DraftBay vs Slickplan
Slickplan is built for designing a site's structure. DraftBay is built for getting every page's words written, approved and handed off. Here's how they compare.
Updated November 2026
DraftBay is a website content planning tool for agencies, freelancers and small businesses: sitemap, copy, approval and hand-off in one place, for $19 a month per workspace.
The short answer
Slickplan is a website planning tool. It has a visual sitemap builder, a diagram maker for user flows, a content planner, and uploaded wireframes and mockups for feedback, and you can share plans as a PDF or a link. It's a strong choice when the main job is designing and presenting a site's structure.
DraftBay has a sitemap too, but its focus is what happens next: who writes each page, where the copy lives, who reviews and approves it, and what the designer or developer receives at the end. It costs $19 a month per workspace, with unlimited people.
At a glance
| DraftBay | Slickplan | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Small businesses, web agencies and freelancers running a website's content | Designers, UX teams and agencies planning a site's structure |
| Sitemap | A mind-map and a table view of the same tree, with each page's copy status beside it | A drag-and-drop visual sitemap builder, Slickplan's core strength |
| Diagrams and mockups | Not included | A diagram maker for user flows, plus uploaded wireframes and mockups for feedback |
| Content | Copy lives anywhere with a link (Google Docs, SharePoint, Word online). DraftBay tracks status, comments and sign-off | A content planner with reusable templates, custom page statuses, assigned writers and due dates, block-level comments and full revision history |
| Approval | Roles per person (writer, reviewer, approver, client and more), comments and @mentions, approval pinned to the version you approved, and a logged trail of every decision | Custom statuses that track each page from draft to approved, with comments and @mentions; plans can also be shared as a PDF or a link |
| Hand-off | Hand-off to the designer inside DraftBay (a “Your work” list; they mark pages built), plus a one-click spreadsheet with every page, its address, the approved copy link and redirects | Export page structure and content to WordPress or Drupal with Slickplan's plugins, or share and export the plan |
| Price | $19/month per workspace, unlimited people and projects, 14-day free trial | From $10.79/mo billed yearly (Basic); a free plan covers one sitemap |
Based on each product's public information as of November 2026 (sources: Slickplan pricing, Slickplan content planner). Features change, so check the vendor's site before you decide.
Where DraftBay is different
- Structure and copy are connected. Each page in the sitemap links to its copy, so gaps show up straight away: pages with no copy, copy that isn't linked to a page, copy waiting for approval.
- Copy stays in the tools your writers use. Google Docs, SharePoint or Word online. DraftBay keeps the link and tracks status, comments and sign-off.
- A sign-off trail. Writers mark their part done, approvers approve or send it back, and every decision is logged with who and when.
- Website versions. Name what launches now and what comes later; later versions stay visible but faded until you're ready.
- A Board per project. DraftBay's checks and its AI find missing pages and stalled copy, and ask your team clarifying questions. You can also ask the AI assistant about the project in plain words.
- Menu order and sub-pages handled carefully. Page order is the menu order, and moving or deleting a page asks what to do with the pages under it.
- A hand-off to the designer. Approved copy goes on the designer’s “Your work” list in DraftBay, and they mark each page built. One click also gives them a spreadsheet with every page, its address, the approved copy link and redirects.
When Slickplan is the better choice
Pick Slickplan if:
- The main thing you deliver to a client is a polished visual sitemap or user-flow diagram.
- You want sitemaps, diagrams and mockups in one tool.
- Your writers draft inside the planning tool, and page statuses from draft to approved are enough sign-off.
- You're planning structure only, and someone else runs the content process.
- You want page structure and content to go straight into WordPress or Drupal today.
Using both
The tools don't have to compete. A common split is to sketch the structure in a sitemap tool during discovery, then, when the content work starts, set up a new DraftBay project and paste in the page list to build the tree, so every page gets a writer, a status and a sign-off.
See how DraftBay stacks up against other tools on the comparison page, or read how to plan a website from sitemap to hand-off.
Short answers.
Does DraftBay have a visual sitemap?
Yes. Every project has a sitemap you can view as a mind-map or as a spreadsheet-style table, and every page shows its copy status.
Does DraftBay make user-flow diagrams or mockups?
No. DraftBay focuses on pages and their copy. If you need flow diagrams or mockups, Slickplan or a design tool is the better fit.
Can I use Slickplan and DraftBay together?
Yes. You can design the structure in Slickplan, then paste the page list in when you set up a new DraftBay project, and run copy requests, review, approval and hand-off there.
How much does DraftBay cost?
$19 a month per workspace, with unlimited people and projects, after a 14-day free trial with no credit card. The first 100 paying workspaces can become Founding Members at $7.99 a month per workspace, billed yearly ($95.88), locked in while they stay subscribed. Prices are in US dollars.
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