# draw.io

> Open-source, privacy-first diagramming application for teams and developers to create, embed, and collaborate on technical diagrams.

- Website: https://www.drawio.com/?ref=devshelf.io
- DevShelf page: https://devshelf.io/resource/draw-io
- Pricing: Free
- Tags: Open Source, Self-hosted, No sign-up
- Categories: [Prototyping & Wireframing](https://devshelf.io/category/prototyping-wireframing.md), [API Clients & Documentation](https://devshelf.io/category/api-clients-documentation.md)
- Last checked: 2026-11-02

## About

draw.io is an open-source diagramming application licensed under Apache 2.0. It provides real-time collaboration features, local data storage options for privacy, and complete backwards compatibility for diagrams dating back to 2005. Developers can easily embed interactive diagrams into documentation, wikis, or custom applications and export outputs in multiple formats including SVG, PNG, PDF, and editable XML. The tool requires no account or credit card to get started.

## Alternatives

- [Excalidraw](https://devshelf.io/resource/excalidraw.md): Virtual whiteboard tool that lets you sketch hand-drawn style diagrams stored locally in the browser. (pricing: not verified)
- [PlantUML](https://devshelf.io/resource/plantuml.md): Create UML and non-UML diagrams from plain text descriptions using a domain-specific language and layout engines like Graphviz. (pricing: Free)
- [tldraw](https://devshelf.io/resource/tldraw.md): Collaborative whiteboarding library and canvas application for web developers. (pricing: Free)

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