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Graphviz alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Graphviz: no visual editor, and styling is fiddly. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Graphviz, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. D2 currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1D2 logoD2Open sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +15 of 566.5
2yEd Graph Editor logoyEd Graph EditorFreeNoWindows, macOS, Linux +14 of 459.6
3PlantUML logoPlantUMLOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +24 of 457.2
  1. D2 logo

    1. D2Top pick

    Best for: Developers who want diagrams as code with more layout and styling control than Mermaid

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Graphviz

    A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines.

    Pros

    • Clean default output with themes and custom fonts
    • Multiple layout engines to choose from
    • Offline CLI with live-reload watch mode
    • Modular diagrams through imports

    Cons

    • Not rendered natively on GitHub
    • Smaller ecosystem than Mermaid or PlantUML
    • Still needs a CLI or plugin to render
    Visit D2 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 D2 a good Graphviz alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS, Linux, Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026d2lang.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Project
    Independent, fiscally sponsored by Hack Club
    Checked Oct 25, 2026d2lang.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CLI
    Local CLI with watch mode
    Checked Oct 25, 2026d2lang.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Custom fonts
    Your own .ttf files
    Checked Oct 25, 2026d2lang.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. yEd Graph Editor logo

    2. yEd Graph Editor

    Best for: People who need to lay out large graphs or network diagrams automatically

    FreeWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Graphviz

    A free GUI editor with strong automatic layouts if you'd rather click than code.

    Pros

    • Excellent automatic layout algorithms
    • Builds diagrams from Excel or XML data
    • Free on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Browser version available

    Cons

    • Dated Java interface
    • No real-time collaboration
    • Closed source despite being free
    Visit yEd Graph Editor 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 yEd Graph Editor a good Graphviz alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Unix/Linux, macOS
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data import
    Excel (.xls) or XML
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Browser version
    yEd Live
    Checked Oct 25, 2026yworks.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. PlantUML logo

    3. PlantUML

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

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

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Graphviz

    Builds on Graphviz for many UML diagram types.

    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 ×0.369
    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 PlantUML a good Graphviz 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)

The best Graphviz alternative for…

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

D2 logo

Best Graphviz alternative for most people

D2

A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines.

Mermaid logo

Best Graphviz alternative for a free option

Mermaid

Simpler syntax with native rendering in GitHub and many docs tools.

PlantUML logo

Best Graphviz alternative for open source

PlantUML

Builds on Graphviz for many UML diagram types.

Mermaid logo

Best Graphviz alternative for self-hosting

Mermaid

Simpler syntax with native rendering in GitHub and many docs tools.

yEd Graph Editor logo

Best Graphviz alternative for Mac

yEd Graph Editor

A free GUI editor with strong automatic layouts if you'd rather click than code.

D2 logo

Best Graphviz alternative for Windows

D2

A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines.

D2 logo

Best Graphviz alternative for Linux

D2

A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines.

D2 logo

Best Graphviz alternative for working in the browser

D2

A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines.

Graphviz alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Graphviz?

D2 ranks first right now. A modern diagram language with nicer defaults that can use several layout engines. Mermaid and yEd Graph Editor follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Graphviz?

Yes. D2 (open source), Mermaid (open source), yEd Graph Editor (free) and PlantUML (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Graphviz?

Yes: D2, Mermaid and PlantUML. Mermaid and PlantUML can also be self-hosted.

Which Graphviz alternatives work on Linux?

D2, yEd Graph Editor and PlantUML run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Graphviz?

The complaints we hear most: no visual editor; styling is fiddly; output looks plain without effort.

How is this list ranked?

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