Draw.io software logo
Draw.io software logo

draw.io: Flexible Diagramming With Files You Control

draw.io is a diagramming editor that runs in a web browser or as a standalone desktop application, letting you build flowcharts, UML models, network topologies, org charts, and mind maps on an effectively unlimited canvas. You drag shapes from categorized libraries, link them with connectors that route themselves around obstacles, and annotate everything with plain text or mathematical notation. The working rhythm is straightforward: start from a template or a blank page, arrange elements using alignment guides, grids, containers, and layers, then save to storage you choose. Because every file is stored as structured XML, whether inside a .drawio document or embedded in a PNG, SVG, or HTML page, diagrams stay portable, editable, and easy to review alongside the projects they describe.

Outside the canvas, the editor connects to the services teams already use for documents, including Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, and the Atlassian suite, so a diagram can be opened straight from a repository, wiki page, or ticket instead of being exported and re-uploaded. Offline operation matters just as much: the desktop build runs without a network connection, which suits air-gapped environments and travel, while the browser version keeps collaboration light through shared links, live cursors, and revision history. Anyone who prefers a compact native GTK program for similar work often weighs it against Dia before settling on a tool. Custom shape libraries, a plugin interface, and a documented file format also make the editor extensible for teams that need repeatable visual standards.

Benefits of Using draw.io

The clearest benefit of draw.io is that serious diagramming does not require a subscription, a sign-up, or a vendor-held copy of your work. A deep shape catalogue covering flowcharts, BPMN, UML, entity relationships, cloud architecture icons, electrical symbols, floor plans, and mind maps is available the moment the editor opens. Because diagrams are stored in an open, text-based format, they can be committed to version control, inspected in a pull request, and reopened years later without depending on a single company’s continuity. Smart connectors, containers, layers, and alignment tools remove much of the manual tidying that makes diagram upkeep tedious, and one source file can be exported to PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF, or an embeddable HTML page with the underlying data preserved for future edits. Templates and shared libraries keep notation consistent across a team, which matters for documentation, onboarding material, and architecture reviews. Generous access, portability, and precise output together keep diagramming fast rather than a chore.

Draw.io Software Information

  • Developer: JGraph Limited
  • Current Version: 31.5.3
  • File Size: 14 MB
  • License: Open Source
  • Language: en-US
  • Downloads: 159K
  • Platform: Windows Desktop

System Requirements

  • Processor: 2-core CPU
  • RAM: 4 GB RAM
  • Storage: 2 GB available storage
  • Graphics / GPU: Not required

Visit the official Draw.io website

Draw.io Features

Infinite Canvas With Smart Connectors

The editor places no practical limit on canvas size, so large system maps, wide process flows, and sprawling org charts fit without splitting them across pages. Connectors attach to shapes rather than fixed points, rerouting automatically when a node moves, and waypoints let you steer lines around crowded areas. Orthogonal, curved, and straight styles plus manual arrow overrides keep layouts readable even after many revisions.

Extensive Shape Libraries

Hundreds of ready-made shapes are organized into libraries for general diagramming, flowcharts, UML, BPMN, entity relationships, network and cloud architecture, electrical circuits, mock user interfaces, and floor plans. Searching by name or browsing categories makes it quick to find an accurate symbol instead of drawing one by hand, and unfamiliar icons stay consistent with published notation standards.

Open, Portable File Format

Diagrams are stored as readable XML, either in .drawio documents or embedded inside exported PNG, SVG, HTML, and PDF files. That means a diagram can be committed to Git, compared between revisions, and reopened years later by any compatible tool. Embedding the source data in the exported image also lets recipients edit a diagram rather than merely view it.

Browser and Offline Desktop Editing

The same editor is available through a browser or as an installable desktop application, so you can switch between them without converting files. The desktop build runs entirely without an internet connection, which suits secure networks, regulated industries, and travel. Working offline removes any dependency on an account or an always-available connection while keeping the full editing feature set.

Storage and Repository Integrations

Rather than forcing files into one vendor’s cloud, the editor saves to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, and Atlassian apps such as Confluence and Jira, or simply to your local disk. Opening a diagram from a repository or wiki page keeps the latest version in the place teammates already look, avoiding duplicate copies scattered across email attachments.

Templates and Custom Shape Libraries

Starter templates cover common work such as flowcharts, UML sequence and class diagrams, network topologies, and project timelines, giving new documents a sensible structure immediately. Teams can build their own shape libraries, branded colour palettes, and scratchpad shortcuts, then share them so that everyone draws the same symbols, labels, and layout conventions without re-creating standards for each project.

Real-Time Collaboration and Revision History

Shared editing sessions show other participants’ cursors and selections, letting several people adjust one diagram at the same time. Revision history records earlier states so an accidental deletion or a mistaken rearrangement can be rolled back, and comment threads allow reviewers to raise questions directly against the relevant part of the drawing before it is finalised and published to a wider audience.

Export, Print, and Publishing Options

Finished work can be exported to PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF, or HTML, embedded through an iframe viewer, or converted to other diagram formats for exchange with colleagues. Vector output stays sharp at any scale, page settings and scaling controls prepare drawings for printing, and optional data embedded in an export keeps the diagram editable for whoever receives it next.

Draw.io Old Versions

Version 31.5.2   Updated: September 24, 2026   Download

Version 31.4.5   Updated: September 8, 2026   Download

Version 31.4.4   Updated: September 6, 2026   Download

Version 31.3.2   Updated: August 22, 2026   Download

Version 31.3.1   Updated: August 20, 2026   Download

Version 31.1.8   Updated: August 7, 2026   Download

Version 31.1.5   Updated: July 30, 2026   Download

Draw.io FAQs

Is draw.io free to use?

Yes. The editor is free and open source, and you can use it in a browser or install the desktop version without creating an account or entering payment details. Paid offerings exist only around optional enterprise administration and the Atlassian marketplace integrations, not the core diagramming tool.

Can I work on diagrams without an internet connection?

Yes. The desktop application is designed to run fully offline, so you can open, edit, and save diagrams on a machine with no network access. The browser editor can also keep working on a loaded diagram if connectivity drops, but the offline desktop build is the more dependable choice for isolated or restricted networks.

Where are my diagrams stored?

You decide. Diagrams can live on your local device or in a storage service you already use, such as Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, or an Atlassian app. Because there is no mandatory vendor cloud, the copy of the file remains under your control and can be moved or backed up like any other document.

Does draw.io support UML, BPMN, and network diagrams?

Yes. Dedicated shape libraries and templates cover UML class, sequence, and activity diagrams, BPMN process notation, entity relationship models, network and cloud architecture layouts, electrical circuits, and mind maps. The right symbols are available without installing anything extra, and custom libraries can extend the set for specialised notations.

Can draw.io open files created in other diagramming tools?

It imports Microsoft Visio files and several other exchange formats, though very complex drawings using specialist Visio features may not translate perfectly. Diagrams exported as PNG, SVG, or HTML can also be reopened for editing when the underlying source data was included in the export, which makes moving work between tools considerably easier.

Do I need an account to use draw.io?

No. You can open the editor and start drawing straight away, and the desktop application never asks you to sign in. Accounts only come into play when you choose to connect a cloud storage service, and even then the credentials belong to that service rather than to the diagramming tool itself.