Free PRISMA Flow Diagram Generator
Publication-ready. Auto-updates as you screen. No design software required.
If you've ever built a PRISMA flow diagram by hand — counting records in a spreadsheet, then redrawing boxes and arrows in PowerPoint or Visio every time a number changes — you know it's one of the more tedious parts of writing up a systematic review. EasySystematicReviews generates the diagram automatically, live, from the screening decisions you're already making.
What is a PRISMA flow diagram?
A PRISMA flow diagram is the standard chart used in systematic reviews and meta-analyses to show how you went from your initial search results down to the studies you actually included. It's required (or strongly expected) by most journals and the PRISMA 2020 reporting guideline, and it typically has four stages:
- Identification — records found through database searching and other sources, plus duplicates removed.
- Screening — titles and abstracts screened, and records excluded with reasons.
- Eligibility — full-text articles assessed for eligibility, and exclusions with reasons.
- Included — studies included in the final qualitative or quantitative synthesis.
Why researchers build these by hand — and why it's error-prone
Most researchers still build their flow diagram manually: exporting counts from a reference manager or spreadsheet, then reconstructing the boxes and arrows in a separate design tool. Every time a screening decision changes, or a reviewer catches a miscount, the diagram has to be redrawn from scratch. It's slow, and the numbers in the diagram frequently drift out of sync with the numbers in the actual dataset — a common cause of reviewer comments during peer review.
How the EasySystematicReviews generator works
Instead of reconstructing the diagram separately, EasySystematicReviews builds it directly from the same screening decisions you record while working through your studies:
- Import your search results from PubMed, Europe PMC, Cochrane, and other supported databases.
- Screen titles/abstracts and full texts as normal — include, exclude, and log exclusion reasons.
- The PRISMA 2020 flow diagram updates automatically as you go, always matching your real counts.
- Export it as a print-ready diagram when you're ready to write up your manuscript.
It follows the PRISMA 2020 template, supports MOOSE reporting as well, and is available on every plan, including the free one — it never consumes credits.
Start generating yours
Create a free account, import your search results, and your PRISMA flow diagram builds itself as you screen.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PRISMA flow diagram generator really free?
Yes. Manual review tools, including the PRISMA flow diagram, are free on every plan and never consume credits. Credits are only used for optional automated features like study extraction or screening suggestions.
Does it support MOOSE as well as PRISMA?
Yes — you can generate PRISMA 2020, MOOSE, or a combined PRISMA 2020 + MOOSE flow diagram depending on your review type.
Can I edit the diagram before exporting?
The diagram is generated from your actual screening data to keep it accurate. If a number looks wrong, it usually means a screening decision needs correcting upstream, which keeps the exported diagram and your dataset consistent.