A Visio document viewer for the diagram someone just emailed you
A Visio document viewer lets you see a Microsoft Visio drawing (.vsdx, .vsd, .vdx or .vsdm) without owning Visio. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens the file in your browser and shows each Visio page with its shapes, connectors, text and pictures, free to view. On a paid plan you can add notes, print it from a PDF, or share that PDF with people who don’t have Visio.
Runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad. Up to 250 MB.
Opening and viewing Visio documents is free; notes, changes and PDF export need a paid plan.
- Every Visio pageShown
- Macros in .vsdmNever run
- Visio installedNot needed
What you can do with a Visio document you received
See the whole diagram
Shapes, connectors, labels and pictures appear as they sit on the page.
Page through every tab
Each Visio page opens as its own page in the editor.
Fix a label
Correct a name or title in a shape’s text (paid).
Leave a note
Add a text box with a question or approval note (paid).
Print it properly
Export a print-ready PDF on a paid plan, then print it.
Pass it on
Send the PDF to people who don’t have Visio.
More help with Visio files
Different Visio situations call for different pages.
Microsoft’s viewer is gone
What happened to the old Visio Viewer and which options replaced it.
See the optionsChanging the drawing
Move shapes, retype labels and add pages to a Visio file in your browser.
Edit a Visio fileDrawing new diagrams
When you need to build diagrams yourself, compare tools that replace Visio.
Compare alternativesHow can I view a Visio document if I don’t have Visio?
Open the .vsdx or .vsd in a browser-based viewer such as Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), which shows every Visio page with its shapes, connectors and text at no charge. LibreOffice Draw also opens .vsdx files and draw.io imports them, both at no cost. If the sender only needs you to read it, asking them for a PDF works too.
Three ways to start with the Visio file you were sent
Set up an account at publishmediasoftware.com without a credit card, then choose.
Open the attachment
Save the Visio attachment from your email, then drag it onto the start screen or click to browse to it.
.vsdx, .vsd, .vdx or .vsdm, to 250 MB
Choose the drawingPut it in a handout
Begin with a print-ready template when the diagram belongs inside a flyer or program.
View templatesMake a cover page
Start an empty page to write a title or instructions that will go in front of the diagram.
Add a cover pageHow PublishMedia shows a Visio drawing
PublishMedia is a page editor, not a diagramming program, which suits reading, marking up and printing a finished drawing. Visio, draw.io and Lucidchart remain the right tools for building complex new diagrams.
Pages, as drawn
Every Visio page becomes a page in the editor, with shapes, connectors, text and pictures where the author placed them.
Macros stay off
Macro-enabled .vsdm drawings open for viewing, and their macros never run.
Notes and extra pages
On a paid plan, add text-box notes beside the diagram or add pages of explanation, then export everything as one PDF.
Honest limits
Connectors don’t re-route when shapes move, there are no stencil libraries or data-linked shapes, and changes can’t be saved back to .vsdx.
Need a flyer or sign-up sheet to go with the diagram?
Paid plans include every template, alongside your Visio pages.
Templates for print
Flyers, programs, bulletins and tickets you can fill in and export as PDFs next to your diagram.
Template collections
How to view, print and share a Visio document without Visio
Four steps from the attachment in your inbox to a PDF anyone can open.
Save the attachment
Download the .vsdx or .vsd from your email to a folder on your computer or iPad.
Open it in PublishMedia
Sign up at publishmediasoftware.com and drag the file in. Each Visio page opens in the page editor.
Look it over
Check every page and the Import Report. On a paid plan, add notes or fix a label.
Print or share a PDF
On All-Access or Monthly, export a print-ready PDF, then print it or email it on.
6 ways to view a Visio document without Visio
Ranked for people who received a diagram rather than drew one. Each card notes platform, cost and the main catch.
As of October 2026, six ways to view a Visio document without the Visio desktop app are Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), draw.io (diagrams.net), LibreOffice Draw, Lucidchart, Visio for the web through a work or school Microsoft 365 account, and asking the sender for a PDF. Visio desktop runs only on Windows and has never existed for Mac. PublishMedia opens .vsdx, .vsd, .vdx and .vsdm files in a browser at no charge and exports PDFs on its $99-a-year or $9.99-a-month plans. draw.io is free and open source and imports .vsdx. LibreOffice Draw is a free desktop app that opens .vsd and .vsdx. Lucidchart has free and paid plans and imports Visio files.
1. Publish Media Software — best for reading, printing and passing on
Opens .vsdx, .vsd, .vdx and .vsdm in a browser on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad; viewing is free. Notes and PDF export cost $99 a year or $9.99 a month. Limit: not a diagramming tool.
2. draw.io (diagrams.net) — best free option for .vsdx
Free, open-source diagramming in the browser or as a desktop app, and it imports .vsdx files you can then rework. Limit: it imports rather than opens, so complex Visio shapes may need tidying.
3. LibreOffice Draw — best for old .vsd files offline
Free desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that opens both .vsd and .vsdx drawings without an internet connection. Limit: you must install the LibreOffice suite, and some Visio styling may look different.
4. Lucidchart — best if your team already uses it
Browser-based diagramming with free and paid plans that can import Visio files into a Lucidchart document. Limit: you need a Lucid account, and heavier use pushes you toward a paid plan.
5. Visio for the web — best with a work or school account
A basic web version of Visio comes with many Microsoft 365 business and education subscriptions, and Visio Plan 1 and Plan 2 include it too. Limit: it isn’t part of every Microsoft 365 plan, so check yours first.
6. Ask the sender for a PDF — simplest when you only need to read it
Anyone with Visio can save the drawing as a PDF that opens on almost any computer or phone. Limit: you wait for a reply, and you can’t change the diagram or reuse its pages.
What viewing and sharing a Visio document costs
The Free plan opens and views unlimited Visio documents, keeping each for 7 days with a reminder email before deletion. Adding notes, fixing labels, adding pages, saving projects, unlimited storage, every template and print-ready PDF export come with All-Access at $99 a year (recommended) or Monthly at $9.99, which you can 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.
Questions about Visio documents you’ve received
What should I do first when someone emails me a .vsdx file?+
Save the .vsdx attachment to your computer, then open it in a Visio document viewer such as Publish Media Software, draw.io or LibreOffice Draw. Double-clicking it on a PC without Visio usually just asks which app to use. If you only need to read it and none of those suit you, reply and ask the sender for a PDF.
Can I print a Visio document without owning Visio?+
Yes, open the drawing in LibreOffice Draw and print it from there at no cost, or open it in Publish Media Software and export a print-ready PDF on a paid plan, then print the PDF. Either way, check the page size first, because Visio diagrams are often drawn on wide or oversized pages.
Can I add my own notes to the diagram before passing it on?+
Yes, on a paid PublishMedia plan you can place text-box notes next to any shape, add a page of comments in front of the diagram, and export the whole thing as one PDF for colleagues. The notes become part of the page rather than threaded comments, so everyone sees them in the printed copy.
Will I see every page of a multi-page Visio document?+
Yes, Publish Media Software opens each page of a Visio drawing as its own page in the editor, so a document with a floor plan on one page and a wiring diagram on the next shows both. Scroll through them in order, and use Print Preview to see how each will look on paper.
Can I look at a Visio document on my iPhone?+
You can view a Visio document on an iPhone by opening publishmediasoftware.com in the phone’s browser and opening the file. Large diagrams are hard to read on a small screen, so zoom in from the bottom bar, or open the same file on an iPad or computer when you need to add notes or print.
Can I open a Visio document on a work PC where I can’t install software?+
Yes, browser-based tools need no installation: Publish Media Software opens the file directly, and draw.io runs in the browser and imports .vsdx. If your employer gives you a Microsoft 365 business account, check whether Visio for the web is included, since many business plans have a basic version.
The sender wants my changes back. What format can I return?+
Return a PDF if they only need to see your changes, because Publish Media Software exports PDFs but can’t save back to .vsdx. If they need an editable Visio file back, the changes have to be made in Visio itself, and you can send your PDF as a marked-up guide for whoever does them.
When is it better to ask the sender for a PDF?+
Ask for a PDF when you only need to read or print the diagram once, when you’re on a phone, or when the drawing uses unusual shapes that other programs may show differently. A PDF saved from Visio shows the drawing as the author laid it out. Use a viewer when you need the file now or want to add notes.
How can I tell whether the Visio file I received is an old or new format?+
Look at the file extension. A .vsdx file uses the format Visio has saved in since Visio 2013; a .vsd (binary) or .vdx (XML) file uses the older format of Visio 2003 to 2010; and .vsdm is a macro-enabled drawing. Publish Media Software opens all four without running macros, and LibreOffice Draw opens both .vsd and .vsdx.
Publisher retires October 2026
Get a short guide to moving off Microsoft Publisher — opening your Publisher files online and creating new documents.