D-Tools alternative

A D-Tools alternative for people who just need the drawing done today.

D-Tools runs the business of an integration firm. If what you actually need is a port-validated signal flow and the paperwork that falls out of it, that is a lot of platform to carry. Free to start, $5/month founder Pro.

  • Draw a validated signal path in an afternoon, no implementation project first
  • Ports that reject an impossible patch while you draw it, not at load-in
  • Cable schedule and gear list generated from the diagram, exported as CSV
  • Read-only share links for the venue tech, no seat and no install required
  • Free to start: three editable diagrams, no credit card
A port-validated WireFlow signal flow diagram, the drawing layer without the estimating platform

See a sample show

Where D-Tools is genuinely the right answer

We would rather be straight with you than pretend this is a clean swap. D-Tools is built for integration firms running the whole pipeline: estimating, proposals, purchase orders, change orders, labor tracking, and install documentation tied back to the same catalog. If your business needs a quote to become a PO to become a job with tracked hours, WireFlow does not do that and is not trying to.

If that whole pipeline is what you are buying, buy it. This page is for the other case.

The other case: you need a diagram, not a platform

A lot of AV work never touches a procurement workflow. A touring tech repatching a flypack, a house tech documenting what is actually in the rack, a freelancer handing a client a tech pack, a small shop that quotes in a spreadsheet and always has. For that work, a full integration platform is a rollout you have to schedule, and the drawing is the only part you needed.

WireFlow starts at the drawing. Pick devices with real ports, wire them, and the validation happens as you go. The cable schedule and gear list come off the same data, so there is no second document to keep in sync.

  • No implementation phase, no catalog sync, no admin console
  • Signal-path tracing across every hop, source to screen
  • Racks, LED walls, and pixel maps in the same file as the signal flow

What you give up, stated plainly

No estimating, no proposals, no purchase orders, no labor tracking, no CRM. WireFlow will not tell you the margin on a job or turn a drawing into a quote. If those are load-bearing for your business, this is the wrong tool and a cheaper subscription will not fix that.

What you get instead is speed on the one artifact everyone on site actually opens.

Running both

Plenty of shops do. The estimating platform owns the commercial side, and WireFlow owns the show file that the crew works from, because it opens in a browser on a phone in a loading dock without a license check.

Export the gear list as CSV when you need the numbers to land somewhere else.

Frequently asked questions

Does WireFlow do estimating and proposals like D-Tools?
No. There is no estimating, quoting, proposal, or purchase order layer, and none is planned. WireFlow covers the diagram, the rack, the LED wall, and the schedules that come off them. If you need quote-to-cash, keep a platform that does it.
Can I import my D-Tools drawings?
There is no direct importer. Most people rebuild a recurring show file in an afternoon using the device library, and the rebuilt version validates every patch rather than carrying over connections nobody ever checked.
Is this cheaper than D-Tools?
We will not quote anyone else's licensing since it varies by edition and seat count. WireFlow starts free with three diagrams and no card, and Pro is $5/month at founder pricing. Compare that against what you are paying now for the parts you actually use.
Do my techs need a seat to open a diagram?
No. A read-only share link opens in any browser on any device with no account and no install, and it always shows the latest saved version.
Does it handle racks as well as signal flow?
Yes. Rack elevations with real RU heights, front and rear views, and the rack lives in the same project as the signal flow, so the gear list counts both.
What does WireFlow cost to start?
Free. Three editable diagrams, five custom devices, the full preset library, and PNG export, with no credit card. Pro unlocks unlimited diagrams, racks, LED walls, and clean PDF and CSV exports at $5/month founder pricing.