# What is a good freeware equivalent to MS Visio?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-freeware-equivalent-to-ms-visio/415045
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [August 9, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-freeware-equivalent-to-ms-visio/415045 "2007-08-09T18:00:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Potato\_Pancakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potato_Pancakes)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2007, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-freeware-equivalent-to-ms-visio/415045/1 "2007-08-09T18:00:44Z")
I’m trying to find a freeware flowchart-type program that’s close to Visio to design a floor plan layout for my print shop at work. Our tech guy had Visio but he got his disk stolen. This isn’t a major project so I know they won’t buy it just for this.
I just want something to easily design a room, list the dimensions, and add shapes to represent furniture and printers. I could probably throw something together in Word or Excel but I know it will be a chore. Something like Kivio would be nice, but I think it’s only for Linux platforms and I’m using Windows. Help please!
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### Author:  [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)
#### Post date: [August 9, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-freeware-equivalent-to-ms-visio/415045/2 "2007-08-09T18:07:50Z")
If you or someone where you work has children who are students, you can buy Visio at a much reduced rate from various places over the internet. All you have to do is scan a report card, etc. and send to the seller to prove the child is a student. I did this recently for my son and I saved a ton of money (I would not have bought it otherwise).