Flowchart Maker

Free Flowchart Maker — Build Process Diagrams Visually

The Flowchart Maker is a free, browser-based tool for creating flowcharts, process diagrams, and decision trees. Drag and drop standard flowchart shapes onto a canvas, connect them with directional arrows, and edit text inside each shape. Export your finished flowchart as a high-resolution PNG image or a scalable SVG vector file. Everything runs locally in your browser with no sign-up required and no data sent to any server.

Standard Flowchart Symbols

Flowcharts use standardized shapes defined by ISO 5807 and ANSI standards. Each shape has a specific meaning that makes flowcharts universally readable:

• Process (Rectangle): Represents an action, operation, or step in the process. This is the most common shape in any flowchart. Examples: "Calculate total," "Send email," "Update database."
• Decision (Diamond): Represents a branching point where a yes/no or true/false question determines the next step. Decision shapes typically have two outgoing arrows labeled with the possible answers.
• Start/End (Rounded Rectangle): Also called a terminator, this shape marks the beginning or end of a process. Every flowchart should have at least one start and one end terminator.
• Input/Output (Parallelogram): Represents data entering or leaving the system. Examples: "Read user input," "Display results," "Print report."
• Connector (Circle): Used to connect separate parts of a flowchart, especially when the diagram spans multiple pages or becomes too complex for direct connections. Contains a label (usually a letter or number) that matches another connector.

Connection System

Shapes are connected by directional arrows that show the flow of the process. Each shape has four connection ports positioned at the center of each edge (top, right, bottom, left). When you hover over a shape, these ports become visible as small circles. To create a connection, click on a port and drag to another shape's port. The arrow renders with a directional arrowhead, indicating the flow direction. When shapes are moved, their connected arrows automatically update to maintain the connection.

Grid Snap for Clean Layouts

Professional flowcharts require consistent alignment and spacing. The grid snap feature aligns shape positions to a 20-pixel grid, ensuring that shapes line up vertically and horizontally. This produces clean, readable diagrams without manual pixel-level adjustment. Grid snap can be toggled off for freeform positioning when precision alignment is not needed.

Exporting Flowcharts

The tool supports two export formats. PNG export renders the canvas to a raster image at full resolution, suitable for sharing in emails, documents, and presentations. SVG export generates a Scalable Vector Graphics file by converting each shape and connection to SVG elements. SVG files remain sharp at any zoom level and can be further edited in vector design tools like Adobe Illustrator, Figma, or Inkscape. SVG is the preferred format for print materials and technical documentation.

Flowchart Best Practices

• Flow direction: Standard flowcharts flow top to bottom or left to right. Maintain consistent direction throughout the diagram.
• One entry, one exit per page: Each flowchart page should have a single start point and a single end point. Use connectors for multi-page diagrams.
• Keep it simple: If a flowchart has more than 15-20 shapes on a single page, consider breaking it into sub-processes.
• Label decision outputs: Always label the outgoing arrows from decision diamonds (Yes/No, True/False) to make the branching logic clear.
• Use consistent naming: Start action labels with verbs (Calculate, Send, Check, Display) for clarity.

Common Flowchart Types

Process flowcharts document step-by-step procedures for business operations, manufacturing, or service delivery. System flowcharts show how data flows through a computer system, including inputs, processing, storage, and outputs. Program flowcharts (also called algorithm flowcharts) document the logic of software programs before coding. Swimlane flowcharts divide the diagram into lanes representing different departments or roles, showing who is responsible for each step. This tool supports creating all these types using the standard shape palette.

Flowcharts in Software Development

In software engineering, flowcharts serve multiple purposes. During requirements gathering, they document business processes that software needs to automate. During design, they visualize algorithms, error handling paths, and user interaction flows. During code review, they help teams understand complex conditional logic. While many developers prefer pseudocode or UML diagrams, flowcharts remain valuable for communicating with non-technical stakeholders because the symbols are intuitive and widely understood.