Visio Licensing Overview

• Licensing and technology changes have brought a free edition of the Visio design software to most Microsoft 365 and Office 365 users.
• Most firms license Visio selectively, and some will want to update their selection rules for the most recent lineup.

Visio-branded online services and software enable users to create and share business and technical diagrams, such as business workflows, network diagrams, and office layouts. Some customers also use Visio as a base for custom or vertical design solutions, such as a room layout tool for a home furnishings store. (See “Visio” in the Microsoft 365 Roadmap for a summary of Visio’s current and planned capabilities.) Limited, but useful Visio editing is now available in the browser to most Microsoft 365 and Office 365 users. That could prompt some organizations to change whom they give Visio and which editions they give.

Visio Software and Services

The Visio line now includes the following software and services:

The Visio Windows application. Licensing for this application resembles the licensing of Office Windows applications and generally follows the Desktop Applications License Model. The Visio Windows application comes in several editions: One available only through User Subscription Licenses (User SLs), while the others have Per-Device perpetual license options.