A detailed comparison of Gliffy and PlantUML to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Diagramming tool integrated with Confluence and Jira for technical teams
Open-source tool for creating UML diagrams from plain text
| Plan | Gliffy | PlantUML |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Limited features | ✓ Completely free |
| Lowest Paid | $8/user/mo | Free |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing | Free (self-hosted option) |
| Feature | Gliffy | PlantUML |
|---|---|---|
| Confluence integration | ✓ | — |
| Jira integration | ✓ | — |
| Flowcharts | ✓ | — |
| UML diagrams | ✓ | ✓ |
| Network diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Wireframes | ✓ | — |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ | — |
| Version history | ✓ | — |
| Templates | ✓ | — |
| Export options | ✓ | — |
| Text-to-diagram | — | ✓ |
| Sequence diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Class diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Use case diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Activity diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Component diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Open source | — | ✓ |
| Self-hostable | — | ✓ |
| IDE integrations | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.1 | ⭐ 4.5 |
Choose Gliffy if: You need teams using atlassian products who need integrated diagramming. Gliffy excels with its excellent atlassian integration and good for technical diagrams.
Choose PlantUML if: You need developers who prefer text-based diagramming and need uml diagrams. PlantUML stands out with its completely free and text-based (version control friendly).
Best free option: Both Gliffy and PlantUML offer free tiers. Gliffy offers "Limited features" while PlantUML offers "Completely free".
It depends on your needs. Gliffy is better for teams using atlassian products who need integrated diagramming, while PlantUML is better for developers who prefer text-based diagramming and need uml diagrams. Both are excellent tools rated 4.1 and 4.5 respectively.
Gliffy starts at $8/user/mo while PlantUML starts at Free. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying PlantUML's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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