Looking for the best user flow tools to finesse your UX projects in 2024? Our breakdown of the top apps will help you pick the one that’s right for you in terms of functionality and convenience.
Plus, insights on integration, pricing and real-world application.
Key takeaways
- We’re highlighting the best tools of 2024, offering features like real-time collaboration, interactive design, comprehensive analytics and customization options to improve UX design.
- User flow tools are integral to UX design as they allow you to create and visualize the user journey and user flow, improve product navigation, increase engagement and boost conversion.
- Effective user flows require a deep understanding of user behavior, thorough usability testing and iteration based on feedback to optimize the user experience and ensure success in product adoption and satisfaction.
If you’re more of a visual learner, we go over some of the key insights in this video:
Top 10 user flow tools for 2024
In the dynamic world of UX design, having a robust and adaptable toolset is clutch. Each user flow diagram tool comes with its pros, cons and unique capabilities to improve your design process.
Let’s go deeper into each of these tools and understand what makes each stand out.
Slickplan
- Our rating: 5/5
- Best for: User flow diagramming and website planning
- Pricing: Free 14-day trial, then $10.79/month per user when billed annually
Slickplan is a suite of four website planning tools, with a dedicated flowchart creator called Diagram Maker; an intuitive drag-and-drop user flow tool for beginners and pros alike.
Bring your entire team together from product managers to UX designers and others to collaborate as a team in real-time on user flow diagrams and deliver a better user experience to your visitors.
Drop-pin commenting and collaboration in real-time mean your team is always on the same page.
Brainstorm ideas, refine processes and put together step by step walkthroughs en route to making pathways that better align with customer journeys. Then move on to creating sitemaps for ideal information architecture, content and perfecting UI — all in one place.
Pros:
- Supports real time collaboration
- Access to version history
- Bundled with all the tools you need to plan and manage website projects
- Easy integration into most tech stacks; including with Figma and WordPress
Cons
- If you’re looking for a standalone tool to create user flow diagrams, Slickplan might be overkill since we hook you up with a whole suite of tools.
Overflow
- Our rating: 4.4/5
- Best for: Turning user flows into presentations
- Pricing: Free 14-day trial, pricing starts at $14.95/month per user when billed annually
Formerly a Mac-only tool, Overflow is now Windows-friendly as well. Specializing in creating interactive user flows and offering powerful design presentations that let you walk through a flow for feedback, Overflow is a solid choice for creating user flow diagrams.
A modern, sleek interface gives this user flow tool a great feel. Plus, you can add device skins for whichever screen you’re building a flow for.
The big downsides: No real-time collaboration, meaning your team will rely on the old school approach: leave comments and respond to comments.
Pros:
- Device skins
- Design stunning presentations
- Integrations with design and collaboration tools
Cons
- Multiple editors can’t work on a flow at the same time
Wireflow
- Our rating: 4.0/5
- Best for: No frills user flow tool
- Pricing: Free
Wireflow is a very simple and free open source tool for building user flows and task flows.
You’re not going to get any fancy bells and whistles with this but it will help you get started on projects.
One unique aspect of this online tool is that you can put together a basic user interface for each part of your flow by pulling from a library of 100+ graphics.
This won’t replace your designer or developer by a longshot, but you can use that option to make basic mockups.
Pros:
- Always free
- Graphics library to build simple mockups
- Live collaboration with your team and a chat function
Cons
- Limited functionality
draw.io
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Best for: Best free option
- Pricing: Free for individuals, pricing starts at $18.70/month after 10th user on Cloud plan
Another entrant in the free tools category, draw.io is a natural fit for those working in the Jira or Confluence ecosystem. Well, free for up to 10 users.
As opposed to the limits of Wireflow, draw.io, or diagrams.net as it’s also called, is a pretty robust tool that can be used online or on your desktop.
In the online version, you can save diagrams to your Google workspace (Drive), OneDrive, GitHub, GitLab, Dropbox or your own device.
Pros:
- Can create UML diagrams
- Freehand drawing tool included
Cons
- Can’t collaborate in real-time
- Can’t leave comments
- Pricing is confusing
Figma
- Our rating: 4.8/5
- Best for: Perfecting UX and design
- Pricing: Basic free plan, pricing starts at $12/month per user when billed annually (plus $3/month if you want FigJam)
If you’re in the web design and development world, you know Figma. Renowned for its super collaborative workspace, it really does deserve the game-changer descriptor.
From early-stage ideating to locking in your conversion funnels screen-by-screen, Figma is a UX tool where you can prototype, design and plan customer journey paths for sites and apps from start to finish.
You can also create beautiful user flows using their User Flow Kit.
Pros:
- Simultaneous work and collaborate on the same project
- Version-controlled design files
- Can build entire UI design
- Access to the FigJam mind mapping tool
Cons
- Unless you’re doing more than just flow design, Figma is overkill
Whimsical
- Our rating: 4.5/5
- Best for: Building wireframes and diagramming with AI
- Pricing: Basic free plan, pricing starts at $10/month per user when billed annually
Whimsical calls itself an iterative workspace for product teams and they sure do deliver on that front.
A simple and familiar interface packed with visual tools that assist your team in problem-solving, organizing ideas with mind maps, customer journey mapping and user flows. Additionally, you can start the design process with low fidelity wireframe layouts.
Freehand drawing is a nice touch and the ability to leave sticky notes is helpful for project management.
Pros:
- Includes AI-powered diagram creation
- edicated tool to design documents
- Slack integration to share flows with your team
Cons
- Not a robust integration ecosystem
- Can’t plan content
Miro
- Our rating: 4.6/5
- Best for: Brainstorming and sharing ideas
- Pricing: Basic free plan, pricing starts at $8/month per user when billed annually
Miro takes a creative approach to user flow creation by offering an online whiteboard environment.
Their digital canvas provides a free-flowing space for you and your team to brainstorm user journeys and map all the decision points along the way.
Miro’s toolkit goes beyond basic shapes and connector lines, incorporating sticky notes, mind maps and other brainstorming elements to help you map flows to meet your business objectives.
Pros:
- A dynamic and collaborative environment
- Customizable templates
- Has auto layout to save time
Cons
- Can be overwhelming if simple diagramming is all you need
- Not the most user-friendly option
Mockflow
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Best for: Testing user flows
- Pricing: Basic free plan, pricing starts at $14/month per user when billed annually
Mockflow allows you to quickly build the core structure of your user flow without getting bogged down in design details.
It goes beyond basic flow creation by offering built-in wireframing functionalities that allow you to create low-fidelity mockups alongside your flows – with free UI skins to save time.
Mockflow offers a well-rounded solution for creating user flows, wireframes and doing basic user testing directly within one platform.
Pros:
- AI for developing content ideas
- Plugins with popular project management tools
- User testing built in
Cons
- Not all integrations included in lower price points
- To get a trial of all features, you must send them an email to arrange
Lucidchart
- Our rating: 4.7/5
- Best for: Getting started with a template
- Pricing: Free 7-day trial, then starting at $9/month per user when billed annually
Lucidchart, a flowchart maker, and diagramming software is a great tool for design teams, UX/UI designers and engineers alike to collaborate on flow design.
Collaborative, simultaneous editing and in-editor chat means everyone can work on flows together.
With Lucidchart, you can also generate things like org charts and ERDs directly from your data.
Pros:
- Integrations with Google workspace, Figma and project management platforms
- Visualize charts from data
- Huge template library
Cons
- No ability to do freehand drawing
- Free version only allows 60 shapes per document
Microsoft Visio
- Our rating: 4.3/5
- Best for: Microsoft users
- Pricing: Free one-month trial, then starting at $5 per user/month
Visio is Microsoft’s proprietary user flow and diagramming software, providing an intuitive interface for defining and visualizing the steps a user takes to complete a task.
Naturally, this meant for those people and companies who are fully invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. If you’re using Microsoft Teams, for example, you can create beautiful user flows right inside of Teams with a Visio integration.
Using their online version, you can still build and edit diagrams on a Mac.
There are two ways to work with Visio; a subscription, which is $15 per user, per month for specialized diagramming, or a heftier one-time purchase, $309.99 for Standard and $579.99 for Professional.
Pros:
- Ideal for businesses already using Microsoft tools
- Team collaboration in real-time
- Accessibility features like Narrator, Accessibility Checker and high-contrast support
Cons
- No free plan
- Locked into Microsoft tools
🎬 Learn what Slickplan can do!
We filmed a short video to show you exactly how to use Slickplan
The importance of user flow tools in UX design
Incorporating a user flow tool into your workflow gives you the best chance of creating a seamless interaction between your user interface and a user’s experience, focusing on function, accessibility and navigation.
The best user flow tools out there provide your team with the ability to create and visualize user flow, map out a user’s journey as well as test and iterate on designs to optimize UX.
Benefits of using user flow tools
User flow tools offer plenty of benefits, including:
- Improving navigation within products by providing a logical and intuitive structure
- Leading to increased engagement and higher conversion rates
- Ensuring a smooth experience across all devices
- Enhancing user satisfaction
In other words, they help you tailor user experiences by getting a crystal clear understanding of user behavior patterns.
Challenges in creating user flows
Creating and updating user flows can be challenging with designers often facing time constraints, leading to other tasks being prioritized over developing comprehensive flows.
Dedicated tools help you and your team streamline the process.
Another big challenge that a user flow kit allows you to overcome: User flows becoming too intricate and overly complicated, making it difficult for stakeholders (and users) to comprehend them.
Key features to look for in a user flow tool
When choosing a user flow tool, there are several key features to consider.
An intuitive interface for defining and visualizing the steps a user takes to complete a task is essential.
Robust collaboration capabilities such as teamwork and collaboration features, versioning and real-time communication enhance teamwork.
Customization options enable creation and management of multiple user flows.
The integration of user flow tools with other design, website planning and analytics tools is key for a comprehensive understanding of user interaction and creating effective user flows.
You can build a flow in Slickplan, for example, and within the same platform align it with your website architecture and build content around it.
Lastly, look for a tool that does more than just create user flows, many of the tools we highlighted are great for network diagrams, org charts, UI design, sitemapping (and there is difference between user flow vs sitemap) and more.
Collaboration and real-time feedback
A collaborative UX design tool that includes shared workspaces, review options and real-time communication features allow for effective stakeholder engagement and prompt feedback integration.
These tools, in turn, facilitate convenient team organization, allowing everyone to work together effectively, regardless of where in the world they are, to turn a user flow story into an optimized pathway.
Customization and adaptability
Customization in user flow tools is all about making tailored workflows that can adapt to the specific requirements of different projects. The benefits of customization include:
- Aligning with the unique branding and design standards of a project or organization
- Creating more efficient design processes
- Improving user experience by tailoring the flow to the target audience
- A/B testing to optimize user flows
Integration with design tools
Seamless integration between user flow tools and design software offers several benefits, including:
- Streamlining the handoff from UX design to development
- Facilitating automatic updates of flow diagrams when designs change
- Retaining important elements like original layers or prototyping links
This type of integration improves efficiency and collaboration between designers and developers.
Tips for creating effective user flows
Whether it’s for mobile apps or a website, creating effective user flows begins with a user research, a deep understanding of user behavior and developing personas to represent the target audience.
Each user flow should be tailored to different entry points where customers access your site or product and built with the aim of aligning with their goals and yours.
Understanding target users
Understanding your target user is a fundamental step in designing products that meet user expectations, resulting in enhanced satisfaction, engagement and product adoption.
Here are some helpful ways to define your target audience accurately:
- Utilize existing customer data
- Identify user demographics
- Review competitor analysis
- Conduct surveys and interviews
Conducting usability testing
Usability testing is an essential part of creating effective user flows. Some methods you can use to test your user flow diagram with users:
- A/B tests
- Surveys
- Eye-tracking
- Gathering both qualitative and Gathering both qualitative and quantitative data to understand user interactions
When creating beautiful user flow prototypes, start by designing your user flow diagram, including a user flow map and test it with users to ensure a smooth and user-friendly experience.
Iterating based on feedback
Whether you’re building common user flows or something more intricate, feedback plays a crucial role in ensuring the pathway is effective.
Make data-driven optimizations to enhance the user flow over time based on insights from testing and user behavior analysis.
Maintain a feedback loop, consistently integrating user insights into the design process for ongoing refinement and optimization.
Summary
User flow tools play a critical role in UX design, enhancing engagement, increasing conversion rates and offering tailored user experiences.
Choosing the right tool involves considering key features such as intuitive interfaces, collaboration capabilities, customization options and seamless integration with design tools.
Despite the challenges in creating user flows, with the right approach, understanding your target users, usability testing and iterating based on feedback, you can build effective user flows to direct traffic exactly where you want it to go.
Think visually. Improve UX with Slickplan
Build intuitive user flows, stronger customer journeys and improve information architecture.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a user flow diagram?
A user flow diagram is a visual representation that illustrates the steps a user takes to accomplish a task or reach a goal within a system or application. It maps out the sequential flow of interactions, helping you understand and optimize UX. User flow diagram examples include website navigation and app onboarding processes.
What's the difference between user flow and user journey?
User flow maps specific steps to complete a task within a product, like a recipe. User journeys tell the broader story of a user's experience, including emotions and touchpoints, like a grocery shopping trip. Get more details in our user journey vs user flow guide.
What is user flow used for?
User flow is used to understand how users interact with an application or website and to design a path that allows them to complete specific tasks efficiently and intuitively. Understanding user flow helps in presenting the right information at the right time and streamlining the user experience.
What are some of the top user flow tools in 2024?
In 2024, some of the best user flow tools include Slickplan, Overflow, FlowMapp, Figma, Miro, Whimsical, Lucidchart and Microsoft Visio. These tools offer a range of features for creating and analyzing user flows.
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