Organizational chart software: the best free and paid tools

In the world of management and business administration, creating an organizational chart is essential for visualizing the structure and hierarchy of the organization. Thanks to digital advancements, numerous software programs and tools now exist that make it easy to design a hierarchical diagram or an interactive organizational chart.

This article clearly and comprehensively explains what an organizational chart is, its benefits, and the steps involved in creating one. We'll also explore the best free and paid tools, with concrete examples and pricing information, to help you choose the organizational chart software best suited to your needs.

What is an organizational chart?

Definition

An organizational chart is a diagram that visually represents the organizational structure of a company. It presents the organization in diagram form, highlighting the different levels of hierarchy as well as the distribution of responsibilities and functions. This tool is essential for gaining a clear overview of reporting lines and roles within the team.

In other words, the hierarchical organizational chart is the visual aid that allows us to understand how tasks are distributed, reflects the organization's structure, and facilitates internal collaboration. It serves as a guide and template for building a digital organizational diagram.

What is the purpose of an organizational chart?

The main benefit of an organizational chart lies in its ability to clarify and structure the hierarchy and organization of a company. By providing a graphical representation of the hierarchy, this tool allows for a quick visualization of the distribution of responsibilities and tasks at each level of the structure. This diagram acts as a guide for management and facilitates strategic decision-making.

A hierarchical organizational chart also helps improve internal communication. By clearly showing who does what and who to contact, it facilitates team collaboration and allows new employees to better understand the organizational structure. This promotes training and accelerates the integration of newcomers.

In addition, this organizational management tool allows for benchmarking organizational charts by comparing the current structure to standard models or templates, which helps to identify areas for optimization in the distribution of responsibilities and to rethink the hierarchical diagram to improve overall performance.

Furthermore, the organizational chart facilitates change management. In a context of rapid evolution, it allows for easy updating of the organizational structure and ensures that the new organization is well understood by everyone. This centralization of information is essential to guarantee that management remains effective and that internal processes function smoothly.

In summary, the hierarchical organizational chart is an essential tool for:

• Clarify the internal structure and hierarchy
• Facilitating communication and collaboration between departments
• Optimize the distribution of responsibilities and tasks
• To serve as a guide for training and management
• To enable benchmarking and optimization of the organizational structure

Thanks to these advantages, the hierarchical organizational chart becomes a key element of organizational management strategy and an indispensable digital tool for any company wishing to improve its internal communication flow and performance.

Free organizational chart software

Canva

Canva is a very popular organizational chart creation tool thanks to its intuitive interface and customizable templates. The free version offers a wide selection of templates that allow you to quickly design an attractive organizational chart. While the free version has some limitations in terms of advanced features, it remains ideal for small organizations and management training.

Google Sheet

Google Sheets allows you to design a simple organizational chart using spreadsheets. Thanks to its real-time collaboration features, this tool facilitates the centralization and reporting of organizational data. While less visual than dedicated software, it offers a free solution for creating a basic hierarchical diagram and easily sharing the organizational chart with your team.

Paid organizational chart software

Canva Pro

Canva Pro offers advanced features for creating organizational charts, including access to premium templates, improved export quality, and extensive customization options. With an annual individual subscription of €110, Canva Pro is ideal for businesses looking to create polished and professional organizational charts.

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Visio is a powerful hierarchical diagramming and organizational charting software widely used in large companies. With advanced features for creating and configuring organizational charts, Visio allows for a detailed and customized visualization of your structure. Pricing typically starts at €15/month for an individual subscription, making it a robust solution for optimizing organizational management.

Revenge

Venngage is a graphic design tool that allows you to create attractive and modern organizational charts. With pre-designed org chart templates, it offers a user-friendly interface for creating effective organizational diagrams. Pricing plans start at around €19/month, making it a good solution for businesses that want to combine aesthetics and functionality.

Visme

Visme offers advanced features for visualizing and creating organizational charts. This digital tool allows you to design interactive hierarchical diagrams and share your organizational structure online. Subscriptions start at around €15/month and offer numerous customization options to meet the requirements of your organizational structure.

Lucidchart

Lucidchart is a renowned organizational charting software known for its ability to create collaborative hierarchical diagrams in real time. Its cloud-based platform allows for rapid creation and easy configuration of organizational charts, with customizable templates and a modern design. Pricing often starts at €7.95/month for small teams.

Creately

Creately offers an intuitive interface for creating organizational charts and hierarchical diagrams. This tool provides customizable templates that facilitate the construction of a clear organizational chart. Plans start at around €8/month, making it an affordable solution for small and medium-sized businesses.

Organetwork

Organetwork presents itself as a platform dedicated to the visual management of organizational structure. It allows users to create hierarchical diagrams and centralize information related to functions and departments. This solution offers collaborative and interactive features, with pricing generally quoted on a case-by-case basis, suitable for large companies.

Wondershare EdrawMax

Wondershare EdrawMax is a comprehensive software that allows you to create professional organizational charts using a wide range of templates and design tools. EdrawMax offers advanced hierarchical diagram building options, with a perpetual license starting at around €129 or monthly subscriptions around €16/month, depending on the options chosen.

Talentia Software

Talentia Software offers an integrated organizational chart software solution within a comprehensive organizational management system. It allows users to manage their organizational structure and automate the organizational chart creation workflow. Talentia's offerings are typically quoted on a case-by-case basis and are tailored to companies requiring a customized solution for optimizing their internal structure.

Bizneo

Bizneo stands out for its ease of use and its ability to centralize organizational information. This software offers corporate organizational chart templates that allow users to build an intuitive hierarchical diagram and visualize the company's structure interactively. Bizneo's pricing is available upon request, allowing the solution to be tailored to each company's specific needs.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What are the three types of organizational charts?

The three main forms of organizational chart are: the hierarchical organizational chart which presents the cascading structure with clear levels, the matrix organizational chart which combines functions and projects to promote collaboration within the team, and the horizontal organizational chart which favors a flat structure and direct communication between members.

Is an organizational chart mandatory in a company?

Although a hierarchical organizational chart is not legally required, it is highly recommended to clarify the organizational structure and facilitate internal management. This tool improves communication and serves as a strategic guide for training and optimizing company processes.

How to choose the best organizational chart software for your company?

To choose the best organizational chart software, it's important to consider several criteria: the tool's ease of use, the quality of the templates and models offered, the options for viewing and configuring the hierarchical diagram, as well as the automation and collaboration features. Also compare pricing plans – some tools are free, while others offer monthly subscriptions or quotes – to find the solution best suited to the size and needs of your organization.