Pencil Project vs SmartDraw

Struggling to choose between Pencil Project and SmartDraw? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Pencil Project is a Development solution with tags like wireframing, mockups, gui, design.

It boasts features such as GUI prototyping, Wireframing, Mockup creation, Export to HTML, Built-in shape library, Bitmap image support, Pages and layers and pros including Free and open source, Easy to use, Cross-platform, Good for rapid prototyping, Large shape library, Active community support.

On the other hand, SmartDraw is a Office & Productivity product tagged with flowcharts, org-charts, floor-plans, diagrams.

Its standout features include Drag-and-drop interface for easily creating diagrams, Large library of templates and symbols for flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, etc, Collaboration tools allow teams to work together on diagrams in real-time, Automatic formatting and layout tools keep diagrams organized, Works on desktop, web, and mobile devices, and it shines with pros like Intuitive and easy to learn, Powerful editing and formatting tools, Great for creating a variety of diagram types quickly, Collaboration capabilities, Accessible across devices.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Pencil Project

Pencil Project

Pencil Project is a free and open source GUI prototyping and mockup tool. It allows users to create wireframes and prototypes for software interfaces and websites quickly and easily, without programming knowledge.

Categories:
wireframing mockups gui design

Pencil Project Features

  1. GUI prototyping
  2. Wireframing
  3. Mockup creation
  4. Export to HTML
  5. Built-in shape library
  6. Bitmap image support
  7. Pages and layers

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use

Cross-platform

Good for rapid prototyping

Large shape library

Active community support

Cons

Limited features compared to paid tools

Not great for high-fidelity prototypes

Limited export options

No collaborative editing features


SmartDraw

SmartDraw

SmartDraw is a powerful and easy-to-use diagramming software that helps create over 70 types of diagrams like flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, and more. It has built-in templates and formatting tools that allow users to create professional-looking diagrams quickly.

Categories:
flowcharts org-charts floor-plans diagrams

SmartDraw Features

  1. Drag-and-drop interface for easily creating diagrams
  2. Large library of templates and symbols for flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, etc
  3. Collaboration tools allow teams to work together on diagrams in real-time
  4. Automatic formatting and layout tools keep diagrams organized
  5. Works on desktop, web, and mobile devices

Pricing

  • Freemium
  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Intuitive and easy to learn

Powerful editing and formatting tools

Great for creating a variety of diagram types quickly

Collaboration capabilities

Accessible across devices

Cons

Can be pricey for some individuals or small teams

Limited free version

Not as full-featured as some competing products