draw.io vs Mermaid: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for draw.io and Mermaid side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below, draw.io leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
draw.io
Free, open-source diagramming for any use case
Best for you if:
- • You want completely free
Mermaid
Create diagrams and charts from text in a simple, intuitive, and highly customizable way.
Best for you if:
- • You want diagrams as code
| At a Glance | draw.io | Mermaid |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $1.70/user/mo, billed monthly Confluence/Jira Cloud plan | Free plan, paid from $8/mo, billed monthly Plus plan |
Category | Diagramming Productivity | Diagramming Developer Tools |
Rating | 4.4/5 G2 4.4 452 reviews | 4.7/5 G2 4.7 11 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Confluence/Jira Cloud pricing is per user, scales with team size. | n/a |
Choose draw.io or Mermaid?
Choose draw.io if
- You want completely free
- You want no account required
- Budget matters ($1.70/user/mo, billed monthly vs $8/mo, billed monthly)
Choose Mermaid if
- You want diagrams as code
- You want GitHub native support
In-Depth Analysis
draw.io
Free, open-source diagramming for any use case
draw.io offers an incredibly generous free tier, making it an excellent value for individual users and small teams.
Watch out
Confluence/Jira Cloud pricing is per user, scales with team size.
Strengths
- Pro: Completely free
- Pro: No account required
- Pro: Works offline
Weaknesses
- Con: Less polished UX
- Con: Limited collaboration
Key features
Mermaid
Create diagrams and charts from text in a simple, intuitive, and highly customizable way.
Mermaid offers a very generous free tier with its open-source option and a functional 'Basic' tier for free.
Strengths
- Pro: Diagrams as code
- Pro: GitHub native support
- Pro: Free and open source
- Pro: Many diagram types
- Pro: Easy syntax
Weaknesses
- Con: Limited styling
- Con: Complex diagrams hard
- Con: Rendering varies
- Con: Documentation gaps
- Con: Less flexible than draw tools
Key features
Plans and prices: draw.io vs Mermaid
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| draw.io |
| diagrams.net read Oct 8, 2026 |
| Mermaid |
| mermaid.js.org read Sep 27, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on draw.io pricing and Mermaid pricing.
Key Takeaways
draw.io
- Lower entry price: $1.70/user/mo, billed monthly vs $8/mo, billed monthly
Mermaid
- Choose if you want create diagrams and charts from text in a simple, intuitive, and highly customizable way
What the data shows
On the data below, draw.io leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair.
- User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 452 reviews for draw.io, 4.7/5 from 11 reviews for Mermaid; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides).
- draw.io has the lower entry price: $1.70/user/mo, billed monthly (Confluence/Jira Cloud) against $8/mo, billed monthly (Plus) for Mermaid.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do draw.io and Mermaid compare in 2026?
On the data below, draw.io leads on lower entry price. We do not name an overall winner for this pair. User ratings rest on too few reviews to rank (4.4/5 from 452 reviews for draw.io, 4.7/5 from 11 reviews for Mermaid; we compare ratings only above 20 reviews on both sides). draw.io has the lower entry price: $1.70/user/mo, billed monthly (Confluence/Jira Cloud) against $8/mo, billed monthly (Plus) for Mermaid. Both have a free plan.
What are draw.io and Mermaid used for?
draw.io: Free, open-source diagramming for any use case. Mermaid: Create diagrams and charts from text in a simple, intuitive, and highly customizable way.
What does draw.io cost vs Mermaid?
draw.io's cheapest paid plan is Confluence/Jira Cloud at $1.70/user/mo, billed monthly. Mermaid's cheapest paid plan is Plus at $8/mo, billed monthly. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 8, 2026.
What's the main difference between draw.io and Mermaid?
draw.io's main strength: completely free. Mermaid's main strength: diagrams as code.