Network diagrams on a Mac

Visio for Mac? Here are your real options.

Microsoft doesn't make a Visio desktop app for macOS. If you're a network engineer on a Mac (or you just got handed a MacBook), these are the ways people actually draw network diagrams, and what each one costs you.

Open a network diagram in your browser See all the options
NetworkSketch runs in Safari, Chrome, Edge or Firefox on any Mac. No install, no signup to look around.

The options, honestly

Visio in the browser

Microsoft's web version of Visio runs in a Mac browser with an eligible Microsoft 365 or Visio plan. It opens and edits .vsdx files, though it has fewer features and shapes than Visio on Windows.

Best if your company already pays for it and your customers expect Visio files.

Windows in a virtual machine

Run Windows with Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion and install full Visio inside it. You get everything, at the cost of a Windows license, a VM to maintain and plenty of RAM.

Best if you need every Visio feature and vendor stencil.

draw.io (diagrams.net)

Free, with a native Mac app and a browser version, and it imports .vsdx. It's a general drawing tool: devices are shapes and cables are lines, so ports, IPs and VLANs are text you keep up to date by hand.

Best if you want free and flexible, for many kinds of diagrams.

Lucidchart

A browser-based diagram tool with strong real-time collaboration and network shape libraries. Diagrams live in Lucid's cloud, and the free tier is limited.

Best if several people edit the same diagram together.

OmniGraffle

A polished, native Mac diagramming app that can import and export Visio files. Like the others, it draws shapes rather than understanding networks.

Best if you want a native Mac app for general diagrams.

NetworkSketch

Built only for network diagrams, in any Mac browser. Devices have hostname, IP, model and serial fields; links are cables with ports, media type, speed and VLANs; it checks for duplicate IPs and reused ports and exports a PDF with an inventory and cabling schedule. Diagrams stay on your Mac.

Best if you're a network engineer and the diagram is your documentation. It can't open Visio files yet.

Product details as of October 2026; check each vendor for current plans and features.

Why a browser tool works well on a Mac

Nothing to install

Open a tab and start drawing. It works the same on your Mac at work, a Windows laptop at a customer site, or a Linux jump box.

Your files, on your Mac

Diagrams save as files where you choose (Desktop, iCloud Drive, a shared drive). They're never uploaded to us.

Mac keyboard shortcuts

Cmd+Z, Cmd+C/V/D and Cmd+S do what you'd expect, and Shift+drag selects a group of devices.

Saving straight back to the same file works in Chrome and Edge; Safari and Firefox save a copy to Downloads. See the full comparison with Visio, draw.io and Lucidchart.

Questions

Is there a Visio app for Mac?

No. Microsoft makes Visio for Windows and a web version that runs in a browser. There's no native macOS desktop version.

Can I open my existing Visio files?

Not in NetworkSketch yet. Visio in the browser, draw.io, Lucidchart and OmniGraffle can open .vsdx files. If you're redrawing a site anyway, starting from one of our templates is usually quickest.

Does NetworkSketch work in Safari?

Yes. Everything works in Safari; the one difference is that Save downloads a copy rather than writing back to the file you opened.

What does it cost?

Trying the editor is free with no account. The free trial runs 7 days with every feature. After that it's $9 a month billed yearly, or $15 month to month. Pricing.

Try it on your Mac right now.

Open the campus template in your browser, no signup. Click a cable to see what a network-aware diagram looks like.

Open the campus template