Monday.com can handle workflow management for any project. It will allow you to. It allows you to build your own workflow. Its mobile app is not quite as effective as its desktop app. Jira's emphasis is on tracking rather than just on workflows, so its features can be quite unwieldy and overwhelming for non-technical folks. Jira offers three pricing tiers, from $0 to $14, supporting up to 5,000 users. Get WorkFlowy for Windows Ev Williams, founder of Medium, Twitter, and Blogger, uses WorkFlowy every day He says, 'I love WorkFlowy. It fits the shape of my brain better than any other list/note-taking app. Create RPA solutions with desktop flows Easily integrate automation across your organization using desktop flows in Power Automate. Get started quickly using low-code design environments and recorders that are simple enough for everyone to use—even without coding experience.
If you want to get more technical with your product management skills, being able to work with flowchart or diagram creator apps is surely on your list.
The following guide aims to save you hours of time you'd otherwise spend researching the best diagramming solution for your project while at the same time perfecting the design of your flowcharts.
As a general rule, a flowchart or diagram is used to communicate requirements, processes, and workflows in a logical way so complex concepts will be a little less complicated.
In product management, workflows are commonly used to describe:
- User flows
- Processes and other systems involved in them
- Dependencies between systems and inputs, outputs, or other conditions
I've tested and reviewed several tools for creating flowcharts and workflows over the past few years. Here, I've picked 5 that you must try out to describe your product's funnels and flows.
But first…
Why are diagrams so powerful in product management?
While the whole idea of using flowcharts and diagrams might be overlooked or seem like it's an unnecessary step, there are several benefits to using diagrams in PM:
- It simplifies all processes
- It helps you spot issues or weak points at a glance
- It allows you to find any duplicate parts of a process
- It establishes clear funnels
- It supports your Quality Assurance team during the creation of test scenarios
- It acts as a roadmap for software architecture
So how do you choose the best diagramming software?
Creating any kind of diagram is a fairly easy process. Building a successful one, though, takes a bit more research and time.
That's why you need to choose a tool that will help you save hours of work while also giving you the predefined requirements you'll need to build accurate diagrams and keep the process fun.
The key aspects to pay attention to when choosing a flowchart creator software solution are:
- Availability of ready-made templates
- Lots of choices for shapes and arrows to work with
- Extra tools or integrations
- Exporting options
- Strong collaboration features
- Ease of use from the beginning
To make it easier for you to select your next tool for building diagrams, I've highlighted all of these aspects for every individual solution across the following reviews.
Next up are my favorite free flowchart creator and workflow diagram app picks you need to take into consideration.
5 free flowchart creator and workflow diagram tools
Lucidchart
Lucidchart should be your top-of-mind solution for creating customer experience maps and systems diagrams in particular. From the very beginning, the tool makes it easy for product managers to select the type of flowcharts they want to create. Matter of fact, the onboarding process and resources available online make it a tool with a fast learning curve.
From the very beginning, you'll get all possible templates needed for you to create product strategies, create roadmaps and product flows, and even pitch your ideas to stakeholders. With ready-made templates and literally thousands of shapes and arrows to choose from, there are endless opportunities for product managers to create their materials in no time.
Also, if you're like me and like to add a few too many colors, this diagram app comes with a bunch of theme options to help you nail the design of your creations. Bonus points for customization here from non-designers.
The reason I've placed Lucidchart first on this list is that it's a complete flowchart creator tool. Collaboration options are some of the strongest with comments that can be left on charts just like you would in Google Docs, slides that can be used to present your diagrams, and even sharing and exporting options.
If you'd like to take it all one step further, you can choose from dozens of integrations with tools you might already be using like Slack, GitHub, or Salesforce.
You can also check out my video tutorial on using the tool so you won't have to find your way around Lucidchart yourself.
Pros
- Free plan available
- Easy to learn
- Lots of templates and elements to choose from
- Strong collaboration features
Cons
- Limited space for free accounts
- No desktop app
Draw.io
Draw.io is a top choice for many PMs since the tool's free, so you might have already been using it for several other business processes. Since the tool belongs to Google the interface is similar to other Google Apps like Docs and Slides that you're probably working with anyway.
Compared to Lucidchart, Draw.io might be harder to use for non-designers since there are no theme colors to choose from if you want to make your diagrams eye-appealing.
Whenever you want to create a new diagram, you'll get to choose from a series of templates ordered by their structure. There are no specifics for product management.
The flowchart tool does save itself through lots of elements you can use on your workspace. I advise you to use the search bar to find a specific item or element faster.
Since the tool is so simple that even a child could use it, Draw.io is missing the advanced functionalities and collaboration features that would otherwise allow you to communicate with your team directly on the document. To do this, you'll need to integrate it with a tool like Confluence or Quip.
Pros
- Free to use
- Clear interface which makes it easy to get accustomed to
Cons
- Limited templates
- No collaboration options
- No mobile apps
- Few integrations
Creately
Creately is only a free workflow diagram app if you can accept the fact that all of your design will be public and you're limited to 5 documents. Team plans start at $12 which is a fairly decent price considering you're getting all the features with it.
I specifically found their onboarding process handy since it introduces you to the tool so you won't start and have no idea what to do next.
In many ways, the tool is similar to Lucidchart. You've got lots of templates to choose from, all of which are ordered by their purpose. Then you've got your elements which are some of the most beautiful I've seen, along with other styles and theme options to help product managers who aren't that skilled at design too.
One thing people struggle with while using Lucidchart is file organization, a feature that Creately nails by turning their tool into an alternate file storage app. The tool also eases the process of working with several elements by integrating Google search so you can find images to use without leaving the app.
In terms of collaboration, Creately works similarly to a prototyping tool, allowing people to leave comments on the exact element they have feedback to offer on. Collaboration is done in real-time via the online or desktop version of the app.
Pros
- Lots of templates to pick from
- Theme options
- Communication options
- File organization option
- Works offline too
- Easy to learn
Cons
- The free option only allows you to create public content
- Some features are still under development but will be released soon
Whimsical
Whimsical is a user-friendly visual communication tool that's commonly used to create wireframes but has separate options for putting together flowcharts, mind maps, and sticky notes.
While the tool is highly visual, there aren't that many template options to choose from. This is because the app is centered around creating basic wireframes and flowcharts for internal use only. Shapes and connectors are also limited, but there are hundreds of icons to go for if you want to add some extra color to a mind map or flowchart.
On to the benefits of using the tool: collaborating on each project takes fewer than two steps, with comments being placed on every single element you want to leave immediate feedback on. All work is easy to share, export, and even embed.
Ever been annoyed by losing your past versions for a product development flowchart you were supposed to show to your stakeholders? Whimsical is one of the few tools that has a fully-featured file versioning option that records every single change you're making on a chart so you can restore better versions.
Pros
- Strong design options
- Easy to learn
- Sharing and exporting options
- Lots of icons to add to your creation
- File versioning
- Free version available
Cons
- Limited template options
Canva
Canva is not really a common option since it's usually used by marketing and social media teams who need highly-visual content to display publicly. If you're also looking to create a flowchart to present on your social networks, in your pitch deck, or to any other stakeholders, it's definitely worth giving it a try.
Not only is it easy to use, but the fact that it's a general app instead of being tailored only to building diagrams also means it has thousands of elements and icons you can choose from. Illustrations, arrows of all kinds, customizable charts, you name it. Even videos.
As for the sharing options, they're top-notch. You can export your content into any file type you want, resize your workspace to share it on multiple platforms, and use the presentation mode, complete with notes for presenters.
Once you invite your team into the tool, you'll be able to leave comments on your designs to keep everyone on the same page.
Pros
- Free option
- Extremely easy to use
- Versatile
- Focused on great design
- Lots and lots of options for elements
- Collaboration options
Cons
- Limited template options for product management
Haven't decided yet?
Start by creating a list of your own requirements. Are you in need of strong templates so you don't have to build everything from scratch? Or maybe you can give up on lots of elements as long as collaboration options are on point.
Based on your own needs and goals, go over the above list to pick an option that works best for you and give it a try. Each option has its own unique features that distinguish it from the others:
- Lucidchart - lots of template options for PM
- Draw.io - super easy to use
- Creately - most features in one tool
- Whimsical - clear interface for internal use
- Canva - focused on design
If you have any other tips on helping product managers choose their next flowchart creator workflow diagram app, let me know.
This article was updated in November 2020
Workflow Application
Effective workflow management can be very demanding. There's a lot of aspects that you have to take into account and problems you should be able to forecast before they even occur. That's why you should try to make it as easy as possible. One way to facilitate the process is to make use of software designed for that purpose.
What is workflow management?
First of all, by 'workflow' we mean a sequence of tasks assigned to a team or an individual that are part of some larger project. The bigger projects can be divided into smaller workflow processes. In most cases, project managers are responsible for effective process management, so they create workflows and documentation to make work easier and more organized. Sometimes they use many apps for coordinating the work and sometimes they do everything in Excel.
Workflow management is the process of optimizing a company's business processes using automation and project management software. It can be done in a more or less official way. Some companies use very sophisticated workflow management software and document every activity in a business process. They also implement process automation if the work is repetitive and can be automated. On the other side, there are companies that work efficiently with no complex apps, automations, or documented workflows. They may use simple cloud-based to-do lists just to manage everyday tasks.
What is workflow automation?
Workflow automation is removing redundant manual work from the process. To do so, you need to map your business process, identify repetitive tasks, that can be automated, and use adequate tools to ensure that the optimization of the processes can be introduced on every stage and in every department of the company. The main advantages of workflow automation include paperwork reduction, easy onboarding for new employees, save time on approvals and status meetings, collaboration with team members in different locations. Manual workflows are also prone to errors, that can be eliminated with automated data check in digitalized forms. Workflow automation leads eventually to efficient process optimization - you can easily analyze many project metrics, workload and find bottlenecks to correct.
Who can benefit from workflow apps?
You may think that process management and workflow apps are only for big businesses with very complicated structures and projects involving many participants. It is only partially true. Of course, big companies can save thousands of dollars on seemingly irrelevant changes in the workflow like reducing the number of fields in a form. It's all about economy of scale. Smaller companies prefer to use simpler task management software that is cheaper and doesn't take much time to implement and learn. But SMB can also benefit from workflow apps, especially when they have many repetitive tasks. For example, a small marketing agency can handle tens of clients and campaigns that have some mutual tasks and processes like client onboarding or campaign reporting. It's not very optimal to do everything manually when you can use a solution to automate work and save time and effort. What is more, if you implement workflows and project automation when your team is small it will much quicker process and you will be ready to scale in the future. Some of the workflow apps presented in this article offer free plans for small teams, so you can test them and choose the best solution for your projects.
How to choose the best workflow platform for your team?
Choosing the best workflow app it's not the easiest task. You need to take into account many things like the complexity of your processes, hierarchy levels, needs of different teams and departments, types of data you want to use, and much more. In the end, you won't have a guarantee that your team will be willing to change the way they work now.
To make sure that the choice will be optimal, you can follow these steps:
- map your processes and workflows
- check several tools on the market and check their features
- read the reviews of the most interesting tools and pay attention to the ease of use issues
- give your team time to test at least two different apps
- get feedback from your team and ask if they have some problems with the new platform
- add your team members to the evaluation process
- check if using the tool helped save time or caused some problems with productivity
Take a look at our list of best free workflow apps, that can help you with process automation!
1. HeySpace - task management and chat
HeySpace is free workflow software that combines the features of task management and communication to help you manage your workflow effectively. In HeySpace, you can benefit from easy access to your list of spaces, chat, task cards, files, and data, all at once. You can easily communicate in one-on-one or group conversations with all your team members. At the same time, you can keep track of your workflow and monitor all processes on different views: board, list, calendar or timeline. Different workflows demand different processes, so in HeySpace you can structure your Spaces as you wish by creating a specific number of lists and name them by stages of your business process. As a workspace owner, you can easily manage members within your Workspace. Thanks to the useful feature of tagging and easy checklist management, you will never lose track of important tasks. HeySpace is also available for your mobile phone - thanks to the mobile app you can now access it from wherever you are.
HeySpace pricing
HeySpace offers a very attractive free plan, which is perfectly suitable for small teams, and a more flexible premium plan (from $3,75 per user per month) that will meet the needs of bigger projects. You can use HeySpace at work, but also in education or just for communicating with a group of friends. Business users appreciate HeySpace for its user-friendly interface because they save a lot of time on implementation and learning. Can we share a secret with you? It's our favorite workflow app ;)
Flock is a group collaboration software and messaging platform, which allows for teammessaging around projects with one-to-one or group discussions. Flock gives you the possibility to share files with your teammates and browse through all shared files and content in one place. You can easily add documents to the conversation and collaborate on them. If you need to work with other companies, but don't want to share sensitive company information, you can invite them as guests and work with everyone in one place. The options to make video calls and instant audio conferences via phone make the choice of communication channels even more varied. So if you want to save time on typing, you can simply call.
Workflow management
The majority of Flock's functions help ineffective communication. However, you also get a possibility to convert your discussion to tasks and set due dates for you and your team. Flock is not a full-featured project management tool, but it will be helpful for teams that want to get started with workflow management and need an easy to use tool to create a simple workflow.
If you need even more advanced task management options in your communication software, check out our article about a Flock alternative.
3. Slack
Slack is a cloud-based set of collaboration tools that make teamwork easier and faster. Teamwork in Slack is organized in channels, which can be divided by team, project, or anything that works best for your team. If you need more direct communication, you can make a voice- or video call or share your screen with another person to show your work. In Slack, you can create workspaces and collaborate with other people within your company or with other businesses if need be. Slack has an integrated option of file sharing and a possibility to connect with other tools that you use on a daily basis.
Slack's automation
Slack offers some workflow automation options to simplify business processes. Slack's workflow builder is an easy automation tool that helps users save time and focus on important work. Thanks to pre-built workflows you can:
- automatically create and track a new bug in Jira
- turn messages into tasks in Workast
- get a daily reminder to post standup in channel
- schedule messages for the future
- assign onboarding checklist to a new team member
- .. and many more
For an app that connects the features of Slack with task management software, see our article about a Slack alternative.
Ryver is a real-time communication software with a task management element. Thanks to the way in which Ryver allows you to organize your conversations – according to their purposes and forms – you can easily keep up with all of them, either one-to-one or group ones. You also get to communicate via voice and video calls. Ryver gives you the option to convert messages into trackable tasks. They are then displayed on task boards with columns of post-it notes available for everyone in a team.
Workflow feature for automating repetitive business processes was previously available as part of Ryver Enterprise Plan but is no longer for sale.
See software with these and even more options in our article about a Ryver alternative.
5. Trello
Trello is an easy and flexible software with a very pleasant user interface, which gives you a visual way to manage your projects and organize tasks. In Trello, you can create boards of things you need to do and use them on your own or invite others to collaborate. It also gives you the option to add checklists and to-dos and assign tasks to yourself or other members. You can then display them in a calendar view. You can integrate Trello with many other apps that your team already uses. Trello is designed for simple processes, that don't include many stages and participants with different levels of access. But it can be a great app for a start and digitalize simple workflows.
Task automation options
Trello doesn't offer advanced workflow management features. Basically, you can only drag and drop tasks between lists. But you can always use one of the numerous power-ups to automate your business processes. Check the following examples of workflow automation to get an idea of Trello's capabilities.
- Butler for Trello helps you to make changes in cards, lists, boards, and settings based on three types of triggers: Every (e.g. Every Monday at 6 AM), On Due Date, and When something happens on a board.
- Track time for specific cards with time tracking integrations just by clicking start and stop in Trello.
- Create cards from received emails automatically.
- Setup configurable alerts to automatically notify Slack channels for activity in Trello at the board, list, and card level.
- Visualize your data in reports and dashboards.
- Add custom fields to cards to create workflow more adjusted to your needs.
If you're looking for all-in-one software to communicate with your team and manage tasks, see our article about a Trello alternative.
Microsoft Teams is a platform that combines workplace chat, meetings, notes, and attachments. With the app, you can chat privately or in groups, and communicate with the entire team in dedicated channel. You can then save important conversations and search through them to quickly find what you need. It doesn't only allow for written communication, but also makes it possible to connect face-to-face via audio and video calls and join meetings from almost anywhere. It's one of the most popular chat apps in big companies.
Workflow automation
To automate work in MS Teams, you need to use one of their apps - Power Automate. It helps users organize notifications and workflows. Automations can be also launched with the bot, so you don't have to remember about them. You can create automation by yourself or use one of the available templates. Thanks to the app you can introduce process automation into your daily work and save time and money.
7. Mattermost
Mattermost is open-source, self-hosted software, which brings all your team communication into one place with one-to-one and group conversations. With Mattermost, you can easily communicate with your team to discuss important issues as well as share and view files. You can fully customize it to make sure it meets the needs of your team.
Automated task management
Since Mattermost is an open-source software, you can integrate it with your favorite business apps and create your own business processes automation. You can use n8n tool for that purpose. n8n is a software that helps you automate tasks, create workflows, sync data between various sources, and react to events—all via an easy-to-use visual workflow editor. With these smart workflow apps working together, you can save a lot of time on task management and checking the status of your projects.
Ringcentral Glip is a tool that enables you to chat with your team regardless of where you are, through any device. With this app, you can connect with individuals or create teams, share files, and provide on-the-spot feedback. It helps you keep everything organized and easily accessible. Ringcentral Glip also gives you the possibility to assign and manage tasks across groups to create productive teams.
9. Discord
Discord is a platform that specializes in text, video, and audio communication between users in a chat channel. The main function of this app is a voice chat, but users can also use the real-time text messaging option to send direct messages to other team members. You can divide your channels into categories, in order to organize and customize your channel listings.
Hangouts Chat is offered to G Suite customers and does not require additional payment. It makes it easy for teams to collaborate easily and efficiently. You have access to virtual rooms where you can engage in conversations through direct messages and group conversations. As it is available in the G Suite package, you can upload items from Drive, collaborate on Docs, Sheets, or Slides. Your chat also gets directly integrated with Calendar to schedule meetings for you.
11. Twist
Twist is a modern communication tool that helps you work in a calm, organized, and productive way. If you're looking for a tool that will make it easier to keep track of important conversations and information within your team communication, Twist is for you. It organizes your team communication by keeping your team conversations in one place and categorized in threads. Thanks to that you have access to everything you need on any device and anywhere you need.
Webex Teams is an app that enhances teamwork by enabling video meetings and group messaging. With this app, anyone can start a meeting, share their screen, or start recording. You can invite guests and organize meetings for up to 40 000 people. Also, meetings can be automatically scheduled in your calendar. Thanks to the option of a Whiteboard, you can draw or write something and share it with your team. So there is no need to take pictures and send them anymore.
13. Chatwork
Chatwork is a communication app in which everyone creates a profile, to which they can add pictures, contact information, and even upload a cover photo. They get access to a chat where they can privately store their own files and notes but also have private or group conversations with other users. Pinning important features can help remember the most important information. Chatwork also has the feature of adding tasks, checking, and completing them.
You can automate some processes in Chatwork thanks to automate.io integration. For now, there are only two actions that can be triggered by this tool: send a message and create a room.
Process Street is a process and workflow management tool perfect for recurring workflows. In the app you can easily create procedure documents in a drag and drop interface. You can also make checklists for your team from workflow stages. Process Street can be used for onboarding new employees, Help Desk Support workflow, podcast publishing, new client setup, and in numerous other business processes - everything in one app. By implementing Process Street you can create a transparent work environment and show your employees how they contribute to workflow processes and how important is their work.
Process Street offers integrations with 1000+ apps via Zapier for even better workflow automation. You can set rules to automate tasks and save time for more conceptual work.
15. Pipefy
Teams Workflow App
Pipefy is a cloud-based task management and collaboration solution that helps to manage and automate business processes and workflows. In the app, you can collaborate inside your team as well as with customers, business partners, vendors, etc. Pipefy makes project management easier thanks to features like:
- automatic workflow launch based on triggers like form submission, received email or even SMS,
- automatic task assignments,
- shearable forms and portals for external collaborators,
- integrations with many business apps to automate notifications and keep all data in one place.
Pipiefy makes it easy to manage repetitive business processes.
App Workflow 360
Kissflow is a project and process management solution for small and medium businesses. In the app, you can easily create visual workflows for your data and prepare custom forms to use for flows. Ease of use is one of the most commonly pointed out advantages of this project management tool. Kissflow lets users manage processes without coding by using a drag and drop interface. But workflow management is not the only useful feature of this software. You can also benefit from features like case management for use cases like bug tracking, ticketing, or service requests. Kissflow also offers tools for collaboration, content creation, and project management.
Image converter app for windows. With Kissflow you can save on other workplace tools that you already use and automate business processes to work faster and smarter.
17. Backlog
Backlog is a cloud-based project management software for IT development teams. It's especially beneficial for remote developers to work on the same project.With this app, you can fix bugs faster, manage the new feature release process, collaborate on code, and use Gantt Charts to visualize the project's timeline. Workflow management in Backlog can be more efficient thanks to features like:
- task hierarchy - set parent and child tasks to create your own hierarchy structure and organize your workflow
- file-sharing - uploading files to comments or folders
- Wikis - keep project details in one place and get notifications about changes
- Gantt Charts - visualize the business process and keep an eye on deadlines
- integration with third-party IT apps like Jira and Redmine
If you're not sure if you want to use Backlog, you can test it in a long, 30-day free trial. It's longer than in other similar tools. Backlog offers many features for IT developers but can be used in other departments like marketing, sales, or design.
Nintex is a complex platform for workflow management and automation. With this solution, you can plan, map, and manage your business processes with easy-to-use tools that users like. This workflow management software offers business process automation to save time and money on manual, repetitive tasks. To minimize paperwork you can create forms for easier and automated data input. You can also use automation and bots to save time on repeatable tasks. Get process improvement ideas from data visualization and optimize your workflow based on real data, not guessing. Nintex is used by different company departments (Sales, IT, HR, Customer Service, Finance) and different industries (banking, energy, manufacturing, education).
Who can benefit from nintex?
This workflow app is not cheap and targeted at big companies with complex workflows and processes. It surely allows us to save money by automation, but it needs a proper scale to fully show its potential. If you work in a smaller team, you can look for a more affordable solution with less advanced features. Maybe search for task management tools rather than workflow apps.
- Limited templates
- No collaboration options
- No mobile apps
- Few integrations
Creately
Creately is only a free workflow diagram app if you can accept the fact that all of your design will be public and you're limited to 5 documents. Team plans start at $12 which is a fairly decent price considering you're getting all the features with it.
I specifically found their onboarding process handy since it introduces you to the tool so you won't start and have no idea what to do next.
In many ways, the tool is similar to Lucidchart. You've got lots of templates to choose from, all of which are ordered by their purpose. Then you've got your elements which are some of the most beautiful I've seen, along with other styles and theme options to help product managers who aren't that skilled at design too.
One thing people struggle with while using Lucidchart is file organization, a feature that Creately nails by turning their tool into an alternate file storage app. The tool also eases the process of working with several elements by integrating Google search so you can find images to use without leaving the app.
In terms of collaboration, Creately works similarly to a prototyping tool, allowing people to leave comments on the exact element they have feedback to offer on. Collaboration is done in real-time via the online or desktop version of the app.
Pros
- Lots of templates to pick from
- Theme options
- Communication options
- File organization option
- Works offline too
- Easy to learn
Cons
- The free option only allows you to create public content
- Some features are still under development but will be released soon
Whimsical
Whimsical is a user-friendly visual communication tool that's commonly used to create wireframes but has separate options for putting together flowcharts, mind maps, and sticky notes.
While the tool is highly visual, there aren't that many template options to choose from. This is because the app is centered around creating basic wireframes and flowcharts for internal use only. Shapes and connectors are also limited, but there are hundreds of icons to go for if you want to add some extra color to a mind map or flowchart.
On to the benefits of using the tool: collaborating on each project takes fewer than two steps, with comments being placed on every single element you want to leave immediate feedback on. All work is easy to share, export, and even embed.
Ever been annoyed by losing your past versions for a product development flowchart you were supposed to show to your stakeholders? Whimsical is one of the few tools that has a fully-featured file versioning option that records every single change you're making on a chart so you can restore better versions.
Pros
- Strong design options
- Easy to learn
- Sharing and exporting options
- Lots of icons to add to your creation
- File versioning
- Free version available
Cons
- Limited template options
Canva
Canva is not really a common option since it's usually used by marketing and social media teams who need highly-visual content to display publicly. If you're also looking to create a flowchart to present on your social networks, in your pitch deck, or to any other stakeholders, it's definitely worth giving it a try.
Not only is it easy to use, but the fact that it's a general app instead of being tailored only to building diagrams also means it has thousands of elements and icons you can choose from. Illustrations, arrows of all kinds, customizable charts, you name it. Even videos.
As for the sharing options, they're top-notch. You can export your content into any file type you want, resize your workspace to share it on multiple platforms, and use the presentation mode, complete with notes for presenters.
Once you invite your team into the tool, you'll be able to leave comments on your designs to keep everyone on the same page.
Pros
- Free option
- Extremely easy to use
- Versatile
- Focused on great design
- Lots and lots of options for elements
- Collaboration options
Cons
- Limited template options for product management
Haven't decided yet?
Start by creating a list of your own requirements. Are you in need of strong templates so you don't have to build everything from scratch? Or maybe you can give up on lots of elements as long as collaboration options are on point.
Based on your own needs and goals, go over the above list to pick an option that works best for you and give it a try. Each option has its own unique features that distinguish it from the others:
- Lucidchart - lots of template options for PM
- Draw.io - super easy to use
- Creately - most features in one tool
- Whimsical - clear interface for internal use
- Canva - focused on design
If you have any other tips on helping product managers choose their next flowchart creator workflow diagram app, let me know.
This article was updated in November 2020
Workflow Application
Effective workflow management can be very demanding. There's a lot of aspects that you have to take into account and problems you should be able to forecast before they even occur. That's why you should try to make it as easy as possible. One way to facilitate the process is to make use of software designed for that purpose.
What is workflow management?
First of all, by 'workflow' we mean a sequence of tasks assigned to a team or an individual that are part of some larger project. The bigger projects can be divided into smaller workflow processes. In most cases, project managers are responsible for effective process management, so they create workflows and documentation to make work easier and more organized. Sometimes they use many apps for coordinating the work and sometimes they do everything in Excel.
Workflow management is the process of optimizing a company's business processes using automation and project management software. It can be done in a more or less official way. Some companies use very sophisticated workflow management software and document every activity in a business process. They also implement process automation if the work is repetitive and can be automated. On the other side, there are companies that work efficiently with no complex apps, automations, or documented workflows. They may use simple cloud-based to-do lists just to manage everyday tasks.
What is workflow automation?
Workflow automation is removing redundant manual work from the process. To do so, you need to map your business process, identify repetitive tasks, that can be automated, and use adequate tools to ensure that the optimization of the processes can be introduced on every stage and in every department of the company. The main advantages of workflow automation include paperwork reduction, easy onboarding for new employees, save time on approvals and status meetings, collaboration with team members in different locations. Manual workflows are also prone to errors, that can be eliminated with automated data check in digitalized forms. Workflow automation leads eventually to efficient process optimization - you can easily analyze many project metrics, workload and find bottlenecks to correct.
Who can benefit from workflow apps?
You may think that process management and workflow apps are only for big businesses with very complicated structures and projects involving many participants. It is only partially true. Of course, big companies can save thousands of dollars on seemingly irrelevant changes in the workflow like reducing the number of fields in a form. It's all about economy of scale. Smaller companies prefer to use simpler task management software that is cheaper and doesn't take much time to implement and learn. But SMB can also benefit from workflow apps, especially when they have many repetitive tasks. For example, a small marketing agency can handle tens of clients and campaigns that have some mutual tasks and processes like client onboarding or campaign reporting. It's not very optimal to do everything manually when you can use a solution to automate work and save time and effort. What is more, if you implement workflows and project automation when your team is small it will much quicker process and you will be ready to scale in the future. Some of the workflow apps presented in this article offer free plans for small teams, so you can test them and choose the best solution for your projects.
How to choose the best workflow platform for your team?
Choosing the best workflow app it's not the easiest task. You need to take into account many things like the complexity of your processes, hierarchy levels, needs of different teams and departments, types of data you want to use, and much more. In the end, you won't have a guarantee that your team will be willing to change the way they work now.
To make sure that the choice will be optimal, you can follow these steps:
- map your processes and workflows
- check several tools on the market and check their features
- read the reviews of the most interesting tools and pay attention to the ease of use issues
- give your team time to test at least two different apps
- get feedback from your team and ask if they have some problems with the new platform
- add your team members to the evaluation process
- check if using the tool helped save time or caused some problems with productivity
Take a look at our list of best free workflow apps, that can help you with process automation!
1. HeySpace - task management and chat
HeySpace is free workflow software that combines the features of task management and communication to help you manage your workflow effectively. In HeySpace, you can benefit from easy access to your list of spaces, chat, task cards, files, and data, all at once. You can easily communicate in one-on-one or group conversations with all your team members. At the same time, you can keep track of your workflow and monitor all processes on different views: board, list, calendar or timeline. Different workflows demand different processes, so in HeySpace you can structure your Spaces as you wish by creating a specific number of lists and name them by stages of your business process. As a workspace owner, you can easily manage members within your Workspace. Thanks to the useful feature of tagging and easy checklist management, you will never lose track of important tasks. HeySpace is also available for your mobile phone - thanks to the mobile app you can now access it from wherever you are.
HeySpace pricing
HeySpace offers a very attractive free plan, which is perfectly suitable for small teams, and a more flexible premium plan (from $3,75 per user per month) that will meet the needs of bigger projects. You can use HeySpace at work, but also in education or just for communicating with a group of friends. Business users appreciate HeySpace for its user-friendly interface because they save a lot of time on implementation and learning. Can we share a secret with you? It's our favorite workflow app ;)
Flock is a group collaboration software and messaging platform, which allows for teammessaging around projects with one-to-one or group discussions. Flock gives you the possibility to share files with your teammates and browse through all shared files and content in one place. You can easily add documents to the conversation and collaborate on them. If you need to work with other companies, but don't want to share sensitive company information, you can invite them as guests and work with everyone in one place. The options to make video calls and instant audio conferences via phone make the choice of communication channels even more varied. So if you want to save time on typing, you can simply call.
Workflow management
The majority of Flock's functions help ineffective communication. However, you also get a possibility to convert your discussion to tasks and set due dates for you and your team. Flock is not a full-featured project management tool, but it will be helpful for teams that want to get started with workflow management and need an easy to use tool to create a simple workflow.
If you need even more advanced task management options in your communication software, check out our article about a Flock alternative.
3. Slack
Slack is a cloud-based set of collaboration tools that make teamwork easier and faster. Teamwork in Slack is organized in channels, which can be divided by team, project, or anything that works best for your team. If you need more direct communication, you can make a voice- or video call or share your screen with another person to show your work. In Slack, you can create workspaces and collaborate with other people within your company or with other businesses if need be. Slack has an integrated option of file sharing and a possibility to connect with other tools that you use on a daily basis.
Slack's automation
Slack offers some workflow automation options to simplify business processes. Slack's workflow builder is an easy automation tool that helps users save time and focus on important work. Thanks to pre-built workflows you can:
- automatically create and track a new bug in Jira
- turn messages into tasks in Workast
- get a daily reminder to post standup in channel
- schedule messages for the future
- assign onboarding checklist to a new team member
- .. and many more
For an app that connects the features of Slack with task management software, see our article about a Slack alternative.
Ryver is a real-time communication software with a task management element. Thanks to the way in which Ryver allows you to organize your conversations – according to their purposes and forms – you can easily keep up with all of them, either one-to-one or group ones. You also get to communicate via voice and video calls. Ryver gives you the option to convert messages into trackable tasks. They are then displayed on task boards with columns of post-it notes available for everyone in a team.
Workflow feature for automating repetitive business processes was previously available as part of Ryver Enterprise Plan but is no longer for sale.
See software with these and even more options in our article about a Ryver alternative.
5. Trello
Trello is an easy and flexible software with a very pleasant user interface, which gives you a visual way to manage your projects and organize tasks. In Trello, you can create boards of things you need to do and use them on your own or invite others to collaborate. It also gives you the option to add checklists and to-dos and assign tasks to yourself or other members. You can then display them in a calendar view. You can integrate Trello with many other apps that your team already uses. Trello is designed for simple processes, that don't include many stages and participants with different levels of access. But it can be a great app for a start and digitalize simple workflows.
Task automation options
Trello doesn't offer advanced workflow management features. Basically, you can only drag and drop tasks between lists. But you can always use one of the numerous power-ups to automate your business processes. Check the following examples of workflow automation to get an idea of Trello's capabilities.
- Butler for Trello helps you to make changes in cards, lists, boards, and settings based on three types of triggers: Every (e.g. Every Monday at 6 AM), On Due Date, and When something happens on a board.
- Track time for specific cards with time tracking integrations just by clicking start and stop in Trello.
- Create cards from received emails automatically.
- Setup configurable alerts to automatically notify Slack channels for activity in Trello at the board, list, and card level.
- Visualize your data in reports and dashboards.
- Add custom fields to cards to create workflow more adjusted to your needs.
If you're looking for all-in-one software to communicate with your team and manage tasks, see our article about a Trello alternative.
Microsoft Teams is a platform that combines workplace chat, meetings, notes, and attachments. With the app, you can chat privately or in groups, and communicate with the entire team in dedicated channel. You can then save important conversations and search through them to quickly find what you need. It doesn't only allow for written communication, but also makes it possible to connect face-to-face via audio and video calls and join meetings from almost anywhere. It's one of the most popular chat apps in big companies.
Workflow automation
To automate work in MS Teams, you need to use one of their apps - Power Automate. It helps users organize notifications and workflows. Automations can be also launched with the bot, so you don't have to remember about them. You can create automation by yourself or use one of the available templates. Thanks to the app you can introduce process automation into your daily work and save time and money.
7. Mattermost
Mattermost is open-source, self-hosted software, which brings all your team communication into one place with one-to-one and group conversations. With Mattermost, you can easily communicate with your team to discuss important issues as well as share and view files. You can fully customize it to make sure it meets the needs of your team.
Automated task management
Since Mattermost is an open-source software, you can integrate it with your favorite business apps and create your own business processes automation. You can use n8n tool for that purpose. n8n is a software that helps you automate tasks, create workflows, sync data between various sources, and react to events—all via an easy-to-use visual workflow editor. With these smart workflow apps working together, you can save a lot of time on task management and checking the status of your projects.
Ringcentral Glip is a tool that enables you to chat with your team regardless of where you are, through any device. With this app, you can connect with individuals or create teams, share files, and provide on-the-spot feedback. It helps you keep everything organized and easily accessible. Ringcentral Glip also gives you the possibility to assign and manage tasks across groups to create productive teams.
9. Discord
Discord is a platform that specializes in text, video, and audio communication between users in a chat channel. The main function of this app is a voice chat, but users can also use the real-time text messaging option to send direct messages to other team members. You can divide your channels into categories, in order to organize and customize your channel listings.
Hangouts Chat is offered to G Suite customers and does not require additional payment. It makes it easy for teams to collaborate easily and efficiently. You have access to virtual rooms where you can engage in conversations through direct messages and group conversations. As it is available in the G Suite package, you can upload items from Drive, collaborate on Docs, Sheets, or Slides. Your chat also gets directly integrated with Calendar to schedule meetings for you.
11. Twist
Twist is a modern communication tool that helps you work in a calm, organized, and productive way. If you're looking for a tool that will make it easier to keep track of important conversations and information within your team communication, Twist is for you. It organizes your team communication by keeping your team conversations in one place and categorized in threads. Thanks to that you have access to everything you need on any device and anywhere you need.
Webex Teams is an app that enhances teamwork by enabling video meetings and group messaging. With this app, anyone can start a meeting, share their screen, or start recording. You can invite guests and organize meetings for up to 40 000 people. Also, meetings can be automatically scheduled in your calendar. Thanks to the option of a Whiteboard, you can draw or write something and share it with your team. So there is no need to take pictures and send them anymore.
13. Chatwork
Chatwork is a communication app in which everyone creates a profile, to which they can add pictures, contact information, and even upload a cover photo. They get access to a chat where they can privately store their own files and notes but also have private or group conversations with other users. Pinning important features can help remember the most important information. Chatwork also has the feature of adding tasks, checking, and completing them.
You can automate some processes in Chatwork thanks to automate.io integration. For now, there are only two actions that can be triggered by this tool: send a message and create a room.
Process Street is a process and workflow management tool perfect for recurring workflows. In the app you can easily create procedure documents in a drag and drop interface. You can also make checklists for your team from workflow stages. Process Street can be used for onboarding new employees, Help Desk Support workflow, podcast publishing, new client setup, and in numerous other business processes - everything in one app. By implementing Process Street you can create a transparent work environment and show your employees how they contribute to workflow processes and how important is their work.
Process Street offers integrations with 1000+ apps via Zapier for even better workflow automation. You can set rules to automate tasks and save time for more conceptual work.
15. Pipefy
Teams Workflow App
Pipefy is a cloud-based task management and collaboration solution that helps to manage and automate business processes and workflows. In the app, you can collaborate inside your team as well as with customers, business partners, vendors, etc. Pipefy makes project management easier thanks to features like:
- automatic workflow launch based on triggers like form submission, received email or even SMS,
- automatic task assignments,
- shearable forms and portals for external collaborators,
- integrations with many business apps to automate notifications and keep all data in one place.
Pipiefy makes it easy to manage repetitive business processes.
App Workflow 360
Kissflow is a project and process management solution for small and medium businesses. In the app, you can easily create visual workflows for your data and prepare custom forms to use for flows. Ease of use is one of the most commonly pointed out advantages of this project management tool. Kissflow lets users manage processes without coding by using a drag and drop interface. But workflow management is not the only useful feature of this software. You can also benefit from features like case management for use cases like bug tracking, ticketing, or service requests. Kissflow also offers tools for collaboration, content creation, and project management.
Image converter app for windows. With Kissflow you can save on other workplace tools that you already use and automate business processes to work faster and smarter.
17. Backlog
Backlog is a cloud-based project management software for IT development teams. It's especially beneficial for remote developers to work on the same project.With this app, you can fix bugs faster, manage the new feature release process, collaborate on code, and use Gantt Charts to visualize the project's timeline. Workflow management in Backlog can be more efficient thanks to features like:
- task hierarchy - set parent and child tasks to create your own hierarchy structure and organize your workflow
- file-sharing - uploading files to comments or folders
- Wikis - keep project details in one place and get notifications about changes
- Gantt Charts - visualize the business process and keep an eye on deadlines
- integration with third-party IT apps like Jira and Redmine
If you're not sure if you want to use Backlog, you can test it in a long, 30-day free trial. It's longer than in other similar tools. Backlog offers many features for IT developers but can be used in other departments like marketing, sales, or design.
Nintex is a complex platform for workflow management and automation. With this solution, you can plan, map, and manage your business processes with easy-to-use tools that users like. This workflow management software offers business process automation to save time and money on manual, repetitive tasks. To minimize paperwork you can create forms for easier and automated data input. You can also use automation and bots to save time on repeatable tasks. Get process improvement ideas from data visualization and optimize your workflow based on real data, not guessing. Nintex is used by different company departments (Sales, IT, HR, Customer Service, Finance) and different industries (banking, energy, manufacturing, education).
Who can benefit from nintex?
This workflow app is not cheap and targeted at big companies with complex workflows and processes. It surely allows us to save money by automation, but it needs a proper scale to fully show its potential. If you work in a smaller team, you can look for a more affordable solution with less advanced features. Maybe search for task management tools rather than workflow apps.
19. Monday.com
Monday.com is a cloud-based project management app that can help you automate and customize your project workflows. This app allows you to manage projects effectively by creating custom dashboards and add data you want to monitor to a clear table view. In Monday you can add many advanced automations to your workflow and forget about arduous repetitive tasks. You can also automate due date notifications, so you won't miss a deadline anymore and save time on constant checking if there are some tasks you should do.
In Monday you can manage your workflow with several user friendly views: kanban board, Gantt chart, or circle charts. You can also supercharge your workflow with external tools integrations. If you add all your apps and notifications to Monday, you won't need to switch between apps anymore ;)
This tool can be set up in minutes with customizable dashboard templates. If you need some more advanced options in your workflow, you can check available custom fields. With Monday you can make your team's work significantly faster and more transparent.