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D2 alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave D2: not rendered natively on GitHub, and smaller ecosystem than Mermaid or PlantUML. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces D2, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Mermaid currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Mermaid logoMermaidOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 466.5
2PlantUML logoPlantUMLOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +24 of 462.6
3GrGraphvizOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 459.6
4Eraser logoEraserFree plan + paidNoWeb4 of 457.2
5Structurizr logoStructurizrOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 455.3
  1. Mermaid logo

    1. MermaidTop pick

    Best for: Developers who want diagrams as text that render in GitHub, docs and wikis

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from D2

    Renders natively on GitHub and GitLab, with a larger ecosystem of integrations.

    Pros

    • Diagrams are plain text you can version and review
    • Rendered natively by GitHub, GitLab and many doc tools
    • Free and MIT licensed
    • Covers many diagram types

    Cons

    • Little control over layout
    • Large diagrams become hard to read
    • Styling options are limited
    Visit Mermaid Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mermaid a good D2 alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Syntax
    Markdown-inspired text definitions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Online editor
    Mermaid Live Editor
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Award
    2019 JavaScript Open Source Award
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. PlantUML logo

    2. PlantUML

    Best for: Engineers documenting software with UML diagrams kept as text in the repo

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from D2

    Broader UML coverage for formal software documentation.

    Pros

    • Very broad UML coverage
    • Plugins for most IDEs and documentation tools
    • Can be self-hosted as a rendering server
    • Free and open source

    Cons

    • Default visual style looks dated
    • Local use needs Java installed
    • Syntax has many inconsistencies between diagram types
    Visit PlantUML Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is PlantUML a good D2 alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plantuml.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    LGPL-3.0 (repo); GPL and other builds offered
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Licensing options
    Several licences, GPL build is most complete
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plantuml.com(opens source in a new tab)
    In-browser rendering
    JavaScript rendering engine
    Checked Oct 25, 2026plantuml.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Gr

    3. Graphviz

    Best for: Developers generating diagrams of large graphs from code or data

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from D2

    The long-standing layout engine for very large or generated graphs.

    Pros

    • Excellent automatic layout for large graphs
    • Many output formats and language bindings
    • Free and widely embedded in other tools

    Cons

    • No visual editor
    • Styling is fiddly
    • Output looks plain without effort
    Visit Graphviz Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Graphviz a good D2 alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026graphviz.org(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Eclipse Public License
    Checked Oct 25, 2026graphviz.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Input
    Simple text graph language (DOT)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026graphviz.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, Windows, Mac and other Unix
    Checked Oct 25, 2026graphviz.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Eraser logo

    4. Eraser

    Best for: Engineering teams writing design docs and architecture diagrams together

    Free plan + paidWeb

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from D2

    A hosted diagrams-as-code editor with AI and team features.

    Pros

    • Diagram-as-code syntax with good-looking cloud icons
    • Docs and diagrams in the same file
    • AI generation from prompts, code and repos
    • Integrations with GitHub, VS Code, Notion and Confluence

    Cons

    • Free plan limited to three files
    • Expensive per member compared with general tools
    • Narrow focus on software engineering diagrams
    Visit Eraser Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Eraser a good D2 alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Free plan
    3 files, 3 AI credits
    Checked Oct 25, 2026eraser.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Business price
    $45 per member/month annually, $60 monthly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026eraser.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Integrations
    Confluence, Notion, VS Code, GitHub
    Checked Oct 25, 2026eraser.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Codebase diagrams
    Eraserbot keeps them updated
    Checked Oct 25, 2026eraser.io(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Structurizr logo

    5. Structurizr

    Best for: Software architects documenting systems with the C4 model as code

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from D2

    Model-based approach for keeping many architecture diagrams consistent.

    Pros

    • One model generates many consistent diagrams
    • Reference implementation of the C4 model
    • Text DSL works well in version control
    • Self-hostable

    Cons

    • Only for software architecture diagrams
    • DSL has a learning curve
    • Server edition binaries need a paid licence
    Visit Structurizr Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Structurizr a good D2 alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Approach
    Models as code for the C4 model
    Checked Oct 25, 2026structurizr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026structurizr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing
    Free except prebuilt server binaries
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.structurizr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Creator
    Author of the C4 model
    Checked Oct 25, 2026structurizr.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best D2 alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Mermaid logo

Best D2 alternative for most people

Mermaid

Renders natively on GitHub and GitLab, with a larger ecosystem of integrations.

PlantUML logo

Best D2 alternative for a free option

PlantUML

Broader UML coverage for formal software documentation.

Eraser logo

Best D2 alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Eraser

A hosted diagrams-as-code editor with AI and team features.

Gr

Best D2 alternative for open source

Graphviz

The long-standing layout engine for very large or generated graphs.

Structurizr logo

Best D2 alternative for self-hosting

Structurizr

Model-based approach for keeping many architecture diagrams consistent.

PlantUML logo

Best D2 alternative for Mac

PlantUML

Broader UML coverage for formal software documentation.

PlantUML logo

Best D2 alternative for Windows

PlantUML

Broader UML coverage for formal software documentation.

PlantUML logo

Best D2 alternative for Linux

PlantUML

Broader UML coverage for formal software documentation.

Mermaid logo

Best D2 alternative for working in the browser

Mermaid

Renders natively on GitHub and GitLab, with a larger ecosystem of integrations.

D2 alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to D2?

Mermaid ranks first right now. Renders natively on GitHub and GitLab, with a larger ecosystem of integrations. PlantUML and Graphviz follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to D2?

Yes. Mermaid (open source), PlantUML (open source), Graphviz (open source) and Eraser (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to D2?

Yes: Mermaid, PlantUML, Graphviz and Structurizr. Mermaid, PlantUML and Structurizr can also be self-hosted.

Which D2 alternatives work on Linux?

PlantUML and Graphviz run on Linux.

Why do people switch from D2?

The complaints we hear most: not rendered natively on GitHub; smaller ecosystem than Mermaid or PlantUML; still needs a CLI or plugin to render.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces D2, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.