines to create the perfect block diagram while collaborating with other people or computers in a network is also extremely convenient.

⇒ Get yED Works

LibreOffice Draw – Supports groupings

LibreOffice Draw is one of the very best free block diagramming apps out there.

That it shares a lot of similarities with the MS Office interface happens to be its other big advantage as you have an all too familiar setting to start off with.

Another extremely likable feature of LibreOffice Draw is the way it supports groupings to be made.

So while different objects can be grouped together easily, you can also move the group around with ease or collaborate with other groups as well.

Draw is also compatible with several formats including SWF Flash files with XML being the default format.

⇒ Get LibreOffice

Dia – All file formats supporter

Dia is another open-source block diagramming app that too seems to have been inspired by Microsoft Visio. A feature set largely similar to the MS Visio explains that.

It also supports almost all the file formats you can think of, which include the .vdx format for Visio.

The interface is quite easy to use with the left hosting several controls and shapes while the rest of the display makes up the main drawing area.

⇒ Get Dia

Draw.io – Great for less intensive projects

This happens to be one of the simplest block diagram software out there, one that can be best for simple or less intensive projects.

You don’t need to install any specific software for the same as well as Draw.io is browser-based. And it’s free too.

The interface is super easy to use as the available shapes and other options are shown along the left while the rest of the display is where the block diagram is actually put together.

The side panel contains additional formatting and other options. You just need to drag and drop the shapes and enter the relevant text and your block diagram can be ready within just minutes.

The diagram can again be saved in OneDrive, Google Drive, or on your own drive.

⇒ Get Draw.io

Pencil Project – Regularly-revised features

Pencil Project is free open-source software that can be easily used to create block diagrams.

Active support from the development community also ensures the software is well maintained with new features and other enhancements made available regularly.

Getting started with Pencil Project is a breeze too so you get along with block diagramming in no time, even for a newbie.

Another huge plus with Pencil Project is that it can be used as a Firefox extension as well. That makes Firefox users get into creating block diagrams even while browsing online.

It is compatible with OpenClipart.org, which means you have easy access to any diagrams that you might need for creating really interesting block diagrams.

Besides, it also supports almost all of the most popular file formats as well.

⇒ Get Pencil Project