Flowova vs Gliffy: AI-Powered vs Confluence-Integrated Diagramming (2026)

Choosing between Flowova and Gliffy? They serve different ecosystems. Gliffy is best known as a Confluence diagramming plugin — it lives where your wiki lives. Flowova is a standalone AI flowchart generator that works independently of any wiki or project management platform. Here's how they compare.

What is Gliffy?

Gliffy is a browser-based diagramming tool, primarily known as a Confluence plugin. It lets teams create flowcharts, UML diagrams, org charts, and network diagrams directly within Confluence pages. Gliffy also offers a standalone web version (Gliffy Online), but the Confluence integration is its main selling point. It uses a drag-and-drop interface with shape libraries and templates.

What is Flowova?

Flowova is an AI-powered flowchart maker designed for speed. Describe your process in plain text — or upload a document — and Flowova generates a structured flowchart automatically. It's a standalone tool focused on making flowchart creation as fast as possible, regardless of what other tools your team uses.

Feature comparison

Capability	Flowova	Gliffy
Target audience	General users	Atlassian/Confluence teams
Creation method	AI text-to-diagram	Drag-and-drop manual
Diagram types	Flowcharts (specialized)	Flowcharts, UML, network
AI features	Core functionality	None
Wiki integration	Export-focused	Native Confluence embed
Document import	PDF, images, text, code	None
Mermaid support	Full import/export	None
Collaboration	Share links, comments	Via Confluence
Learning curve	Very low	Low-moderate

Where Flowova wins

AI generation eliminates manual work

Gliffy is entirely manual. Every shape is dragged from a panel, every connection drawn by hand, every label typed individually. For a 15-node flowchart, expect 20-30 minutes of clicking and dragging.

Flowova generates that same flowchart from a text description in under a minute. You spend your time reviewing and refining rather than building from scratch.

Works outside the Atlassian ecosystem

Gliffy's value proposition is tightly coupled to Confluence. If your team uses Notion, Google Docs, SharePoint, or any other documentation platform, Gliffy becomes just another standalone diagramming tool — and not a particularly feature-rich one.

Flowova is platform-agnostic. Export your flowchart as PNG, SVG, or Mermaid code and embed it anywhere.

Document and image import

Have a process described in a PDF, a photo of a whiteboard sketch, or a text document? Flowova can ingest these and extract flowcharts automatically. Gliffy requires you to manually recreate every diagram from scratch.

This is especially valuable when converting existing documentation into visual process flows.

Simpler pricing

Flowova offers straightforward pricing including a $169 lifetime option. Gliffy's Confluence plugin pricing scales with your Atlassian instance size, and the standalone version charges per user. For small teams or individuals, Flowova is often more economical.

Where Gliffy wins

Native Confluence integration

If your team lives in Confluence, Gliffy's native integration is compelling. Diagrams embed directly in wiki pages, update in place, and are searchable within Confluence. There's no exporting, re-uploading, or linking to external tools.

For documentation-heavy teams using Atlassian, this seamlessness is worth the trade-offs.

Confluence-based collaboration

Gliffy diagrams inherit Confluence's collaboration model. Comments, version history, page restrictions, and space permissions all apply to diagrams embedded in Confluence pages. Your diagrams live alongside your documentation with the same access controls.

Flowova's collaboration is simpler — share links and comments, but without the deep integration into a wiki platform.

Broader diagram types

Gliffy supports UML diagrams, network diagrams, org charts, and Venn diagrams alongside flowcharts. While not as comprehensive as Lucidchart or SmartDraw, it covers more territory than Flowova's flowchart focus.

For teams that need occasional UML or network diagrams within Confluence, Gliffy handles these without requiring a separate tool.

Practical example: API authentication flow

Creating in Gliffy (within Confluence):

1. Open Confluence page, insert Gliffy macro
2. Select flowchart template
3. Drag process shapes for each step
4. Add decision diamonds for validation checks
5. Connect all shapes manually
6. Label every shape and connection
7. Adjust layout to fit page width
8. Save — diagram appears inline in Confluence

Time: 20-25 minutes

Creating in Flowova:

1. Enter: "User submits login credentials. Server validates against database. If valid, generate JWT token and return to client. If invalid, return error with retry counter. After 3 failed attempts, lock account temporarily. Client stores token. On each API request, include token in header. Server validates token. If expired, prompt re-authentication."
2. Click generate
3. Review, adjust labels
4. Export PNG, embed in Confluence page (or any doc)

Time: 5-8 minutes

Both produce usable diagrams. Gliffy's lives natively in Confluence; Flowova's is a standalone asset you embed wherever needed.

Pricing comparison

Flowova:

• Free: Basic AI flowchart generation
• Pro: $10/month or $60/year
• Lifetime: $169 one-time

Gliffy:

• Gliffy Online: $8/month per user
• Gliffy for Confluence (Cloud): Based on Atlassian user tier
  • 10 users: ~$10/month
  • 100 users: ~$100/month
• Gliffy for Confluence (Data Center): Annual license by tier

Gliffy's pricing is reasonable for small Confluence instances but scales with your Atlassian user count. Flowova's pricing is independent of team size with its lifetime option.

Making the decision

Choose Flowova when:

• You need flowcharts fast, regardless of documentation platform
• AI generation matters more than wiki integration
• You have documents, images, or PDFs to convert
• Your team doesn't use Confluence (or is leaving Atlassian)
• Individual or small team pricing matters

Choose Gliffy when:

• Your team lives in Confluence
• Native wiki-embedded diagrams are essential
• You need diagrams to inherit Confluence permissions
• UML and network diagrams are also needed
• You're already paying for the Atlassian ecosystem

The bottom line

Gliffy is a solid choice for Atlassian-native teams who want diagrams embedded directly in Confluence pages. Flowova is for everyone else — and for anyone who values AI-powered speed over platform integration.

If your flowcharts need to live in Confluence, Gliffy's integration is genuinely useful. If you need flowcharts quickly and don't want to be locked into any platform, Flowova's AI approach is faster and more flexible.

Try Flowova free

See how fast AI can generate flowcharts from your process descriptions. Start creating with Flowova — describe your flow and get a diagram in seconds.

Related comparisons

• Flowova vs Draw.io — Free diagramming comparison
• Flowova vs Lucidchart — Full-featured comparison
• Flowova vs Miro — Collaboration-focused comparison

Related resources

• How to Make a Flowchart — Complete beginner guide
• Flowchart Templates — Ready-to-use templates