The 11 Best Org Chart Software Tools in 2026

Most organizations outgrow their org chart long before they outgrow their org chart tool. The structure changes (new hires, departures, reorganizations, cross-functional projects) but the chart stays frozen in the version someone built in PowerPoint six months ago. By the time anyone looks at it again, it describes an organization that no longer exists.

The problem is not that people forget to update the chart. The problem is that most org chart tools were designed to produce a diagram, not to represent a living organization. They capture names and reporting lines at a single point in time. They say nothing about what a role actually does, who has the authority to make which decisions, or how teams relate to each other beyond a dotted line.

In 2026, the category has matured. Tools range from free diagramming apps that produce static boxes-and-lines charts to full organizational management platforms that model roles, governance, goals, and collaboration in real time. The right choice depends on what you actually need: a picture for a board deck, or infrastructure for how your organization operates.

This guide compares eleven tools across that spectrum. We evaluated each one on practical criteria: how well it keeps up with organizational change, how deeply it models roles and responsibilities, how it supports collaboration, what integrations it offers, how it scales, and what it costs. Peerdom is our product, and it is listed first because we believe it offers the most complete solution for organizations that want more than a static diagram, but we also note where it falls short. Credibility matters more than a sales pitch.

All 11 Tools at a Glance

Tool	Best For	Pricing	Key Strength	Key Limitation
Peerdom	Dynamic organizational management	Free up to 10 users; from CHF 5/user/month	Living org maps with roles, governance, and 11 modular apps	No built-in task management or document editing
Lucidchart	Creating charts from existing data	Free tier; paid from $7.95/user/month	Auto-generate diagrams from CSV and data sources	Static diagrams with no live data or role management
Microsoft Visio	Microsoft 365 organizations	$5-15/user/month	Deep Office 365 integration and shape libraries	Desktop-first experience with limited real-time collaboration
Organimi	Quick, traditional org charts	$18-35/month for up to 150 users	Fast drag-and-drop chart builder with exports	Chart builder only: no governance, apps, or analytics
Creately	Free option for small teams	Free tier; paid from $8/user/month	Generous free plan with real-time collaboration	Generic diagramming tool, not purpose-built for org management
Miro	Collaborative whiteboarding with org charts	Free tier; Business $19/user/month	Infinite canvas with rich facilitation features	Org charts are just templates on a whiteboard: no structured data
Holaspirit (Talkspirit)	Holacracy-specific governance	Freemium; Rise at 79 EUR/month; Scale at 149 EUR/month	Purpose-built holacracy meeting facilitation and governance	Holacracy-centric, less flexible for hybrid organizational models
GlassFrog	Holacracy governance	Free up to 10 users; Premium $7/user/month + add-ons	Built by holacracy creators with deep methodology expertise	Holacracy-centric; limited flexibility for non-holacracy models
Nestr	Self-organized team collaboration	Free up to 5 users; Starter $6/user/month; Pro $10/user/month	Affordable with built-in meeting facilitation and governance proposals	Smaller team; less established; limited integrations
Rolebase	Open-source role governance	Free up to 5 users; Startup 5 EUR/user/month; Enterprise custom	Open source, self-hostable, European data privacy	Limited integrations; smaller community; less mature feature set
Maptio	Open-source organizational mapping	Pay-what-you-feel (from $10/month for whole org)	Open source with radically inclusive pricing and visual circle mapping	Smaller feature set; limited integrations; best suited for smaller organizations

How We Evaluated

Each tool was assessed against six criteria that matter most when choosing org chart software for ongoing organizational use, not just a one-time diagram.

Real-time accuracy. Does the tool reflect your current organizational reality, or does it show a snapshot from the last time someone updated it? Tools that serve as a system of record score higher than tools that produce exportable artifacts.

Role depth. Can the tool model roles with purpose, accountabilities, and domains, or only names and job titles? Organizations practicing any form of distributed authority need granular role definitions, not just boxes on a tree.

Collaboration. Can multiple people edit and maintain the structure simultaneously? Single-author tools create bottlenecks and go stale faster.

Integrations. Does the tool connect to your existing stack (HR systems, project management, communication platforms) or does it operate in isolation?

Pricing and accessibility. Is the tool accessible to organizations of different sizes and budgets? Transparent pricing scores higher than sales-call-required enterprise models.

Scale. Does the tool remain usable and performant as the organization grows from 20 to 2,000 to 20,000 people?

For a broader discussion of why real-time organizational maps outperform static diagrams, see dynamic org charts vs. static org charts.

1. Peerdom: Best for Dynamic Organizational Management

Peerdom is not an org chart tool in the traditional sense. It is an organizational management platform, what the company describes as a “Google Maps of the workplace.” Instead of producing a static diagram that someone exports to PDF, Peerdom maintains a living, interactive map of the organization that updates in real time as roles, teams, and structures evolve.

The fundamental difference is in what Peerdom models. Where most org chart tools show names and job titles arranged in a hierarchy, Peerdom models roles with explicit purpose, accountabilities, and domains. One person can hold multiple roles across different teams. One role can be filled by multiple people. The structure is not a simplified tree; it is a navigable representation of how authority and responsibility actually flow through the organization. Peerdom is non-dogmatic and framework-agnostic: it does not prescribe how you should organize. It works for traditional hierarchies, flat teams, matrix structures, holacracy, sociocracy, agile, Teal organizations, Beta Codex, the Spotify model, or any hybrid model. The platform adapts to your organizational design, not the other way around.

Beyond the organizational map itself, Peerdom offers 11 modular apps that extend the platform into a comprehensive organizational operating system: Goals (OKR, KPI, and custom frameworks), Projects, Directory, Journal (change history and audit trail), Elections, Feedback, Drafts (for designing structural changes before publishing), Network (cross-organizational collaboration), Insights (analytics on role concentration, workload, vacancies), Pages, and Contribution. The platform supports multiple views (circle, tree, and list) along with custom fields, layers, and relationship mapping. On the integration side, Peerdom provides a GraphQL API, SSO, webhooks, and connectors for Zapier, Pipedream, and n8n. Hosting is in Switzerland with full GDPR compliance.

“During the process of mapping out the way our company currently worked with Peerdom, it was like a revelation…we learned things about our 20 year old company that we never saw before and were so much the richer for it.” — Sean Daly, Director, SOLID Structures & Infrastructure

What it does well. Peerdom excels at making organizational structure not just visible but navigable and governable. The combination of role depth, governance features (elections, consent-based processes, term limits), and organizational analytics creates a tool that serves daily operations, not just annual planning meetings. The 11 modular apps mean organizations can start with the map and progressively adopt governance, goals, and insights as they mature. Over 250 clients across 18 countries (including Bayer, Lufthansa, Greenpeace, MSF, and ETH Zurich) use Peerdom to manage organizations ranging from 3 to 30,000 people.

Where it falls short. Peerdom does not include built-in task management or document editing. It is designed to be the organizational layer that sits alongside tools like Notion, Jira, or Asana, not to replace them. For organizations looking for an all-in-one platform, this means integrating multiple tools. Additionally, organizations new to role-based thinking may face a learning curve: the shift from “person = job title” to “person = portfolio of roles with defined accountabilities” requires a conceptual adjustment, even though the software itself is straightforward. For a deeper look at how Peerdom complements task and documentation tools, see Peerdom vs. Notion.

Who it is best for. Organizations that want their org chart to be an active, operational tool, not a static artifact. Because Peerdom is framework-agnostic, it serves any organizational model: traditional hierarchies seeking more transparency, flat teams coordinating without managers, network organizations inspired by the Peach model, or distributed authority models like holacracy, sociocracy, or agile at scale. The platform does not push a methodology; it gives you the building blocks to design and govern whatever structure fits your organization. Scales from small teams to large enterprises.

Pricing. Free for up to 10 users. Peerdom+ starts at CHF 5 per user per month. Enterprise plans available. See pricing for details.

2. Lucidchart: Best for Creating Charts from Existing Data

Lucidchart is a cloud-based diagramming platform that supports a wide range of diagram types (flowcharts, network diagrams, wireframes, and org charts) among them. It is not an org-chart-specific tool, but its org chart capabilities are solid for organizations that need to create visual diagrams from existing data sources.

The standout feature for org chart use is Lucidchart’s ability to auto-generate charts from CSV files, Google Sheets, or other data sources. Upload a spreadsheet of employee data with names, titles, departments, and reporting relationships, and Lucidchart produces a formatted chart automatically. Real-time collaboration is well-implemented: multiple people can work on the same diagram simultaneously, and integrations with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 make sharing straightforward.

What it does well. Lucidchart is polished, fast, and approachable. If you need to quickly visualize an organizational structure from data you already have, it handles that workflow better than most alternatives. The diagramming engine is flexible enough to accommodate non-standard layouts, and the collaboration features make it practical for teams that need to co-create charts together.

Where it falls short. Lucidchart produces diagrams. The result is a visual artifact, not a live system of record. There is no role management, no governance, no analytics, and no mechanism for keeping the chart automatically current as the organization changes. When someone is hired, promoted, or restructured, a person has to manually update the chart. For organizations that change frequently, this means the chart is perpetually outdated. For more on why this matters, see dynamic org charts vs. static org charts.

Who it is best for. Organizations that need to produce one-time or infrequent org chart diagrams, particularly from existing data sources. Also strong for teams that use diagramming broadly and want org charts as one of many diagram types in a single tool.

Pricing. Free tier with limited features. Individual plans from $7.95 per user per month. Business plans from approximately $44 per month. Enterprise pricing available on request.

3. Microsoft Visio: Best for Microsoft 365 Organizations

Microsoft Visio is one of the oldest names in business diagramming. Part of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, it offers desktop and web versions with extensive shape libraries, templates, and tight integration with Excel, SharePoint, and Teams. For organizations that already use Microsoft 365 for everything else, Visio is the path of least resistance for creating org charts.

Visio’s org chart capabilities rely on its general-purpose diagramming engine. You can import data from Excel or Active Directory to auto-generate charts, and the template library includes multiple org chart layouts. The desktop application provides fine-grained control over formatting and layout, and the web version (Visio for the web) offers lighter collaboration features.

What it does well. If your organization already pays for Microsoft 365 and your workforce lives in Teams, SharePoint, and Excel, Visio fits neatly into that ecosystem. The ability to pull org data directly from Active Directory or Excel reduces manual chart creation. The shape and stencil library is extensive, and formatting control is granular for organizations that need presentation-quality outputs.

Where it falls short. Visio remains fundamentally a desktop application, even though a web version exists. Real-time collaboration is limited compared to cloud-native tools. The learning curve is steep: Visio’s interface reflects its origins as a professional diagramming tool, not a modern SaaS product. Like Lucidchart, Visio produces static diagrams, not living org charts. There is no role depth, no governance, and no organizational analytics. Charts must be manually maintained.

Who it is best for. Organizations deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem that need org charts as one of many diagram types. IT departments that already have Visio licenses and prefer to consolidate tools rather than add new ones.

Pricing. Visio Plan 1 (web only) at $5 per user per month. Visio Plan 2 (desktop and web) at $15 per user per month. Often bundled with existing Microsoft 365 enterprise agreements.

4. Organimi: Best for Quick, Traditional Org Charts

Organimi is a cloud-based org chart builder purpose-built for creating and sharing organizational charts. Unlike general-purpose diagramming tools, Organimi focuses specifically on org charts, which makes the setup and creation process faster and more intuitive for that specific use case.

The drag-and-drop builder lets you create charts manually or import data from CSV files. Charts support custom fields, photos, and contact information, and can be exported as PDF, PNG, or PowerPoint files. Organimi also offers integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and Salesforce for pulling in employee data. The photo board and directory features add a people-directory layer beyond the basic chart, making it useful for HR teams managing employee profiles.

What it does well. Organimi does one thing and does it efficiently: create good-looking traditional org charts quickly. The purpose-built interface removes the complexity of general diagramming tools, and the export options make it practical for presentations, board decks, and HR documentation. For sales organizations, the Salesforce integration is a particularly useful feature for visualizing account team structures.

Where it falls short. Organimi is a chart builder. It does not offer governance, analytics, goal tracking, or any of the organizational management features that platforms like Peerdom provide. The pricing model caps at 150 users per plan, which limits scalability for larger organizations. And while custom fields add some flexibility, the underlying model is still traditional: one person, one box, one reporting line. For a detailed comparison of how Organimi and Peerdom differ in approach, see Peerdom vs. Organimi.

Who it is best for. HR teams and managers who need to create and distribute traditional org charts quickly, without the overhead of learning a diagramming tool. Good for mid-sized organizations that want a cleaner alternative to PowerPoint but do not need organizational management capabilities.

Pricing. Plans range from $18 to $35 per month for up to 150 users. Enterprise pricing available on request.

5. Creately: Best Free Option for Small Teams

Creately is a visual collaboration platform that includes org chart templates among its broad range of diagram types. The free tier is generous enough for small teams to create and maintain basic org charts without paying anything, making it an accessible starting point for organizations on tight budgets.

The platform supports real-time collaboration, auto-generation from CSV data, and a library of templates that includes several org chart layouts. Creately’s visual canvas is flexible (you can add notes, links, and custom formatting to chart elements) and the interface is clean and modern compared to older diagramming tools.

What it does well. The free tier is Creately’s biggest advantage for org chart use. Small teams can create, share, and collaborate on org charts without hitting a paywall. The real-time collaboration is well-implemented, and the CSV import makes it reasonably fast to generate initial charts from existing data. For teams that also need other diagram types (process flows, mind maps, wireframes) having org charts within the same tool reduces context switching.

Where it falls short. Creately is a generic diagramming tool that happens to include org chart templates. It does not model roles, accountabilities, governance, or any organizational structure beyond visual layout. As the organization grows, the limitations of a diagramming approach become apparent: no search across the org, no analytics, no audit trail, no API for integrating with other systems. The charts are artifacts, not infrastructure. For context on why this distinction matters, see the self-management software guide.

Who it is best for. Small teams (under 20 people) that need a free, fast way to create a basic org chart and are not yet ready to invest in a dedicated organizational management tool. Also useful for freelancers and consultants who need to diagram client organizations.

Pricing. Free tier for up to 3 collaborators with limited features. Paid plans from $8 per user per month. Business and enterprise plans available.

6. Miro: Best for Collaborative Whiteboarding with Org Charts

Miro is an infinite-canvas whiteboard platform designed for visual collaboration. It is not an org chart tool; it is a workshop and brainstorming platform that includes org chart templates as one of hundreds of available frameworks. For organizations that already use Miro for strategic planning, retrospectives, or design workshops, adding org charts to the same canvas can be a natural fit.

Miro’s strength is real-time collaboration at scale. Multiple participants can work on the same board simultaneously, using sticky notes, comments, voting, and timer features that make it well-suited for facilitated sessions. The org chart templates provide a starting structure that teams can customize with Miro’s freeform tools, adding color coding, notes, links, and visual groupings beyond what a traditional chart builder allows.

What it does well. Miro is exceptional for collaborative, workshop-style org chart creation. If you are designing a new organizational structure during a strategy session, Miro’s facilitation tools make it easy to brainstorm, iterate, and get input from a large group in real time. The visual flexibility (combining org charts with strategy canvases, journey maps, and process flows on the same board) creates a rich context that standalone org chart tools cannot match.

Where it falls short. Miro’s org charts are drawings, not data. There is no structured data model behind the visual layout: no roles, no accountabilities, no searchable directory. You cannot query a Miro board via API to find out who is responsible for a specific domain. The charts do not update automatically when the organization changes. And because Miro is fundamentally a whiteboard, the org chart is one sticky-note session away from being accidentally rearranged, covered by a brainstorming cluster, or lost on an infinite canvas that nobody scrolls far enough to find.

Who it is best for. Organizations that already use Miro for facilitation and workshops, and want to incorporate org chart creation into those sessions. Useful for the design phase of organizational restructuring, but not as a system of record for ongoing organizational management.

Pricing. Free tier for up to 3 editable boards. Business plan at $19 per user per month. Enterprise pricing available on request.

7. Holaspirit (Talkspirit): Best for Holacracy-Specific Governance

Holaspirit, now part of the Talkspirit platform, is a governance tool designed specifically for organizations practicing holacracy. It provides meeting facilitation, role and circle management, OKRs, project tracking via kanban boards, and internal communications, all structured around the holacratic governance model.

The platform faithfully implements holacracy’s formal processes: governance meetings with structured proposal rounds, tactical meetings with triage, role elections with consent-based decision-making, and policy management. For organizations committed to practicing holacracy by the book, this specificity is valuable: the tool enforces the methodology’s rules and cadences rather than leaving them to interpretation.

What it does well. Holaspirit is the most thorough digital implementation of holacracy governance available. The meeting facilitation features (structured agendas, proposal integration, objection processing) reduce the facilitation burden and help teams follow the methodology consistently. The OKR and project features provide basic execution tracking within the governance context. For organizations that have adopted holacracy as their operating system and want a tool that enforces its processes, Holaspirit delivers that with fidelity.

Where it falls short. The holacracy-specific design is both a strength and a limitation. Organizations that practice sociocracy, agile-at-scale, or hybrid models will find the tool constraining, as it was not designed for methodological flexibility. The absorption into the broader Talkspirit platform introduces additional complexity: users now navigate a combined suite that includes internal social networking and messaging features alongside the governance tools, which can feel like more software than the governance use case warrants. Pricing is also higher than some alternatives, particularly for smaller organizations. For a detailed comparison of governance approaches, see Peerdom vs. Holaspirit.

Who it is best for. Organizations committed to practicing strict holacracy who want a tool that enforces the methodology’s governance processes. Less suited for organizations that want flexibility to blend multiple frameworks or evolve their governance model over time.

Pricing. Freemium tier available. Rise plan at 79 EUR per month. Scale plan at 149 EUR per month. Enterprise pricing available.

8. GlassFrog: Best for Holacracy Purists

GlassFrog is a cloud-based governance platform built by HolacracyOne, the organization founded by Brian Robertson, the creator of holacracy itself. Where other tools support holacracy as one of several frameworks, GlassFrog was designed from the ground up to be the definitive digital implementation of the methodology.

The platform provides dynamic org charts, structured governance and tactical meetings, project tracking, async proposals, and policy management, all following holacracy’s constitutional processes. Slack integration and FrogBot, an AI-powered holacracy advisor, extend the tool into daily workflows. Add-on modules include OKRs ($1.50 per user per month) and FrogBot AI ($1.50 per user per month). GlassFrog also includes over 50 built-in learning lessons that guide teams through holacracy concepts, making it both a governance tool and a training platform. The platform supports holacracy as its primary framework, with secondary support for sociocracy, teal, and agile approaches.

Over 1,000 organizations and 15,000 users run on GlassFrog, including Siemens, Danone, and ENGIE.

What it does well. GlassFrog offers the deepest holacracy implementation available, unsurprising given its creators wrote the methodology. The FrogBot AI advisor helps practitioners navigate governance questions in real time, and the built-in learning lessons reduce the onboarding burden for teams new to holacracy. GlassFrog also offers free migration from HolaSpirit, positioning itself as a direct alternative for organizations reconsidering their governance tooling.

Where it falls short. The holacracy-centric design is both its greatest strength and its most significant limitation. Organizations practicing sociocracy, agile-at-scale, or hybrid models will find GlassFrog constraining, as the tool was not built for methodological flexibility. Users have reported slow loading times with larger organizations, and the project tracking features are basic compared to dedicated project management tools. The integration ecosystem is limited beyond Slack and Zapier. For a detailed comparison of approaches, see Peerdom vs. GlassFrog.

Who it is best for. Organizations committed to practicing holacracy who want the framework’s creators behind their tool. If holacracy is your operating system and you want the most faithful digital implementation, GlassFrog was designed precisely for that purpose.

Pricing. Free for up to 10 users. Premium plan at $7 per user per month. OKRs add-on at $1.50 per user per month. FrogBot AI add-on at $1.50 per user per month.

9. Nestr: Best for Affordable Self-Management

Nestr is a purpose-driven collaboration platform for self-organized teams, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Amsterdam. With a team of seven employees and Thomas Thomison, co-founder of holacracy, as strategic advisor, Nestr sits at the intersection of governance tooling and team collaboration.

The platform provides circles, roles with accountabilities, governance proposals, meeting management with structured agendas, project boards, messaging, and AI-powered organizational generation. Nestr supports holacracy, sociocracy, teal, and DAO structures, with framework-specific templates that auto-configure the platform to match your chosen methodology. A peer feedback feature adds a lightweight performance layer on top of the governance structure.

What it does well. Nestr offers the most affordable entry point for self-management tooling in this comparison. At $6 per user per month, the Starter plan includes governance proposals, meeting facilitation, and role management, features that competitors charge significantly more for. The modern UI is intuitive, the built-in meeting facilitation reduces the need for external facilitation tools, and the DAO integration makes it one of the few governance platforms that bridges traditional organizations and decentralized structures. Framework-specific templates auto-configure the platform based on your methodology, reducing setup time.

Where it falls short. Nestr is a small team (seven people) which raises questions about long-term support and development velocity compared to larger competitors. The platform is less established in the market, with a smaller user base and fewer enterprise references. Project management capabilities are limited compared to dedicated PM tools, and some users find the structured meeting formats rigid for workflows that do not follow strict governance cadences. For a detailed comparison, see Peerdom vs. Nestr.

Who it is best for. Self-organized teams on a budget that want an integrated governance and collaboration tool with meeting facilitation. Particularly strong for small to mid-sized organizations adopting holacracy, sociocracy, or teal for the first time and looking for an affordable platform that guides the process.

Pricing. Free for up to 5 users. Starter plan at $6 per user per month. Pro plan at $10 per user per month.

10. Rolebase: Best Open-Source Option

Rolebase is the only fully open-source org chart and governance platform in this comparison. Built by Lonestone, a French software agency, and released under the MIT license, it offers a self-hostable alternative for organizations that prioritize data sovereignty, transparency, or prefer open-source software.

The platform provides a dynamic org chart, role-based task assignment, meeting coordination, Topics (a feature for structured decisions and debates), iCal integration, and a public API. Rolebase supports holacracy, Sociocracy 3.0, and distributed governance models. The codebase is actively maintained with over 1,149 commits on GitHub. Hosting runs on European servers with full GDPR compliance, and the interface is bilingual (English and French).

What it does well. Rolebase delivers full open-source transparency: you can inspect, modify, and self-host the entire platform. For organizations in regulated industries or those with strict data sovereignty requirements, the self-hosting option provides complete control over where data lives. European hosting and GDPR compliance are built in, not bolted on. Pricing is favorable for SMBs and nonprofits, with free or discounted access for nonprofit organizations. The Topics feature provides a structured approach to decision-making and debates that goes beyond simple task tracking.

Where it falls short. The integration ecosystem is limited: there is no native Slack or Zapier integration yet, which means manual workflows for organizations that rely on those connectors. The mobile experience is limited, and the user community is smaller than established alternatives, which means fewer templates, guides, and community-contributed resources. The feature set, while capable, is less mature than platforms that have been in the market longer; governance meeting facilitation, for example, is more basic than what GlassFrog or Holaspirit offer. For a detailed comparison, see Peerdom vs. Rolebase.

Who it is best for. Organizations that value open source, self-hosting, or European data sovereignty, and are comfortable with a newer, less polished platform. Particularly appealing for technically capable teams that want to customize their governance tooling, nonprofits seeking affordable options, and organizations in regulated industries where self-hosting is a compliance requirement.

Pricing. Free for up to 5 active members. Startup plan at 5 EUR per user per month (up to 200 members). Enterprise pricing available on request. Nonprofits receive free or discounted access.

11. Maptio: Best for Visual Initiative Mapping on a Budget

Maptio is an open-source organizational mapping tool founded by Tom Nixon, a UK-based coach, author of Work with Source, and advisor to creative founders. The platform focuses on one thing: helping purpose-driven organizations visualize how their vision breaks down into initiatives, teams, and areas of responsibility. It is grounded in Peter Koenig’s source principles and the practice of “initiative mapping,” which focuses on making visible who is responsible for what and how the parts contribute to the whole.

Maptio’s primary view is a nested circle map that shows how broader initiatives contain smaller ones. You can add people to circles, assign roles, tag themes and goals across initiatives, and share the map publicly via a URL or embed it on a website. A network view shows connections between individuals working across different circles. The tool became open source in 2022, with its codebase available on GitHub (TypeScript/Angular).

What it does well. Maptio’s pricing model is its most distinctive feature. Rather than per-user pricing, Maptio uses a pay-what-you-feel model: organizations contribute what they can, starting from $10 per month, with suggested contributions of $50 to $200 per month. This covers the entire organization (up to 300 people) with no per-seat charges. For purpose-driven organizations with limited budgets, this removes a common barrier to adoption. The open-source nature means organizations with technical capacity can examine, modify, or self-host the code. The visual circle mapping is clean and intuitive, and the ability to share maps publicly makes it useful for organizations that want external stakeholders to understand their structure.

Where it falls short. Maptio is a mapping tool, not an organizational management platform. It does not offer governance features (no elections, no consent-based proposals, no meeting facilitation), goal tracking, analytics, change history, or a modular app ecosystem. There is no SSO, no published API for third-party integrations, and no enterprise features like audit trails or compliance certifications. The development team is small, which means feature development and support capacity are limited compared to larger platforms. At the time of writing, Maptio is best suited for smaller organizations (roughly 12 to 150 people) that need a visual map of their structure, not a full governance or operations platform. For a detailed comparison of how Maptio and Peerdom differ in approach, see Peerdom vs. Maptio.

Who it is best for. Purpose-driven organizations, nonprofits, social enterprises, and collectives that need an affordable, visually clear way to map their structure and share it with the world. Particularly well-suited for organizations influenced by source principles, initiative mapping, or other non-prescriptive approaches to self-organization. If your primary need is a beautiful, shareable organizational map and you do not require governance tooling, goal tracking, or enterprise integrations, Maptio is worth evaluating.

Pricing. Pay-what-you-feel model starting from $10 per month for the entire organization (up to 300 people). Suggested contributions range from $50 to $200 per month. Free access is sometimes available for purpose-driven initiatives with limited funding. Open-source code is freely available on GitHub.

Which Tool Is Right for You?

The right org chart tool depends less on features and more on what problem you are actually solving. Here are common scenarios and the tools that fit each one best.

“We need to create an org chart for a board presentation.” Lucidchart or Visio. You need a polished diagram, not an organizational management platform. Import your data, format the chart, export to PowerPoint, and move on.

“We want our entire organization to be able to find anyone and understand who does what.” Peerdom. This is the core use case for a living organizational map: searchable, navigable, and always current. A static diagram will not serve this need at any meaningful scale.

“New employees say they are immediately oriented, in contrast to what took them years in their previous organisations!” — Christophe Barman, Loyco

“We are a small team with no budget and just need something basic.” Creately. The free tier is sufficient for a small team that needs a simple visual chart. Upgrade when you outgrow it.

“We already use Microsoft 365 for everything and do not want another tool.” Visio. It is already in your ecosystem. The org chart capabilities are basic, but the integration friction is minimal.

“We need an org chart for an HR planning exercise, not for daily operations.” Organimi. Purpose-built for creating and exporting traditional org charts quickly. Fast to set up, easy to share.

“We are designing a new org structure during a strategy workshop.” Miro. The collaborative whiteboarding features make it ideal for facilitated design sessions. Use a different tool once the structure is finalized and needs to be maintained.

“We practice holacracy and want governance plus built-in communications.” Holaspirit. Now part of the Talkspirit platform, it combines holacracy governance with internal social networking and messaging. If you want governance and team communication in one suite, Holaspirit offers that breadth, though the added features may feel like more software than you need for governance alone.

“We practice strict holacracy and want the tool built by its creators.” GlassFrog. Built by HolacracyOne, it is the most faithful digital implementation of the methodology. If holacracy is your operating system, GlassFrog was designed for it.

“We want self-management tooling on a tight budget.” Nestr. At $6 per user per month with built-in meeting facilitation and governance, it offers strong value for self-organized teams that want an integrated platform without enterprise pricing.

“We want an open-source platform we can self-host.” Rolebase. It is the only fully open-source, self-hostable governance platform in this category. Self-host for complete data control, or use the SaaS version for convenience. Maptio is also open source, but focuses on mapping rather than governance.

“We are a purpose-driven organization and need an affordable visual map of our structure.” Maptio. The pay-what-you-feel pricing model removes financial barriers, and the visual circle mapping is clean and shareable. If your needs are primarily about making your structure visible rather than governing it with elections, goals, or analytics, Maptio is a strong fit.

“We practice distributed authority but are not locked into one methodology.” Peerdom. It supports holacracy, sociocracy, agile, Beta Codex, Teal, the Spotify model, and hybrid models, or no specific framework at all. The flexibility to evolve your governance model without switching tools is its defining advantage. For more on evaluating tools across different self-management frameworks, see the self-management software guide.

“We want an org chart that can also handle goals, elections, analytics, and integrations.” Peerdom. The 11 modular apps extend the platform well beyond org charting into organizational operations. No other tool on this list offers comparable breadth while keeping the organizational map as the central interface.

“Smart, simple, flexible and transparent. A game-changer for truly agile organizations.” — Germain Augsburger, BKW

“We are comparing Peerdom to a spreadsheet or PowerPoint.” See Peerdom vs. Excel org charts for a focused comparison of what you gain, and what you give up, when moving from manual charting to a dedicated platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best free org chart software?

For basic org chart creation, Creately offers the most capable free tier among the tools reviewed here. It supports real-time collaboration and CSV import without requiring payment. However, free tools are typically limited to diagramming: they produce visual artifacts, not live organizational maps. Peerdom offers a free tier for up to 10 users that includes the full organizational management platform, which provides significantly more depth for small teams willing to invest in role-based structure.

Can I use a diagramming tool like Lucidchart as my org chart?

Yes, but with important caveats. Diagramming tools produce static charts that require manual updates whenever the organization changes. They do not model roles, accountabilities, or governance; they model shapes and lines. For a one-time chart or an annual board presentation, a diagramming tool is fine. For ongoing organizational clarity, it creates more work than it saves. The comparison of dynamic vs. static org charts explains this trade-off in detail.

How is org chart software different from HRIS software?

HRIS (Human Resource Information System) platforms like Workday, BambooHR, or Personio manage employment data: payroll, benefits, contracts, time off. Org chart software models organizational structure: who does what, who has authority over which decisions, how teams relate to each other. They are complementary. The HRIS knows that someone is an employee; the org chart shows what roles they hold and what those roles are responsible for. Many organizations connect the two through API integrations.

Do I need special software for holacracy or sociocracy?

Not necessarily. GlassFrog and Holaspirit are both designed specifically for holacracy. GlassFrog, built by holacracy’s creators at HolacracyOne, offers the purest implementation of the methodology. Holaspirit, now part of Talkspirit, combines holacracy governance with broader communication and collaboration features. Nestr and Rolebase also support holacracy and sociocracy at lower price points. However, platforms like Peerdom support holacracy, sociocracy, and other governance models without being locked to one framework. If your organization practices strict holacracy and wants tool-enforced processes, GlassFrog or Holaspirit are the more specific choices. If you want flexibility to adapt your governance model over time, a framework-agnostic platform is more practical. The holacracy tools and practices guide covers this landscape in depth.

What should I look for in org chart software for a large enterprise?

Scale, governance, and integration. The tool must remain performant and navigable at thousands or tens of thousands of people. It should support role-based access controls so that sensitive structural information can be restricted appropriately. Integration with your existing HR, identity, and project management systems is essential to avoid creating yet another data silo. And the organizational analytics should surface patterns that are invisible at scale: role concentration, workload imbalance, governance bottlenecks. Peerdom serves enterprises like Bayer, Lufthansa, and ETH Zurich with organizations ranging up to 30,000 people.

Can org chart software help with reorganizations and M&A?

Yes. This is one of the highest-value use cases for dynamic org chart platforms. Tools with draft or scenario-planning features let you design new structures, compare options, and publish changes, all within the same platform that holds your current organizational map. Static tools require rebuilding charts from scratch for each scenario. Peerdom’s Drafts app is specifically designed for this: model changes, share them for review, and publish when the new structure is approved.

How much does org chart software typically cost?

Pricing varies widely. Diagramming tools like Lucidchart start around $8 per user per month. Microsoft Visio ranges from $5 to $15 per user per month. Purpose-built org chart builders like Organimi charge $18 to $35 per month for up to 150 users. Full organizational management platforms like Peerdom start at CHF 5 per user per month with a free tier for small teams. Holaspirit’s plans start at 79 EUR per month. GlassFrog costs $7 per user per month plus optional add-ons for OKRs and AI features. Nestr ranges from $6 to $10 per user per month. Rolebase charges 5 EUR per user per month, or is free if you self-host the open-source version. Maptio uses a pay-what-you-feel model starting from $10 per month for the entire organization. The key consideration is total cost of ownership: a “free” tool that requires hours of manual maintenance each month is not actually free. See pricing for Peerdom’s full pricing breakdown.

Can I migrate from one org chart tool to another?

In most cases, yes. Tools that support CSV import (Peerdom, Lucidchart, Organimi, Creately) make it possible to export your current structure as a spreadsheet and import it into a new platform. The process is straightforward for basic name-title-department data. Role-based structures with accountabilities, governance history, and goal data require more careful migration planning. Peerdom supports both CSV import and API-based migration for organizations moving from other platforms.

Ready to see the difference?

• Start mapping your organization for free: Peerdom is free for up to 10 users, with full access to the organizational map, roles, and apps.
• Not sure which approach fits? Book a demo and we will walk through your specific organizational structure and needs.