If you’ve ever had an idea for a product but needed to explain it to your team in a way that everyone could understand and visualize, you know how important it is to have the right tools.
Sometimes, you need an online whiteboard that lets you create diagrams, wireframes, and other visual representations of things like process flow or business logic.
Other times, you need a way to brainstorm with your team members and get their feedback on new ideas and in that case, it’s better to go for something more like mind-mapping software.
The good news is that there are a lot of options to help you bring your visuals to life – Miro and Lucidchart being two of the most popular tools out there.
These apps make it easier than ever to draw up diagrams and charts with your team. But which one is better?
In this article, I’ll dive into the similarities and differences between both and help you figure out which one is more likely to meet your needs.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Introduction
What is Miro?
Miro is a collaborative tool that allows users to create charts, wireframes, and diagrams in whiteboard-style format. In addition, you can also use the platform to meet, present, and collaborate in real time with your team members.
While Miro has gained a lot of traction over the years, its roots go back to 2011, when the company launched the first version of the app – RealtimeBoard.
Their product was a digital whiteboard that let multiple users annotate and collaborate on the same documents. Since then, Miro has grown into a brand with 1.5 million users, including big companies like Walmart, Deloitte, and Volvo.
What is Lucidchart?
Like Miro, Lucidchart is a web-based collaboration platform. However, it puts a heavier focus on diagramming.
As a result, Lucidchart is much more specialized in solving tasks like building step-by-step processes, developing network diagrams, creating UML charts, and producing flowcharts.
The company was founded in 2010, and since then it has been used by some of the largest companies in the world. Some notable users include Amazon, Asana, and even Google.
Today, Lucidchart is the top choice for more than eight million users, including software companies, designers, consultants, and other people who need an easy way to create and share diagrams and flowcharts.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Sign Up
Miro
When it comes to the sign-up process, Miro is pretty straightforward. There are no complicated steps, and it doesn’t involve any technical know-how.
To create an account:
- Navigate to Miro.com.
- Click the blue “Sign up for free” button in the top right corner of your screen.
- Next, fill out the sign-up form with your name, work email address, and chosen password. You may also register using your Google, Slack, Microsoft Office, Apple, or Facebook account.
- After that, hit “Sign up for free now”.
- You’ll then need to verify your Miro account by entering the code they’ll send to your email.
- Once you’re done, you’ll be taken to your dashboard, where you can start using the app’s features!
Lucidchart
Signing up for Lucidchart is even simpler than signing up for Miro. It’ll take you less than a minute, and there are no verification processes.
To create an account:
- Navigate to Lucidchart.com.
- Click on the “Sign up free” orange button in the top right corner.
- Fill out the form with your information – full name, work email address, and password. You can also sign up with your Google account.
- After that, click “Create account”.
- You’ll be taken directly to your dashboard. Once it loads, you’ll be able to start making diagrams with Lucidchart!
Miro vs Lucidchart: Dashboard
Miro
Miro’s dashboard is very intuitive. It includes a search bar at the top, along with icons for useful information such as creating a new project, accessing your settings, and changing the theme.
It’s also worth noting that you can easily navigate between projects by clicking on them from the sidebar on the left.
The “Recent boards” tab shows all the documents that have been recently added or opened by your team members, while the “Starred boards” option gives you quick access to projects you’ve saved for future use.
Finally, the “Upload from backup” button gives you a quick, easy way to upload boards from backup in case something goes wrong with your account.
The layout of the project information is very clean as well. It’s organized in such a way that you can easily see what projects you’ve started or edited recently.
Once you click on one of the projects in the list, it expands to reveal important information like its due date, any notes associated with it, and all of its related files. You can even edit the project name directly from this view by clicking on it and typing what you’d like it to be instead.
In addition, the dashboard also displays recommended templates for your projects. You can trust that all of the templates you choose are mobile responsive, so your board will work perfectly on any device.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart’s dashboard is also easy to use and very accessible. While there are some menu items that may seem confusing at first, the overall process is a breeze once you get the hang of it.
Clicking on the “New” button brings up an array of diagram templates, including flowcharts, organizational charts, wireframes, and more. If none of those are what you’re looking for, there’s also an option to create a blank board that you can customize yourself.
Underneath that is a section called “My Documents,” which will show all recent actions by other users who have either shared or collaborated on any of your projects. You can also export any diagramming boards as images or PDFs to share with others.
In addition, Lucidchart’s dashboard has an incredibly powerful search function that lets you search through everything, from templates to comments to tags.
This means that if you’re looking for a specific template but don’t know what it’s called, or just want to find the comment on your diagram with the tag “confidential,” you’ll be able to find both in one place.
The search function also lets users see all their recent searches, creating a history of all your documentation projects that is easily accessible at any time.
Miro vs Lucidchart: User Interface and Ease of Use
Miro
Miro’s interface is clean, simple, and easy to use. The program feels natural and intuitive, so even if you’ve never used this kind of software before, you’ll be able to figure it out right away.
The blank canvas view gives you complete freedom when it comes to brainstorming new ideas. You can add notes, documents, text, or photos with just a few clicks. But if you prefer a more structured set-up, there are plenty of templates available that offer everything you need to organize your thoughts while providing a clear path forward.
On top of that, Miro has some awesome collaboration features that make it really easy to share and work together with your team on your visuals. Unlike other options on the market, these features are highlighted with easy-to-find icons and buttons.
You can set up a meeting quickly using Miro’s web link, or its timeline feature to see who made changes or additions to diagrams and when they were made. This makes it easier to collaborate with other team members, or even just to track changes after you’ve shared your visuals with clients or stakeholders.
Lucidchart
Just like Miro, Lucidchart boasts an easy-to-use interface equipped with robust diagramming features that let you link live data to your visuals and auto-generate diagrams for every stage of your project.
All the tools you need to create a diagram are right at your fingertips. All you have to do is drag and drop widgets into your document and connect them together as needed.
The most appealing thing about this tool is the familiarity of the interface. If you click into a text box while working on a diagram, it will mimic your familiar word processor interface with a button on the left and right to adjust the font size as well as bold, italic, and underline.
The ability to share diagrams in real time also makes Lucidchart perfect for team collaboration.
You can easily invite your team to brainstorm ideas with you by adding their email, creating a flowchart of your business processes in minutes, or discussing the visual elements of your project, all while everyone is seeing the exact same thing in real-time.
This real-time nature of Lucidchart also means that team members can leave comments, ask questions or make changes to the diagram without disrupting anyone else’s work.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Online Whiteboard
Miro
Miro’s browser-based whiteboard is intuitive, easy to use, and makes getting started fast and fun. Its minimalist design doesn’t get in the way of your work.
Instead of being constrained to a single window with fiddly toolbar buttons and menus, it opens up into a full-screen experience where you can layout your project any way you want.
When you first get into Miro’s editor, you’ll see that the canvas is blank and ready for you to doodle or draw.
The drawing area is a comfortable size for individuals or small groups collaborating on a project. Plus, you’ll notice that in this space there are smooth gridlines to help you figure out where to put things.
In addition, the media toolbar lets you access your visuals at any time, and you can also save what you’re working on or share it with others. And if you need to change your brush size or color, there’s a palette of options at the bottom of the screen.
Besides, the whiteboard supports drag-and-drop functionality, so you can rearrange your diagrams and charts at any time. It also has a built-in text editor which allows you to add notes or other bits of relevant information to your projects.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart’s online whiteboard can be a bit overwhelming compared to Miro. The first time you log in, it might not be immediately clear where to begin if you’re new to the app, and it’s easy to get distracted by all the options available.
There’s a sidebar at the left side of the screen with all kinds of advanced customization features, and above that is a navigation bar where you can switch between your documents, edit them, share them with others, or insert new assets into them.
Lucidchart also has a section at the top of the editor called “Templates”. It includes several default diagrams, which aren’t customizable but can be used as templates for any projects you may need to create in the future.
The list of diagrams is immediately useful because it gives you a choice of pre-made diagrams that you can use for projects rather than having to start from scratch every time.
In terms of style, Lucidchart’s web-based whiteboard is definitely more conventional than Miro’s.
It looks like other editors you may have seen for tools like Excel or Google Sheets. The icons are also very plain; there aren’t any fancy graphics or images on any of the tabs.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Mobile Application
Miro
Miro lets you take your whiteboard with you. It has a mobile app compatible with iOS and Android devices.
The app allows you to draw, share, and collaborate with others on the things you’re working on and want to keep track of. You can also add notes to a project or take pictures and upload them directly to your boards.
Lucidchart
Unlike Miro, Lucidchart’s mobile app is only available on Android. It’s a simple app that allows you to work on your documents wherever you go, as long as you have an internet connection.
You can get ideas out and share them with your team, comment on documents, import new projects, and access your files even when you are offline.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Customer Support
Miro
You can reach out to Miro’s support team by simply clicking the “Help” button in the top right corner of your dashboard.
It can be hard to find the option to contact them directly, but once you do it, they respond very quickly and will get back to you within 24 hours.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart’s customer support options are more limited than those of Miro. You can submit a request through their contact page, and you’ll be assigned a case number.
However, it may take 24 hours or more for you to receive a response.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Pricing
Miro
Miro lets you create a free account that gives you three customizable boards, a ton of premade templates, and core integrations with apps like ClickUp, Airtable, and Smartsheet.
If your team is large and you want to use the Meeting feature or add more than one user to work on custom diagrams and templates, then you’ll need to upgrade to one of its three premium plans: the Team plan, the Business plan, or the Enterprise plan.
You can choose to pay for your membership monthly or annually, and overall, the prices are affordable (though they increase the more people you add):
- Team Plan: $96/year or $10/month per user
- Business Plan: $192/year or $20/month per user
If you need even more capabilities than the starter plans provide, or if you want a customized model, then you have to contact Miro’s sales team through their Enterprise plan. They’ll give you a quote tailored to your business needs.
In addition, there’s a Consultant Plan aimed at freelancers who use Miro while working with clients. This plan costs $15/month per user, and it includes all of the features included in the Team Plan, plus private workspaces for every client, unlimited guests, and the Miro Smart Meeting feature.
These prices may vary, so check Miro’s website for the latest rates.
Lucidchart
Like Miro, Lucidchart also offers a free version. You can use up to three editable boards and 100 templates with it.
You can choose from three payment plans: the Individual Plan, the Team Plan, and the Enterprise Plan, and opt for monthly or yearly subscriptions:
- Individual Plan: $95.40/year or $9.95/month
- Team Plan: $108/year or $33/month – though it starts at a discounted price of $27/month
Lucidchart’s prices are slightly less expensive than Miro’s and include unlimited editable documents, 1 GB storage, versioning, premium templates, and password-protected files.
Similar to Miro, it offers a more advanced Enterprise Plan for large organizations. This includes IP address whitelisting, advanced data and automation capabilities, or Salesforce integration among other features.
The prices listed here may not reflect the most recent rates, so check Lucidchart’s website for the most up-to-date information.
Miro vs Lucidchart: Help Center
Miro
Miro has a lot of resources available to help you get started, including user guides and tutorials, a community forum, webinars, and FAQs.
You can use the search bar to look up a specific question you might have or browse through our user guide for a deep dive into any feature that piques your interest. No matter what information you’re looking for, there’s plenty of content available for you to find.
Also Read: Best Gantt Chart Alternatives
Lucidchart
The Lucidchart help center is your one-stop shop for getting answers to any questions you might have about using the app. You can find tutorials on how to use specific features, articles on best practices, guides on how to create your diagrams, information on new updates and new services, and more.
They also have step-by-step tutorials on using Lucidchart’s collaboration features like adding team members and setting up permissions
Lucidchart vs Miro: Pros & Cons
Miro
Pros
- It has a free version with enough features to get started.
- Its interface is simple and intuitive, which means that even if you’re not a designer yourself, you’ll be able to quickly pick up the tool and start using it.
- It has a mobile application for Android and iOS devices.
- It has no limits on file size.
- It allows you to collaborate, brainstorm, and run meeting with your team in real-time.
- Its monthly premium plans are affordable.
Cons
- It doesn’t offer as many customizable templates.
- There aren’t many styling shape options for your diagrams.
Also Read: Best Mind Map Examples For Students
Lucidchart
Pros
- It has a free version with the basic features you need to get started.
- Its web-based whiteboard is aimed at non-tech savvy users, so it’s really easy to use and accessible.
- It offers over 100 templates that you can customize.
- It has tons of comprehensive documentation on how to use its features and integrations.
- It allows you to import and edit Visio files.
- It’s flexible and easily adapts to whatever type of chart you’re trying to build.
Cons
- The UI is a bit cluttered and it’s easy to get overwhelmed at first with all the options available.
- You can’t create custom shapes for your diagrams.
Similarities & Differences
| Miro | Lucidchart | |
| Free Version | âś” | âś” |
| Templates | âś” | âś” |
| Intuitive Dashboard | âś” | âś” |
| Customer Support | âś” | âś” |
| Help Center | âś” | âś” |
| Customization Features | âś” | âś” |
| Web-based Whiteboard | X | âś” |
| Real-time collaboration | âś” | âś” |
| Mobile Application | âś” | âś” Only available for Android |
| Third-party Integrations | âś” | âś” |
Verdict: Miro vs Lucidchart – Which is Better?
Miro and Lucidchart are both enterprise-level visual collaboration tools that can be used to create diagrams, flowcharts, and other visual representations of information. They both offer a free tier and have a large range of features that make them suitable for many industries and businesses.
However, the winner here is Miro. The main reason for this is that it offers a better user experience than Lucidchart.
Miro allows users to collaborate on shared spaces from any device, which means you can create your diagram or flowchart with a tablet or smartphone while you’re on the go and then finish it up at home on your laptop.
It’s also much easier to use than Lucidchart because it has an intuitive interface that helps you stay focused on creating your diagram or flowchart without worrying about the technical aspects.
