What you need to know
- Visio has been a standalone paid app up until now.
- In July, a lightweight web app version will be released.
- It will be free for commercial license subscribers.
Every business loves to make diagrams, but not every business is interested in paying for diagram-making services and apps. Microsoft's heard that pain point and has announced plans for a lightweight Visio web app that'll be free for commercial license subscribers.
This lightweight Visio will start rolling out in July, so you have a few weeks until the costless diagram goodness is yours to enjoy. As for what you can expect in it, Microsoft says you'll get core, basic functionalities that won't detract from the appeal of the paid variants but will grant you the essential Visio experience.
As for what that experience is, it's the ability to seamlessly inject diagrams into Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and more. You can collaborate with colleagues to co-author flowcharts, choose from popular templates for speedy design work, and more.
Again, for specialized Visio features and functions, you'll need to go for the paid options instead of resorting to the lightweight web app. Still, this new free option will allow easier access to Visio than has been previously available. If you're keen on trying the app out ahead of its official rollout, Microsoft has a sign-up page for early access to Visio in Microsoft 365.
