livediagram vs Google Slides
A canvas built for diagrams, not slides
Plenty of people draw diagrams in Google Slides because it's already open. But Slides is a presentation tool: its connectors stay attached but never route around anything, its diagram layouts are few and simple, and the canvas is a fixed slide. livediagram is purpose-built for diagrams.
At a glance
| Feature | livediagram | Google Slides |
|---|---|---|
| Built for diagrams | Yes | No, it is for presentations |
| Arrows track shapes | Yes, and they re-route around obstacles | Connectors attach, but do not route around shapes |
| Diagram templates | 95 templates: flowchart, mind map, kanban… | A few simple diagram layouts |
| Canvas | Infinite and pannable | Fixed slide size |
| Real-time multiplayer | Yes | Yes |
| Get it into a deck | Export PNG, SVG or PDF, or present it as a slide deck | Already a slide |
| Price | Free, open source | Free with a Google account |
Which to pick
Why pick livediagram
- Arrows that stay connected to shapes and re-route around obstacles as you move them.
- Start from one of 95 templates (flowchart, mind map, kanban…) instead of an empty slide.
- An infinite, pannable canvas instead of a fixed slide, with a minimap to navigate big ones.
- Diagram-native tools: smart snapping, a format painter, quick-connect arrows, charts and icons.
- Real-time multiplayer with live cursors and comments, plus a Presentation mode that turns the diagram into a slide deck.
- Free and open source, with no Google account required to start.
Where Google Slides is the better pick
- You're already building a slide deck and just need a quick diagram inside it.
- Everyone in your org already lives in Google Workspace.
- You want the diagram living on a slide inside a polished, standalone deck (livediagram embeds target wikis and docs, not slide decks).
Connectors that actually route
Slides does have connector lines that stick to a shape's connection points, but past a few boxes they betray you: they cut straight across other shapes, they cross each other, and every layout tweak means re-bending lines by hand. In livediagram, arrows are attached to the shapes they connect and route themselves. Move a box and its arrows follow, re-routing around obstacles and avoiding collisions with other lines. Curved and elbowed arrows have draggable handles when you want manual control, and alignment guides plus snapping keep the whole layout square.
Start from a diagram, not a blank slide
Slides offers a handful of simple diagram layouts (grids, processes, timelines and the like) sized to a slide. livediagram starts you from 95 real diagram templates (flowcharts, mind maps, kanban boards, org charts, timelines, architecture diagrams and more) and themes the whole canvas in one click, so the result looks deliberate without manual styling.
The palette is diagram-native too: an icon library, full-colour technology icons for architecture diagrams, charts, freehand sketching with a Shape Pen that tidies rough shapes, and device frames for wireframes. And the canvas is infinite and pannable, with a minimap for navigating big diagrams, instead of a fixed 16:9 rectangle.
Sharing and presenting stay easy
The reason people reach for Slides is that sharing is effortless, and livediagram keeps that: share a link and anyone can view or edit in real time, no account needed, not even a Google one. Comments and live cursors work like you'd expect.
When it is time to present, Presentation mode builds a slide deck out of the document itself: each slide is a set of elements you pick, from any tab, with presenter notes, and editing a shape updates every slide it is on. A laser pointer and spotlight work while you present. And if the diagram ultimately belongs in a Slides deck, export it as PNG, SVG, or PDF and drop it onto the slide; for wikis and docs, a share link embeds as a live-updating read-only iframe instead.
Google Slides alternative FAQ
Do collaborators need a Google account?
Can I put a livediagram diagram into my slide deck?
Can livediagram replace Slides for presentations?
Is livediagram free?
See how it feels
No sign-up, nothing to install, free forever. Open a canvas and judge for yourself.
Comparisons reflect each product’s general positioning and may change. Check Google Slides’s own site for current details. Last reviewed 7 October 2026.