Block Diagram Maker - Fast Diagramming Tool
Create block diagrams rapidly with powerful and easy to use online diagram tool. Smart connectors and tools let you work fast.
No account required!
Create Block Diagrams Quickly
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Easy alignment and auto-spacing. Smart drag-and-snap tools automatically find the best placement for shapes as you move them.
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Auto-updating connectors. Connectors stay attached to your block shapes, with common and not-so-common geometry options. Labels position automatically.
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Syntax-highlighting built in. First-class support for software engineering block diagrams with built-in code syntax highlighting.
What is a block diagram?
A block diagram is a visual representation of a system, project, or process that is composed of components called blocks. Each block usually corresponds to a single action, responsibility, or step, and is frequently represented by a simple visual such as a labeled rectangle or shape. Communication or transitions between blocks is explicit and represented by labeled connectors in the diagram.
Engineers use block diagrams to visualize system design, such as how a complicated process is broken down into a set of simpler, connected parts. These visuals are used to communicate behavior to both technical and non-technical collaborators.
In other fields like business analysis, technical writing, or sales, block diagrams are used to document inter-departmental relationships, complicated concepts, sales processes, or project lifecycle needs.
Key features of Vexlio to make block diagrams
Suite of tools for making block diagrams has been tuned for precision and ease-of-use.
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Infinite canvas. Scroll and zoom without page limits, whether your diagram has five blocks or five hundred.
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Automatic labeled connectors. Multiple styles of connectors that move automatically when you move connected objects. Label connectors with one click, and the labels move along with their connectors too.
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Syntax-highlighted code snippets. Perfect for diagramming software architectures or communication protocols. Over 50 languages with full syntax highlighting support.
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LaTeX-powered labels. Enclose math in
$...$to live-render definitions, probabilities, or formal annotations right on the canvas. -
Multiple export formats. Export to retina-quality PNG, PDF and SVG.
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Precision editing. Numeric control panels set exact widths, positions, corner radii, and more. Alignment guides keep even complex layouts tidy.
No sign-up needed
Try Vexlio, the block diagram tool built for speed and precision. See it for yourself!
No account required
Build your first block diagram in minutes
- Create a blank canvas. Go to the Main Menu and choose New Document.
- Add blocks. Press R for rounded rectangle or C for ellipse, then click and drag to place.
- Map relationships. Group related blocks into functional areas by enclosing them with a larger box (dashed or solid line). Choose a connector type, then click on two points to connect. Vexlio's smart connectors snap exactly to the shape perimeter and move automatically if you shift shapes later.
- Annotate. Double-click a connector or shape to add a label. Or, press Q and click to create a live-edit LaTeX expression.
- Refine layout. Use alignment, distribution, and the drawing grid to keep the overall flow readable at a glance.
- Export. Choose SVG or PDF for crisp vectors, or PNG for quick slides or docs.
Are there different types of block diagrams?
Because a block diagram can represent pretty much anything made up of smaller parts, there are many more specific types of block diagrams that offer conventions, rules, or other clarity for a specific usecase. Here are some examples:
- Functional flow block diagram. Possibly the most common type of block diagram, capturing both architectural relationships between blocks as well as the flow of data between them.
- Function block diagram. Used to describe the function (process that occurs) between input variables and outputs in programming logic controllers.
- Black box system diagram. Describes a system using a "black box" model which omits details of system components in favor of the overall transformation from input to output.
- Schematic block diagram. Often used to document an electrical system, schematic diagrams capture the layout and connections between important components forming the whole. Schematic block diagrams often follow strict conventions and requirements, to allow them to be a technical reference in addition to a visual aid.
Here's what our users have said
Real users speaking about Vexlio's previous desktop version:
I was able to knock together some pretty nice diagrams super-quickly using the demo version. Lots of nice touches.— Gabe R.
Your application fits an empty spot in my toolbelt.— Clint P.
Definitely addresses many of the pain points I have with Google Drawings, Inkscape etc. for making diagrams.— Jim M.
Vexlio has no learning curve - so easy to use.— Peter L.