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Technology · head to head

Lucidchart vs Soketi

Lucidchart logo

Lucidchart

Technology

Intelligent diagramming for every team

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Soketi logo

Soketi

Developer Tools

Self-hosted, Pusher-compatible WebSockets server with a stalled maintenance record

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Lucidchart interface can overwhelm new users due to extensive features and customization options; Soketi maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • They diverge on capability: Lucidchart covers Flowcharts & diagrams, Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lucidchart and Soketi actually diverge.

Attributes where Lucidchart and Soketi differ
AttributeLucidchartSoketi
Pricing modelUnknownOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, macOS, WindowsLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryTechnologyDeveloper Tools
Founded2010Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Lucidchart

  • Flowcharts & diagrams
  • Process mapping
  • Mind maps
  • Wireframes & mockups
  • Network diagrams
  • Data visualization
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Presentation mode

Only in Soketi

  • Pusher protocol compatibility
  • Presence and private channels
  • Horizontal scaling
  • App management backends
  • Webhooks
  • Prometheus metrics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Lucidchart

  • Process documentationnot Soketi
  • System architecturenot Soketi
  • Workflow designnot Soketi
  • Brainstormingnot Soketi
  • Technical documentationnot Soketi

Soketi

  • A Laravel application that already uses Echo and wants to stop paying a hosted realtime providernot Lucidchart
  • Realtime notifications or presence indicators where data must not leave your own infrastructure for compliance reasonsnot Lucidchart
  • A local or CI environment that needs a Pusher-compatible server without hitting a paid accountnot Lucidchart
  • A high-connection-count application where hosted per-connection pricing has become the largest line in the infrastructure billnot Lucidchart

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Lucidchart

  • Interface can overwhelm new users due to extensive features and customization options
  • Drag-and-drop canvas can feel clunky compared to modern whiteboard tools like Miro

Soketi

  • Maintenance has effectively stalled: the maintainer has said time is severely limited, releases are infrequent, and the community has been discussing whether the project is abandoned, which means security fixes may not arrive.
  • Dependency drift on Node and uWebSockets.js will eventually force you to fork or migrate, and that cost is unbudgeted at the point you adopt it.
  • There is no commercial support to buy, so a production incident at three in the morning is entirely your problem with no escalation path.
  • Scaling beyond a single node needs Redis and careful configuration, and getting presence channels correct across nodes is a genuine source of subtle bugs.
  • It implements the Pusher protocol rather than tracking it, so any protocol feature Pusher adds later will not appear, and the compatibility guarantee slowly decays.

Pricing, plan by plan

Lucidchart

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 documents
    • 60 shapes
    • Basic templates
  • Individual$7.95/month
    • Unlimited documents
    • Advanced templates
    • Cloud storage
  • Team$9/editor/month
    • Real-time collaboration
    • Team management
    • All integrations
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Advanced security
    • SSO
    • Dedicated support

Soketi

Free
  • SoketiFree
    • MIT licensed
    • Unlimited connections subject to your own hardware
    • No vendor billing

Which should you pick?

Choose Lucidchart if

  • You need flowcharts & diagrams.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want process mapping.
Lucidchart review

Choose Soketi if

  • You need pusher protocol compatibility.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want presence and private channels.
Soketi review

Questions people ask

Is Lucidchart or Soketi better?
Neither clearly leads. Lucidchart starts at Free and Soketi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lucidchart or Soketi?
Lucidchart starts at Free and Soketi at Free.
Does Lucidchart or Soketi run on more platforms?
Lucidchart runs on Web, Desktop, macOS, Windows. Soketi runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Lucidchart for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Lucidchart best used for?
Lucidchart is most often used for process documentation, system architecture, workflow design, brainstorming. Of those, process documentation and system architecture are not what Soketi is typically brought in for.
What can Lucidchart do that Soketi cannot?
Lucidchart covers Flowcharts & diagrams, Process mapping, Mind maps, Wireframes & mockups. Soketi covers Pusher protocol compatibility, Presence and private channels, Horizontal scaling, App management backends.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lucidchart: What pricing plans does Lucidchart offer?

Lucidchart has a free plan (3 documents, 60 shapes), Individual plan ($7.95/month), Team plan ($9/editor/month), and Enterprise with custom pricing.

Source
Soketi: Is Soketi still maintained?

Barely. The maintainer has stated that available time is very limited and releases have been sparse; treat it as community-maintained.

Lucidchart: Can I use Lucidchart offline?

Lucidchart is a cloud-based platform, but offers an offline desktop option for users who need to work without internet access.

Source
Soketi: Do I need to change my client code?

No. Pusher client SDKs and Laravel Echo work by changing the host, port and credentials.

Lucidchart: What compliance certifications does Lucidchart have?

Lucidchart provides SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP, HIPAA BAA, and GDPR compliance, making it suitable for regulated industries.

Source
Soketi: What does it cost?

Nothing in licence fees. It is MIT licensed; you pay for the server it runs on.

Lucidchart: Does Lucidchart have AI diagram generation?

Yes, Lucidchart uses AI to auto-generate flowcharts, UML diagrams, ER diagrams, and org charts from text prompts, Excel data, CSV files, code snippets, or database schemas.

Source
Soketi: What are people moving to?

Laravel Reverb for Laravel applications, and Sockudo, a Rust reimplementation, for others.

Lucidchart: What integrations does Lucidchart support?

Lucidchart integrates with Microsoft Teams, Slack, Jira, Confluence, Google Workspace, and Salesforce for seamless workflow integration.

Source
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