Buying Microsoft Visio at UW-Madison
UW-Madison departments can purchase Microsoft Visio two different ways (Visio is not available for personal purchase):
| Note: Engineering students may access Visio for free. See How to Access Visio from Azure for instructions on how to download and access Visio. |
- Visio Standard and Pro licenses can be purchased from the Software Order Form under the Microsoft Select program.
- One license is required for each installation.
- These are perpetual licenses, good forever at the purchased version.
- These licenses can be purchased with or without Software Assurance, which gives you the right to upgrade to any version released during the term of the Software Assurance.
- If you've previously purchased a license/software assurance bundle and aren't sure which versions you're entitled to use, please go to the the CSL and click on the Purchased Software link. On the resulting page, you should see the versions for which you're licensed. If you don't see them there, please email licensing@doit.wisc.edu.
- After you purchase a license, you'll receive an email with a download link to the installation file within an hour, plus an installation key if one is necessary.
- The Visio downloads available after purchasing a Visio license include 2016, 2019, and 2022 versions compatible with Microsoft 365. You will also get access to a LTSC version to use with non-365 versions of Office.
- The differences between Standard and Pro editions (from Microsoft):
- Microsoft Visio Standard is designed for people looking for a more basic diagramming solution that still comes with a rich set of built-in stencils and shapes.
- Microsoft Visio Professional has all the essentials for individuals and teams to create and share professional, versatile diagrams that simplify complex information. It includes all the functionality of Visio Standard as well as updated shapes, templates, and styles; enhanced support for team collaboration, including the ability for several people to work on a single diagram at the same time; and, the ability to easily link diagrams to live data. Visio Professional also helps prevent information leakage with Information Rights Management.
- Visio Online Plan 2 subscriptions are available by special order. Visio Online Plan 2 is compatible with Microsoft 365.
- Visio Online Plan 2 includes all the features and capabilities of Visio Pro, plus:
- Database Reverse Engineering
- Generating PowerPoint presentations from Visio diagrams
- Data Visualizer
- Improved Support for AutoCAD drawings.
- You can install Visio Online Plan 2 on up to five UW- or personally-owned computers, an improvement over the one-license-per-installation model of Visio licenses sold under the Select program. Visio Online Plan 2 is delivered through the Microsoft 365 platform, which means that:
- Delivery can take up to two weeks.
- Installation uses click-to-run technology, so can be installed alongside Office installed from the Microsoft 365 portal, but can't be installed alongside Office installed from ISOs downloaded from the CSL. See Microsoft Office, Visio, and Project Compatibility for more info.
- Installations are automatically kept up to date.
- This is an annual subscription, not a perpetual license.
- This is a per-user, not a per-device license.
- Every order must be quoted before purchasing. The time period covered by the quote will be through the next anniversary of our Microsoft 365 agreement, which is October 31st.
- To get a quote, please email licensing@doit.wisc.edu
- Visio Online Plan 2 includes all the features and capabilities of Visio Pro, plus:
- SmartDraw, which is site-licensed for UW-Madison, may be a viable alternative to Visio for some uses. More info and a no-charge download is available on the Campus Software Library.