diagrams.net
The obvious answer because it is the right one: broad diagramming, local ownership, imports, templates, and real-time collaboration through Google Drive or OneDrive.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- desktopwebself-hostedthey host it
- Installation
- Open the web app, or install the native desktop package
- Where Your Data Lives
- Diagrams are local .drawio XML files or files saved to a user-selected provider such as Google Drive or OneDrive; the desktop app keeps diagram content on the machine and can export common image/document formats
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It matches the drawing depth but has a weaker integrated team workspace for comments, review, versioning, administration, and cross-document organization than Lucidchart.
Replaces 1 paid app
up to $9/mo ($108/yr) in subscriptions
diagrams.net FAQ
Common questions
Is diagrams.net free and open source?+
diagrams.net is an open-source tool licensed under Apache-2.0 that runs on local or hosted. The obvious answer because it is the right one: broad diagramming, local ownership, imports, templates, and real-time collaboration through Google Drive or OneDrive.
What paid software does diagrams.net replace?+
diagrams.net serves as a free replacement for 1 paid SaaS application: Lucidchart, saving up to $9/month ($108/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up diagrams.net?+
Installation: Open the web app, or install the native desktop package.
What is the catch or trade-off with diagrams.net?+
It matches the drawing depth but has a weaker integrated team workspace for comments, review, versioning, administration, and cross-document organization than Lucidchart.