Comparison of network diagram software

A number of software tools exist to create or generate computer network diagram / visual maps of networks, servers, storage, services, data centers, and other peripherals. Broadly, there are two groups of software tools - those that help create diagrams manually and those that generate them using automated / semi-automated approaches.

• Manual Design Software - typically allows users to design and draw logical and physical topology diagrams by manually placing icons and inter-connections
• Auto-discovery software - these tools typically generate physical topology diagrams / maps by traversing the network and automatically discovering resident devices

Comparison of network diagram / visualization software

This is a comparison of some computer network diagramming software. This list is not exhaustive, but reflects a cross section of the available solutions. Please post only encyclopaedic information that can be verified by external sources. Please maintain a neutral, unbiased point of view.

Software Name	Type	Deployment	Team Collaboration	Servers	Storage	Networking	Services	Telecom	Peripherals	Cabling	Racks	Geographic Location	2.5D/3D	Inventory	License
10-Strike	Auto-discovery	Desktop													Commercial
Cacoo	Manual Design	Hosted
Cade	Manual Design	Desktop													Freeware
Cisco Network Assistant
Creately	Manual Design	Hosted & Desktop[1]	Yes[1]	Yes[1]	No[1]	Yes[1]	No[1]	Yes[1]	Yes[1]	No[1]	Yes[1]	No[1]	No[1]	No[1]	Commercial[1]
CuteDraw
Dia	Manual Design	Desktop[2]	No[2]	Yes[2]	Yes[2]	Yes[2]	No[2]	Yes[2]	Yes[2]	No[2]	No[2]	No[2]	No[2]	No[2]	Freeware[2]
Diagram Designer
Diagram.ly
Eazydraw
Edraw	Manual Design	Desktop[3]	No[3]	Yes[3]	Yes[3]	Yes[3]	Yes[3]	Yes[3]	Yes[3]	No[3]	No[3]	No[3]	Yes[3]	No[3]	Commercial[3]
Eyenpe
Gliffy	Manual Design	Hosted[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	Yes[4]	No[4]	Yes[4]	No[4]	No[4]	No[4]	Commercial[4]
GoVisual Diagram Editor
GraphViz
Kivio
LAN Surveyor	Auto-discovery	Desktop													Commercial
LanFlow															Commercial
LucidChart
ManageEngine - Network Mapping	Auto-discovery	Server	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Commercial
Microsoft Visio Standard	Manual Design	Desktop[5]	Yes (with Sharepoint)[5]	Yes[5]	Yes[5]	Yes[5]	Yes[5]	Yes[5]	Yes[5]	No[5]	Yes[5]	No[5]	Yes[5]	No[5]	Commercial[5]
Microsoft Visio Premium/Professional Add-In for Microsoft System Center	Manual Design	Desktop[6]	Yes (with Sharepoint)[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	No[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes[6]	Yes (with System Center)[6]	Commercial[6]
Netbraintech		Desktop											No
NetFormx
NetProbe
NetSuite
Network Notepad	Auto-discovery and Manual Design	Desktop[7]	No[7]	Yes[7]	No[7]	Yes[7]	No[7]	?	?	No[7]	No[7]	No[7]	No[7]	No[7]	Freeware & Commercial[7]
NMAP
Omnigraffle
Opmanager
OPNET NetMapper	Auto-discovery	Desktop[8]	No[8]	?	?	Yes[8]	?	?	?	No[8]	No[8]	No[8]	No[8]	Yes[8]	Commercial[8]
Petri
SmartDraw	Manual Design	Desktop													Commercial
Spiceworks Network Map	Auto-discovery and Manual Design	Server[9]	Yes[9]	Yes[9]	Yes[9]	Yes[9]	?	Yes[9]	Yes[9]	No[9]	No[9]	Yes[9]	No[9]	Yes[9]	Open Source[9]
The Dude
Visual Thought
Weresc
WhatsUpGold															Commercial
YED Graph Editor

Legend

• Software Name
  • The name of the software, linked to its Wikipedia article. Software without Wikipedia articles will not be linked.
• Type
  • Manual Design – diagram must be created / edited manually
  • Auto-discovery – diagram is generated automatically
• Deployment
  • Hosted – software as a service, accessed via a browser
  • Desktop – installed and runs on the local machine
  • Server – installed on a central server and accessed via a browser
• Team Collaboration
  • Yes - Allows for joint editing of the diagram
  • No – editing is restricted to a single user
• Devices Viewable in diagram
  • Servers
    • Yes – servers can be displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying servers
  • Storage
    • Yes – storage can be displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying storage
  • Networking
    • Yes – Network devices can be displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying network devices
  • Services
    • Yes – Services can be displayed in the diagram (e. g. FTP, mail servers, etc.)
    • No – no support for displaying network services
  • Telecommunications
    • Yes – Telecommunications equipment can be displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying telecommunications equipment
  • Peripherals
    • Yes – other devices can be displayed in the diagram (e. g. printers, monitors, etc.)
    • No – no support for displaying peripherals
  • Racks
    • Yes – racks can displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying racks
  • Cabling
    • Yes – cabling can displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying cabling
  • Geographic location
    • Yes – geographic location of the devices can displayed in the diagram
    • No – no support for displaying the geographic location
• 2.5D / 3D Perspective
  • Yes – supports creating perspective graphics or 2.5D using isometric icons and connecting lines that appear 3D
  • No – no support for perspective graphics or 2.5D
• License
  • Open-source/free
  • Commercial
• Inventory
  • Yes - keeps a record of all device
  • No - no support for maintaining an inventory

See Also

Computer network diagram

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Creately for network diagrams". http://creately.com/Online-Network-Diagram-Software. Retrieved 13 November 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Dia product documentation". http://projects.gnome.org/dia. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Edraw Soft for network diagrams". http://www.edrawsoft.com/Network-Diagrams.php. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Glify for network diagrams". http://www.gliffy.com/uses/network-diagram-software/. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Microsoft Visio features". http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/compare-microsoft-visio-2010-versions-FX101814621.aspx. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} "Microsoft visio add in for systems center". http://visio.microsoft.com/en-us/Templates_And_Downloads/Software_Add-ins/Pages/Visio_2010_Add-in_for_System_Center_Operations_Manager_2007_R2.aspx. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} "Network notepad documentation". http://www.networknotepad.com/Pro/EN/help.html. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "Opnet". http://www.opnet.com/solutions/network_performance/netmapper.html. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m} "Spiceworks network mapping". http://www.spiceworks.com/free-network-mapping-software/. Retrieved 14 November 2011.