diagrams.net

Diagrams.net
Original author(s)Gaudenz Alder
Developer(s)JGraph Ltd
Stable release
28.0.9[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 11 August 2025 (11 August 2025)
Repositoryhttps://github.com/jgraph/drawio
Written inHTML5, JavaScript
Engine
  • Electron
Operating systemCross-platform
Typegraph drawing
LicenseApache 2.0
Websitewww.drawio.com

diagrams.net (previously draw.io[2][3]) is a cross-platform graph drawing software application developed in HTML5 and JavaScript.[4] Its interface can be used to create diagrams such as flowcharts, wireframes, UML diagrams, organizational charts, and network diagrams.[5]

diagrams.net is available as an online web app, and as an offline desktop application for Linux, macOS, and Windows.[5] Its offline application is built using the Electron framework. The web app does not require online login or registration and can open from and save to the local hard drive.[5][6] Supported storage and export formats to download include PNG, JPEG, SVG, and PDF.[6]

It also integrates with cloud services for storage including Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, GitHub, and GitLab.com.[5][6][7]

It is also available as plugin to embed the web app in platforms such as Nextcloud, MediaWiki, Notion, Atlassian Confluence, and Jira.[8][9]

It has been described by tech reviewers such as TechRadar and PCMag as an alternative to Lucidchart, Microsoft Visio, and SmartDraw.[10][11][12][4][13][14]

History

JGraph Ltd

JGraph Ltd is a private limited company founded by Gaudenz Alder and David Benson in 2000 in the United Kingdom.[15][16]

JGraph
Final release
5.14.0 / 2010
Repositoryhttps://github.com/jgraph/legacy-jgraph5
Written inJava
Engine
  • Electron
Operating systemCross-platform

JGraph

JGraph started as a pure Java language software project by Gaudenz Alder and as a university project in 2000 at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. The initial public release of JGraph 1.0 was in May 2002.[17] The original design for JGraph was to make it an architectural extension of the Swing Java-toolkit and its JTree class.[18]

mxGraph
Final release
4.2.2 / October 28, 2020
Repositoryhttps://github.com/jgraph/mxgraph
Written inPHP, JavaScript, Java, C#
Engine
  • Electron
Operating systemCross-platform
Websitejgraph.github.io/mxgraph/

mxGraph

In 2005, development began on mxGraph, which is a graph drawing software library written in JavaScript using HTML5 and SVG technologies.[19] The project was publicly released in 2006, and supported Firefox 1.5 and Internet Explorer 5.5.[19][20]

mxGraph was originally made available as freeware through a hosted demo of the software for online use,[21][22] with publicly available source under a end-user license agreement for non-commercial use with the option to purchase a commercial license.[20]

In 2009, mxGraph was open sourced under the Apache License. JGraph also bundled official ports of mxGraph in other languages including Java, C#, and PHP.

In 2021, the mxGraph Github repository was archived by its owner and is now read-only.[23]

JGraphX
Final release
4.2.2 / October 28, 2020
Repositoryhttps://github.com/jgraph/jgraphx
Written inJava
Engine
  • Electron
Operating systemCross-platform
LicenseApache 2

JGraphX

After the final JGraph 5.x release in February 2010,[17] the project renamed its Java-language application to JGraphX, integrated the mxGraph library, and took on mxGraph's version numbering, starting with JGraphX 1.10.0.5 released in 2012.[24]

Diagramly

In 2011, the company started publishing its hosted service for the mxGraph web application under a separate brand, Diagramly with the domain "diagram.ly".[12]

draw.io

In 2012, after removing the remaining use of Java applets from its web app, the service rebranded as draw.io because the ".io suffix is a lot cooler than .ly", said co-founder David Benson in a 2012 interview.[25][26][19]

diagrams.net

In February 2020, the company announced on its blog that the hosted version of the web application would move from "draw.io" to the "diagrams.net" domain, citing a security incident with the .io top-level domain. The company also remarked that "the islands which should own the domain suffix, don’t, thanks to a wonderful piece of modern day British Imperialism."[2] The move was completed a month later.[27][3] The software library, file format, and integrated services remain branded as "drawio".

In August 2024, starting with version 24.7.8, the company briefly replaced the Apache 2.0 license with a modified Apache 2.0 license, to include a clause prohibiting the use of the software in Atlassian's Confluence and Jira products, to protect sales of their own Confluence integration.[28] The project reverted back to the Apache 2.0 license by December 2024 with version 25.0.2.[29]

In December 2024, the company replaced some source files in its GitHub repository to provide only a minified form, with Benson clarifying the project will generally not accept patches from non-maintainers.[30]

See also

References

  1. ^ jgraph. "Release v28.0.9 · jgraph/drawio". Retrieved August 12, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Open source diagramming is moving to diagrams.net, slowly". diagrams.net Blog. July 30, 2021. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Diagrams.net – An essential tool for techies". The Serpent. January 23, 2021. Archived from the original on March 6, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Gibson, Simon (April 28, 2011). "Diagramly: A Free Online Tool for Creating Diagrams and Charts". Gigaom. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Battersby, Jeffery (July 29, 2020). "How to download Draw.io Diagrams". Tom's Guide. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Ashwin (September 7, 2019). "Draw.io is a free Flowchart and diagram creation software". gHacks Tech News. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Create a learning resource with draw.io". University of St Andrews. July 13, 2020. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "diagrams.net Integrations". www.diagrams.net. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  9. ^ "Atlassian Marketplace". marketplace.atlassian.com. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  10. ^ Parker, Jacob (July 28, 2020). "draw.io review". TechRadar. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  11. ^ "Draw.io Review". PCMag. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Diagramly Is A Diagram, Mind Map And Flow Chart Creator". Lifehacker Australia. April 26, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  13. ^ "6 Visio Alternatives for Easy-to-Understand Diagrams". MUO. November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Amjad, Moin (March 3, 2011). "Diagramly: A Web App To Create XML, PNG, JPG & SVG Diagrams & Flowcharts". makeuseof.com. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "JGRAPH LTD. company information". GOV.UK Companies House. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  16. ^ "About JGraph". jgraph.com. May 5, 2006. Archived from the original on May 5, 2006. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  17. ^ a b Benson, David (February 17, 2010). "jgraph/legacy-jgraph5 5.14.0.0 ChangeLog". GitHub. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  18. ^ Gaudenz, Alder. "Design and Implementation of the JGraph Swing Component" (PDF). jgraph.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 14, 2010. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  19. ^ a b c "draw.io App Review: Interview with David Benson". YouTube. December 17, 2012. Archived from the original on December 30, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  20. ^ a b "mxGraph FAQ". mxgraph.com. November 9, 2006. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  21. ^ "mxGraph – Diagrams that just work". Archived from the original on November 9, 2006.
  22. ^ "GraphEditor demo: Powered by mxGraph 4.2.2". October 28, 2021. Archived from the original on May 10, 2013. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  23. ^ mxGraph, JGraph, August 23, 2023, retrieved August 24, 2023
  24. ^ Benson, David (May 22, 2012). "jgraph/jgraphx at 1.10.0.5". GitHub. Archived from the original on June 19, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  25. ^ "Web 2.0 mal praktisch (22) – Es war nie einfacher ein Diagramm oder einen Prozess ohne Visio oder Powerpoint zu zeichnen #BPMN". Geschäftsmann 2.0. December 31, 2012. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  26. ^ "jgraph/drawio 1.6.7 ChangeLog". GitHub. September 24, 2012. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  27. ^ "jgraph/drawio 12.8.5 ChangeLog". GitHub. March 14, 2020. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  28. ^ "License Change from standard Apache 2.0 license · jgraph drawio · Discussion #4623". GitHub. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  29. ^ "Update LICENSE · jgraph/drawio@5b2e734". GitHub. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  30. ^ "Update README.md · jgraph/drawio@e684c4d". GitHub. Retrieved June 23, 2025.
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