A detailed comparison of PlantUML and draw.io to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Open-source tool for creating UML diagrams from plain text
Free, open-source diagramming tool for flowcharts, network diagrams, and more
| Plan | PlantUML | draw.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Completely free | ✓ Completely free |
| Lowest Paid | Free | Free |
| Enterprise | Free (self-hosted option) | Free (self-hosted option) |
| Feature | PlantUML | draw.io |
|---|---|---|
| Text-to-diagram | ✓ | — |
| UML diagrams | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sequence diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Class diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Use case diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Activity diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Component diagrams | ✓ | — |
| Open source | ✓ | — |
| Self-hostable | ✓ | — |
| IDE integrations | ✓ | — |
| Flowcharts | — | ✓ |
| Network diagrams | — | ✓ |
| Entity relationship | — | ✓ |
| Wireframes | — | ✓ |
| Offline mode | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Google Drive integration | — | ✓ |
| GitHub integration | — | ✓ |
| Confluence integration | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.5 | ⭐ 4.3 |
Choose PlantUML if: You need developers who prefer text-based diagramming and need uml diagrams. PlantUML excels with its completely free and text-based (version control friendly).
Choose draw.io if: You need users wanting a free, powerful diagramming tool with self-hosting options. draw.io stands out with its completely free and open source.
Best free option: Both PlantUML and draw.io offer free tiers. PlantUML offers "Completely free" while draw.io offers "Completely free".
It depends on your needs. PlantUML is better for developers who prefer text-based diagramming and need uml diagrams, while draw.io is better for users wanting a free, powerful diagramming tool with self-hosting options. Both are excellent tools rated 4.5 and 4.3 respectively.
PlantUML starts at Free while draw.io starts at Free. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying draw.io's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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