The Microsoft Visio Viewer ran in Internet Explorer. Here’s what works now
The Microsoft Visio Viewer was a free tool that showed Visio diagrams inside Internet Explorer, and Microsoft retired Internet Explorer in June 2022, so it is no longer a practical way to open a Visio file. Today Microsoft offers Visio for the web and the Visio desktop app. Independent options include draw.io, LibreOffice Draw and Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), which is not made by Microsoft.
An independent browser tool for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad. Not affiliated with Microsoft.
Opening and viewing Visio files is free in PublishMedia; changes and PDF export need a paid plan.
- Internet ExplorerNot needed
- Windows 11✓ Ready
- Mac and Chromebook✓ Ready
What a Visio Viewer replacement should let you do
Open old and new formats
Newer .vsdx plus older .vsd, .vdx and macro-enabled .vsdm drawings.
Use any modern browser
No Internet Explorer, add-on or plug-in involved.
Work beyond Windows
Open Visio files on a Mac, Chromebook, Linux or iPad.
See every page
Each page of the drawing opens in order.
Open templates and stencils
View .vstx templates and .vssx stencils as well.
Hand out PDFs
Export print-ready PDFs on a paid plan for others.
Find the Visio page that fits your situation
Viewer, editor or full replacement: pick what you actually need.
A diagram landed in your inbox
How to see, print and share one Visio document you were sent today.
Open a received fileMicrosoft’s web options
How Visio for the web and other browser tools compare for viewing and drawing.
Compare web optionsDone with Visio altogether
Tools for drawing new flowcharts and org charts without a Visio license.
See alternativesWhat replaced the Microsoft Visio Viewer?
No single program replaced it. Microsoft’s current browser option is Visio for the web, part of Visio Plan 1 and Plan 2 and, in a basic version, many Microsoft 365 business and education plans. Without those, draw.io, LibreOffice Draw, Lucidchart and Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), an independent browser tool, open Visio files.
Open a Visio file the way the old viewer used to
Instead of installing an add-on, sign up at publishmediasoftware.com (no credit card) and pick a starting point.
Open the drawing
Drag a .vsdx, .vsd, .vdx or .vsdm file onto the start screen, or click to find it on your computer.
Visio drawings and templates, up to 250 MB
Select a drawingStart a print project
Choose a print-ready template if the diagram is going into a flyer, program or handout.
Pick a print templateLay out a blank page
Begin with an empty page for a title sheet, legend or notes to print with the diagram.
Blank pageWhat PublishMedia does, and doesn’t do, with Visio files
Like the old viewer, PublishMedia is for looking at existing drawings. Unlike it, a paid plan adds light changes and PDF export.
Faithful page view
Each Visio page arrives with its shapes, connectors, labels and pictures laid out as they appear in the drawing.
Light changes on paid plans
Retype text in shapes, move or resize objects, add notes and add pages before exporting a PDF.
Macro-free viewing
A .vsdm drawing shows all its pages, but none of its macros ever run.
Not a Visio replacement for drawing
No re-routing connectors, stencil libraries or data-linked shapes, and no saving to .vsdx. For new complex diagrams, use Visio, draw.io or Lucidchart.
Printing the diagram for a church or community group?
A seating plan or room layout often goes out with a printed program.
Church bulletin maker
Bulletin layouts you can print alongside a floor plan or seating chart. Paid plans include them.
All template groups
How to open a Visio file now that the Microsoft Visio Viewer is gone
Four steps that take the place of installing the old viewer, on any computer or iPad.
Skip the old installer
Don’t hunt for the old Internet Explorer add-on. Open publishmediasoftware.com in your current browser instead.
Sign up
Create an account with no credit card. The Free plan opens and views Visio files.
Drag in the drawing
Drop the .vsdx or .vsd on the start screen and page through every Visio page.
Print or share it
On All-Access or Monthly, add notes if needed and export a print-ready PDF.
6 options now that Microsoft’s Visio Viewer is gone
Three come from Microsoft and three don’t. Each card lists the platform, the cost model and one honest limit.
As of October 2026, the Microsoft Visio Viewer, which displayed diagrams inside Internet Explorer, is no longer a practical option because Microsoft retired Internet Explorer in June 2022. The six main options are Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), an independent browser tool; Visio for the web in many Microsoft 365 business and education plans; Visio Plan 1; Visio Plan 2 or a one-time Visio Standard or Professional purchase for the Windows desktop app; draw.io (diagrams.net); and LibreOffice Draw. There has never been a Visio app for Mac. PublishMedia views Visio files free and charges $99 a year or $9.99 a month for editing and PDF export.
1. Publish Media Software — best for viewing in any browser
Independent, not Microsoft. Opens .vsdx, .vsd, .vdx and .vsdm in a browser on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad, free to view. Limit: notes and PDF export need $99 a year or $9.99 a month, and it isn’t for drawing new diagrams.
2. Visio for the web in Microsoft 365 — best if your employer provides it
A basic web version of Visio is included with many Microsoft 365 business and education subscriptions and runs in a browser. Limit: it depends on your organization’s plan, and it’s not in every Microsoft 365 subscription.
3. Visio Plan 1 — Microsoft’s web-only subscription
A paid Microsoft subscription that includes Visio for the web for viewing and building diagrams in a browser. Limit: an ongoing cost that’s hard to justify if you only open a diagram now and then.
4. Visio Plan 2 or Visio Standard/Professional — the full desktop app
Plan 2 is a subscription that adds the Visio desktop app; Standard and Professional are one-time purchases. Limit: the desktop app runs on Windows only, and it costs far more than viewing requires.
5. draw.io (diagrams.net) — best free diagram tool
Free and open source, in the browser or as a desktop app, and it imports .vsdx drawings for viewing and editing. Limit: it imports into its own format, so some Visio shapes may not match exactly.
6. LibreOffice Draw — best offline replacement
A free desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that opens .vsd and .vsdx files directly, with no internet needed once installed. Limit: you install the full LibreOffice suite to get it.
PublishMedia pricing compared with the old free viewer
Like Microsoft’s old viewer, viewing costs nothing: the Free plan opens and views unlimited Visio files and keeps each for 7 days, with a reminder email before deletion. Unlike it, paid plans add changes, notes, extra pages, saved projects, unlimited storage, every template and print-ready PDF export, at $99 a year for All-Access (recommended) or $9.99 a month, cancel anytime.
Free Starter
$0
Open and view unlimited Publisher, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and picture files free — stored for 7 days, then deleted automatically. Editing and export are on the paid plans.
Start freeAll-Access
$99/yr
Everything unlocked — full editing, every template in the library, and unlimited storage.
Monthly
$9.99/mo
All the same features, billed monthly — cancel anytime.
Microsoft Visio Viewer FAQ
Does the Microsoft Visio Viewer still work in 2026?+
No, not in any practical way: the Microsoft Visio Viewer displayed diagrams inside Internet Explorer and Microsoft retired Internet Explorer in June 2022. Current Windows PCs use Microsoft Edge instead. To view Visio files today, use Visio for the web if your Microsoft 365 plan includes it, or an independent tool such as draw.io, LibreOffice Draw or PublishMedia.
Can I download the Visio Viewer for Windows 11?+
Not in any useful way, because the old Microsoft Visio Viewer showed diagrams inside Internet Explorer, and Windows 11 doesn’t include Internet Explorer as a browser. Instead, open the file in a browser-based tool such as Publish Media Software or draw.io, or install LibreOffice Draw, which opens .vsd and .vsdx.
Is it safe to get the Visio Viewer from a download site?+
Avoid third-party sites offering a Visio Viewer download, because you can’t be sure what the installer contains, and the viewer was built to show diagrams inside Internet Explorer. Microsoft’s current routes are Visio for the web and the Visio desktop app. Independent tools such as LibreOffice Draw and draw.io come from their own official websites.
Is PublishMedia Microsoft’s new Visio Viewer?+
No, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) is an independent company and is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Microsoft. It is a browser-based page editor that happens to open Visio files, along with PDFs and other documents. It opens and views them for free, and paid plans add notes, light changes and print-ready PDF export.
What does Microsoft offer now for opening Visio files?+
Microsoft now offers Visio for the web, included in Visio Plan 1 and Plan 2 and, as a basic version, in many Microsoft 365 business and education subscriptions. For the full desktop app on Windows, Microsoft sells Visio Plan 2 or a one-time Visio Standard or Professional license. Check your organization’s plan before buying anything.
Do I need Visio Plan 1 or Plan 2 just to look at diagrams?+
No, you don’t need a Visio subscription just to look at diagrams. First check whether your work or school Microsoft 365 account already includes the basic Visio for the web. If not, draw.io and LibreOffice Draw open Visio files at no cost, and Publish Media Software views them free in a browser and adds PDF export on a paid plan.
Did Microsoft ever make a Visio Viewer for Mac?+
No, Microsoft has never made Visio for Mac, and its old Visio Viewer worked through Internet Explorer on Windows. Mac users usually open Visio files in a browser tool such as Publish Media Software, draw.io or Lucidchart, or install LibreOffice Draw, which runs on macOS and opens both .vsd and .vsdx files.
What’s the lowest-cost way to look at a Visio file now?+
The lowest-cost ways are draw.io and LibreOffice Draw, which cost nothing, and the Free plan of Publish Media Software, which opens and views Visio files at no charge. Lucidchart, which has free and paid plans, can also import Visio files. Pay only when you need more, such as print-ready PDF export or regular diagram building.
Which option should a small office choose for viewing Visio files?+
A small office that mainly receives Visio files should pick a browser tool so nobody needs installs: Publish Media Software for viewing, notes and PDF handouts, or draw.io for reworking the diagram. If the office already pays for Microsoft 365 Business, check for Visio for the web first. Buy Visio only if staff build complex diagrams themselves.
Publisher retires October 2026
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