draw.io

Client-side, open-source diagramming, honestly reviewed. No marketing fluff, just what you get when you self-host it.

TL;DR

• What it is: Apache-2.0 client-side diagramming editor — flowcharts, org charts, network diagrams, ER diagrams, mind maps — running entirely in the browser without sending your data to any server [README][homepage].
• Who it’s for: Teams that need professional diagramming without per-seat licensing, Confluence/Jira shops that want their highest-rated diagramming plugin, and anyone who’s paying Lucidchart or Miro bills they’d rather not pay.
• Cost savings: Lucidchart runs $9–16/user/month. Miro hits $10/user/month. draw.io online is free with no account required; self-hosted on Docker costs whatever your server costs [4][homepage].
• Key strength: Genuinely client-side privacy model — the tool explicitly states “We cannot access your data” and means it technically, not just as a policy [homepage][2]. The Atlassian plugin is the highest-rated Confluence diagramming app and the only one to achieve Atlassian Cloud Fortified status [2].
• Key weakness: The self-hosted version does not support real-time collaborative editing. The project does not accept external pull requests — development is entirely by the core team, which limits community-driven improvements [README].

---

What is draw.io

draw.io is a configurable, client-side JavaScript diagramming and whiteboarding application. The core editor runs in the browser; diagram data gets stored wherever you point it — Google Drive, OneDrive, GitHub, GitLab, Dropbox, your own server, or a local file. The draw.io servers never see your diagram content. That’s the entire product pitch in one sentence, and it’s the reason the homepage leads with “Security-first diagramming for teams” rather than leading with features [homepage].

The project is jointly developed by draw.io Ltd (formerly JGraph) and draw.io AG. The online deployment lives at app.diagrams.net and requires no account or registration to use. Beyond the web editor, draw.io ships a standalone desktop application for offline use and a VS Code extension, and it’s deeply embedded in the Atlassian ecosystem via a native Confluence and Jira app [README][homepage].

License is Apache 2.0 on the source code itself. One important carve-out worth reading: the icon sets, stencil libraries, and diagram templates have an additional restriction preventing their use as software assets in Atlassian products or the Atlassian marketplace without written permission — this affects tool vendors building on draw.io, not end users [README]. Your diagrams are yours with no copyright claim from the project.

The GitHub repository sits at 4,270 stars. Two facts worth noting: the project does not accept pull requests from external contributors, and development is run entirely by the core team. This is unusual for an open-source tool and means the project’s velocity lives or dies by what the core team prioritizes [README].

---

Why people choose it

The single most common reason someone switches to draw.io is the pricing model: it doesn’t have one, for basic use. The tool works at app.diagrams.net with no account, no credit card, and no expiring trial. For teams that have been paying Lucidchart or Visio per-seat fees, this is immediately compelling [4].

Versus Lucidchart. GetApp rates draw.io 4.6 from 771 reviews and consistently higher than Lucidchart on value for money [4]. Lucidchart starts at $9/user/month on its individual plan; team plans run higher. The feature comparison is closer than the price gap suggests — draw.io covers the same core diagramming categories (flowcharts, ERDs, network diagrams, UML, org charts) with a comparable template library. Lucidchart’s edge is a more polished real-time collaboration experience; draw.io’s edge is that you can export everything in open formats and move to self-hosted without data portability concerns.

Versus Miro. Miro is a whiteboard-first tool that has added diagramming on top. draw.io is the opposite — a diagramming-first tool with some whiteboard-adjacent features. If your team mostly creates structured technical diagrams (architecture, flows, ER), draw.io covers the use case at zero cost. If your team primarily needs sticky notes, workshop facilitation, and visual brainstorming, Miro fits better. The $10/user/month pricing difference makes this an easy call for technical teams [4].

Versus Visio. Microsoft Visio is the enterprise legacy choice. GetApp shows draw.io higher than Visio on value for money (4.7 vs 4.2) [4]. Visio’s main advantages are deep Windows/Office integration and Visio-native file format support. draw.io can import and export Visio format, which largely eliminates lock-in as a differentiator. For any team not already committed to the Microsoft ecosystem, Visio is hard to justify at its price point.

Versus Confluence-native options. This is where draw.io has no serious competition. It’s the only diagramming app in the Atlassian marketplace that has achieved Atlassian Cloud Fortified status, meaning it meets Atlassian’s highest tier for security (automated Ecoscanner, VDP, Bug Bounty, AMS programs), reliability (99.9%+ app availability SLA), and support responsiveness [2]. For any company whose documentation lives in Confluence, this is the obvious first choice.

The privacy angle. The FOTC guide [1] describes draw.io as usable without an account, with diagrams saved directly to Google Drive or locally — none of the diagram content routes through draw.io infrastructure. The blog post from draw.io themselves goes further: for the Confluence app, a lockdown configuration option restricts all data transmission to only between the user’s browser and their Confluence Cloud instance [2]. This is relevant for companies with GDPR obligations or data residency requirements — you’re not trusting draw.io’s servers with your architecture diagrams and database schemas.

---

Features

Based on the README, homepage, and third-party article descriptions:

Core editor:

• Drag-and-drop canvas with shapes, connectors, and text
• 140+ ready-made templates covering flowcharts, mind maps, Venn diagrams, org charts, network diagrams, floor plans, UML, ER diagrams [1]
• Full shape libraries for technical diagramming (AWS, GCP, Azure, network equipment, BPMN, UML)
• Import and export in multiple formats: XML, SVG, PNG, PDF, VSDX (Visio), HTML [1]
• Backward compatibility going back 20 years: diagram files created in 2005 load without modification [homepage]

Storage and sync:

• Google Drive / Google Workspace integration [homepage]
• OneDrive and SharePoint [homepage]
• GitHub and GitLab (diagrams as code in repos) [homepage]
• Dropbox [homepage]
• Local file storage (desktop app)
• No storage required from draw.io itself

Collaboration:

• Shared cursors for real-time collaboration in the online tool [homepage]
• Important: Real-time collaborative editing is not supported in the self-hosted version [README]
• The Confluence plugin embeds diagrams directly into Confluence pages as editable content [2]

Integrations:

• Atlassian Confluence and Jira (highest-rated Confluence diagramming app) [homepage][2]
• Office 365 and Microsoft Teams via dedicated apps [homepage]
• Notion (Chrome extension for embedding and editing) [homepage]
• VS Code extension for diagram editing in the IDE [README]
• AI diagram generation using OpenAI (describe your diagram, get a starting point) [homepage]

Deployment options:

• Online editor at app.diagrams.net: no install, no account [homepage]
• Official Docker image for self-hosted deployment [README]
• Desktop application (get.diagrams.net) for offline use [README]
• GitHub Pages fork for a lightweight hosted deployment [README]
• Packaged .war files for Java servlet containers [README]

Plugin support:

• Plugin architecture for extending functionality [merged profile]

---

Pricing: SaaS vs self-hosted math

draw.io online (app.diagrams.net):

• Free to use, no account required, no limits on diagrams [homepage]
• Storage costs are whatever your chosen storage provider charges (Google Drive free tier is 15GB)

draw.io Desktop:

• Free download [README]

draw.io for Confluence (Atlassian marketplace):

• Paid plugin — pricing is Atlassian’s standard per-user marketplace model. Data not available from the provided sources; check the Atlassian marketplace for current rates.
• Worth noting: this is the primary commercial revenue stream for the draw.io company

Self-hosted (Docker):

• Software: $0 (Apache-2.0)
• Server: $5–15/month on Hetzner, Contabo, or similar
• Note: self-hosted loses real-time collaborative editing [README]

Alternatives for comparison [4]:

• Lucidchart: starts at $9/user/month (individual)
• Miro: $10/user/month
• EdrawMax: $9.92/user/month
• Creately: $8/month
• Cacoo: $6/month
• Visio: $5/user/month (Microsoft 365 plan; full standalone is more)

The math for a 5-person team:

Lucidchart at $9/user × 5 = $45/month = $540/year. Miro at $10/user × 5 = $50/month = $600/year. draw.io online: $0. draw.io self-hosted on a $6 VPS: $72/year.

For a technical documentation use case — architecture diagrams, ER schemas, flow charts — where teams don’t need Miro’s workshop features, the cost argument for draw.io is close to unanswerable.

---

Deployment reality check

Self-hosting draw.io is straightforward compared to most self-hosted tools. The official Docker image is maintained by the same team and is the recommended path [README].

What you need:

• A Linux server with Docker installed (minimal resources — draw.io is a client-side app serving static files, so a 1GB VPS is workable)
• A domain name if you want a clean URL
• A reverse proxy (Caddy or nginx) for HTTPS

What makes it simple:

• The editor itself is client-side JavaScript — the server just serves files, it doesn’t process your diagram data
• No database to manage
• No persistent state on the server
• Docker Compose setup is minimal

The important trade-off:

• Self-hosted draw.io does not have real-time collaborative editing [README]. This is a significant gap if your team regularly co-edits diagrams live. The online tool at app.diagrams.net has shared cursors and live collaboration; the Docker deployment does not. For async teams where one person creates a diagram and others comment or iterate, this is fine. For teams that pair on architecture diagrams in real time, it’s a genuine limitation.

The community contribution gap:

• The project does not accept external pull requests [README]. If you hit a bug or missing feature, your options are to work around it, wait for the core team to address it, or fork and maintain your own patch. This is a different risk profile than a typical open-source tool where community PRs fix issues within days.

Realistic setup time: 20–45 minutes for a technical user comfortable with Docker and a reverse proxy. For a non-technical founder, this one probably needs a technical person to deploy.

---

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Genuinely client-side privacy. The architecture means your diagram data never touches draw.io infrastructure. “We cannot access your data” is a technical fact, not a policy statement [homepage][2]. For teams diagramming internal architecture, database schemas, or sensitive processes, this matters.
• Actually free for core use. No account, no trial, no feature gating on the web editor [homepage]. The free tier is the full tool, not a crippled onramp.
• Backward compatibility taken seriously. 20+ years of file compatibility is a serious long-term commitment [homepage]. Your .drawio files will open in 2035.
• Atlassian Cloud Fortified — the only diagramming app at this tier. If you’re running Confluence, draw.io is the most vetted third-party diagramming option available, with 99.9% availability SLA and full participation in Atlassian’s security programs [2].
• Broad format support. Import Visio files, export to SVG, PNG, PDF, HTML — minimal lock-in [1].
• 140+ templates out of the box covering most common diagramming use cases [1].
• Storage flexibility. Connects to Google Drive, OneDrive, GitHub, GitLab, Dropbox — you pick the storage you already trust [homepage].
• Apache-2.0 license. Permissive, no commercial use restrictions, no “Fair-code” ambiguity.
• Desktop app for offline use. Real offline capability, not a cached PWA [README].

Cons

• No real-time collaboration in self-hosted. This is the biggest functional gap for teams choosing Docker over app.diagrams.net [README]. You lose shared cursors and live editing when you move off their infrastructure.
• No community pull requests. 4,270 stars but zero external contributions to the codebase [README]. The project’s bug fix and feature velocity depends entirely on two companies (draw.io Ltd and draw.io AG). For a tool you’re betting your documentation workflow on, that’s a concentration risk.
• Modest GitHub star count relative to mindshare. At 4,270 stars, the GitHub presence is smaller than the tool’s actual adoption suggests. This partially reflects that the web tool at app.diagrams.net is the primary touchpoint, not the GitHub repo.
• AI generation is a thin layer. The “Describe your diagram” feature uses OpenAI for generation [homepage] — it’s a starting-point tool, not a replacement for understanding your own system. Don’t buy draw.io for AI; buy it for diagramming.
• Atlassian plugin pricing is opaque from first-party materials. Pricing for the commercial Confluence plugin is marketplace-dependent and not surfaced in the main homepage or README. Teams adopting draw.io primarily for Confluence need to verify current costs independently.
• Plugin ecosystem is limited. The merged profile lists “plugins” as a canonical feature, but the plugin library is thin compared to what you’d expect from a tool of this maturity.

---

Who should use this / who shouldn’t

Use draw.io if:

• Your team creates technical diagrams — architecture, ERDs, network topology, flowcharts, UML — and you don’t need a whiteboard tool.
• You’re running Confluence and want the most security-vetted, highest-rated diagramming integration available.
• Privacy and data residency matter — you need to be certain diagram content doesn’t leave your infrastructure.
• You’re paying Lucidchart, Miro, or Visio per-seat fees for use cases that don’t require their collaboration features.
• You want Apache-2.0 licensing with no commercial use restrictions.
• Your team works asynchronously and doesn’t need live co-editing.

Skip it (choose Miro) if:

• Your team’s primary use is whiteboard-style workshops, brainstorming sessions, and sticky notes.
• Real-time co-editing and visual facilitation are more important than technical diagram precision.
• You need a richer comment and reaction system around diagrams.

Skip it (choose Lucidchart) if:

• Real-time collaborative editing is a hard requirement for your self-hosted instance.
• You need a more polished enterprise admin experience (SSO, centralized template management, org-wide settings) and don’t want to configure it yourself.

Skip it (choose Excalidraw) if:

• You want lightweight hand-drawn-style diagrams for informal documentation and your use case is simpler than structured flowcharts.

Skip it (stay on Visio) if:

• Your organization is already deeply invested in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and SharePoint-native file storage is a requirement.

---

Alternatives worth considering

From the GetApp comparison data and the broader category:

• Lucidchart — polished real-time collaboration, stronger team admin features, $9+/user/month, closed source [4].
• Miro — whiteboard-first with diagramming added, best for visual workshops, $10/user/month, closed source [4].
• Microsoft Visio — legacy enterprise choice, deep Microsoft integration, per-seat pricing, closed source [4].
• Excalidraw — open-source, hand-drawn aesthetic, real-time collab, better for quick informal diagrams than structured technical ones.
• EdrawMax — more diagram types including specialized formats, $9.92/user/month, proprietary [4].
• Creately — adds task and project management on top of diagramming, $8/month, proprietary [4].
• Cacoo — team collaboration focus, $6/month, proprietary [4].

For a non-technical founder escaping per-seat diagramming bills, the shortlist is draw.io vs Excalidraw. Use draw.io for structured technical and business diagrams; use Excalidraw for quick whiteboard sketches where visual precision matters less than speed.

---

Bottom line

draw.io solves a specific problem well: professional diagramming without per-seat pricing, without your data leaving your infrastructure, and without lock-in to proprietary file formats. The client-side architecture isn’t a marketing claim — it’s genuinely how the tool works, and it translates directly into a defensible security and privacy posture that no other diagramming tool at this price point can match. The Atlassian Cloud Fortified status [2] is the clearest third-party validation of this claim for enterprise teams.

The trade-offs are real. Self-hosted deployments don’t get real-time collaboration. The project doesn’t accept external contributions, so you’re trusting two companies to maintain something you may come to depend on. And if your team’s primary workflow involves live co-editing rather than async diagram work, draw.io’s online tool competes adequately but its self-hosted version falls short.

For a five-person technical team currently paying Lucidchart or Miro bills, switching to draw.io online costs nothing and takes an afternoon. For a team running Confluence, it’s the obvious default unless you have a specific reason to look elsewhere.

---

Sources

1. Laura Paraschiv, FOTC — “Draw.io online – a step-by-step guide for users” (January 10, 2023). https://fotc.com/blog/draw-io-online-guide/
2. draw.io blog — “draw.io is now an Atlassian Cloud Fortified app” (July 20, 2021). https://www.drawio.com/blog/drawio-atlassian-cloud-fortified
3. PredictiveAnalyticsToday — “Top 17 Free Drawing Software in 2025 – Reviews, Features, Pricing, Comparison”. https://www.predictiveanalyticstoday.com/top-free-drawing-software/
4. GetApp — “draw.io Alternatives, Competitors & Similar Software” (March 2026, 771 reviews, 4.6/5 rating). https://www.getapp.com/it-management-software/a/draw-io/alternatives/

Primary sources:

• GitHub repository and README: https://github.com/jgraph/drawio (Apache-2.0 license)
• Official website: https://www.diagrams.net
• Online editor: https://app.diagrams.net
• Desktop app: https://get.diagrams.net
• Docker image: https://github.com/jgraph/docker-drawio