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Mermaid alternatives: 6 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Mermaid: little control over layout, and large diagrams become hard to read. We ranked 6 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Mermaid, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. PlantUML currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1PlantUML logoPlantUMLOpen sourceYesWeb, Windows, macOS +24 of 466.5
2D2 logoD2Open sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux +15 of 562.6
3GrGraphvizOpen sourceYesWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 459.6
4draw.io logodraw.ioFreeYesWeb, Windows, macOS +35 of 553.6
  1. PlantUML logo

    1. PlantUMLTop pick

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

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

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mermaid

    Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options.

    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 Compare with MermaidDetails 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 PlantUML a good Mermaid 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)
  2. D2 logo

    2. D2

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

    Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mermaid

    Newer diagram language with better-looking layouts and more styling control.

    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 ×0.387
    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 D2 a good Mermaid 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)
  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 Mermaid

    The classic graph layout engine for large node-and-edge 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 Mermaid 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. draw.io logo

    4. draw.io

    Best for: Anyone who wants capable diagramming for free without handing their files to a vendor

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Browser extension

    53.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Mermaid

    When you'd rather draw by hand, with a free editor that also imports Mermaid.

    Pros

    • Completely free with no paywalled features
    • Files stay in your own storage or on disk
    • Offline desktop app for all three desktop OSes
    • Huge shape libraries including cloud and network icons

    Cons

    • Interface feels dated next to newer tools
    • Collaboration features depend on the storage you pick
    • Fewer AI and data-linking features than paid rivals
    Visit draw.io Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    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 draw.io a good Mermaid alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    Free, no sign-up required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    100M+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Founded
    2005
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SSO paywall
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Mermaid alternative for…

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

PlantUML logo

Best Mermaid alternative for most people

PlantUML

Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options.

D2 logo

Best Mermaid alternative for a free option

D2

Newer diagram language with better-looking layouts and more styling control.

Eraser logo

Best Mermaid alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Eraser

Diagrams as code with a visual editor, AI and team features on top.

Gr

Best Mermaid alternative for open source

Graphviz

The classic graph layout engine for large node-and-edge graphs.

Structurizr logo

Best Mermaid alternative for self-hosting

Structurizr

Models software architecture once in a DSL and generates many C4 views.

draw.io logo

Best Mermaid alternative for Mac

draw.io

When you'd rather draw by hand, with a free editor that also imports Mermaid.

PlantUML logo

Best Mermaid alternative for Windows

PlantUML

Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options.

PlantUML logo

Best Mermaid alternative for Linux

PlantUML

Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options.

PlantUML logo

Best Mermaid alternative for working in the browser

PlantUML

Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options.

Mermaid alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Mermaid?

PlantUML ranks first right now. Older text-to-diagram tool with deeper UML coverage and finer layout options. D2 and Graphviz follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Mermaid?

Yes. PlantUML (open source), D2 (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 Mermaid?

Yes: PlantUML, D2, Graphviz and Structurizr, plus 1 more in the list above. PlantUML, Structurizr and draw.io can also be self-hosted.

Which Mermaid alternatives work on Linux?

PlantUML, D2, Graphviz and draw.io run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Mermaid?

The complaints we hear most: little control over layout; large diagrams become hard to read; styling options are limited.

How is this list ranked?

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