Cloudcraft vs draw.io (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick draw.io: it is third in our ranking of whiteboard and mind map tools, and it grades higher too, 3.2 against 1.8.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
draw.io grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Cloudcraft if
- Fits if you already pay for Datadog and want live architecture maps
- Works for cloud engineers who need diagrams that follow infrastructure changes
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use Datadog, as there's no separate plan
- Not for you if you want a freeform whiteboard, because it only maps existing infrastructure
- Watch out: logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays need the matching Datadog subscription
- Watch out: the diagrams depend on cloud accounts being connected through Datadog first
Pick draw.io if
- Fits if you want UML, ER or network diagrams without paying or signing up
- Makes sense if your data rules say files must stay in your own storage
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one hosted workspace for the team, as every diagram is just a file in your storage
- Watch out: live co-editing only works with files in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or inside Confluence
- Not for you if you diagram on a phone, since no native mobile apps are listed
- Watch out: the Confluence and Jira apps are licensed separately through the Atlassian Marketplace, unlike the free editor
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACloudcraftWeak | 3.2GPAdraw.ioVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe price is $0 on top of a Datadog subscription, but there's no separate plan, so you pay for Datadog to get it. | AFree, in a category where the middle plan is $8.33 a month. The online editor, the desktop apps and a self-hosted container all cost nothing, and the editor has no paid tier at all. The only things sold are the separate Confluence and Jira apps. |
| Free plan and trial | FNothing free on its own: no standalone free plan or trial is on record, only inclusion with Datadog. | AThe whole editor is free with no account and no sign-up, so there's no cap to reach and nothing held back for payers. That covers the browser version, the desktop apps on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a copy you host yourself. |
| Features | CAutomatic multi-cloud diagrams, overlays and export. But it only maps existing infrastructure, and the cost, security, logs and APM overlays need the matching Datadog product. | BIt covers the drawing job: shape libraries for flowcharts, UML, ER models, network, rack and circuit diagrams, org charts and floor plans, diagrams built from Mermaid, CSV or SQL, AI drafting and SVG, PNG or PDF export. Live co-editing is conditional, though, needing Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox or Confluence. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You connect cloud accounts through Datadog's integrations first. | CNo rating on record. There's no sign-up, but you pick where files live before you share anything, and the shape libraries for UML, BPMN and network kit take time to learn rather than being obvious on day one. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, but it covers AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud and VMware vSphere, and connects to Datadog and Claude Code. | BBrowser plus Windows, macOS and Linux desktop apps, and it plugs into Confluence, Jira, Google Drive, Google Docs, OneDrive, SharePoint, GitHub and Notion. No native phone apps are listed: the docs suggest adding the web editor to your home screen. |
| Best for | live cloud architecture diagrams for Datadog customers | free technical diagrams you store yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Cloudcraft and draw.io. How we grade
Price against what you get
Cloudcraft has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. draw.io has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
draw.io scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than Cloudcraft for less, and none scores higher than draw.io for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- draw.io is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- draw.io also covers templates.
In commonFree planWebAI featuresReal-time collaborationDiagrams
At a glance
| Cloudcraft | draw.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | None | The online editor, the desktop apps and self-hosted deployment are free with no account and no paid tier. The apps for Confluence and Jira are licensed separately through the Atlassian Marketplace. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Datadog, Inc. | draw.io Ltd |
| Price read from | cloudcraft.co | drawio.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Cloudcraft
- Cloudcraft is described as included with Datadog; the pricing page lists no separate paid plan.
- Logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays appear only when the matching Datadog subscription is in use.
- It maps existing infrastructure rather than serving as a freeform whiteboard.
draw.io
- There is no hosted workspace or account: every diagram is a file kept in the storage you pick, so sharing depends on that storage.
- Real-time co-editing needs the file to be in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or the diagram to be in draw.io for Confluence.
- No native mobile apps are listed; the docs suggest adding the web editor to a phone's home screen instead.
- Using draw.io inside Confluence or Jira needs the vendor's Atlassian Marketplace apps, which are licensed separately from the free editor.
Key features
Cloudcraft
- Automatic diagrams
- Maps are built and kept current from the read-only cloud integrations already connected to Datadog, with no agent needed for cloud accounts.
- Multi-cloud coverage
- AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud accounts, plus on-prem environments such as VMware vSphere, can sit on one diagram.
- Overlays
- Infrastructure, monitors and observability coverage are included; logs, cost, security, APM and GPU overlays follow the Datadog products you use.
- Export and embed
- Export diagrams to SVG and PDF, or embed live diagrams in Datadog dashboards.
- AI and MCP access
- Ask Bits AI questions beside a diagram, or connect agents such as Claude Code and Codex through the Datadog MCP Server.
draw.io
- Shape libraries for technical diagrams
- Libraries and templates cover process flows, org charts, floor plans, network infrastructure, UML, entity relationship models, circuit and rack diagrams, and infographics.
- Storage you choose
- Diagrams are saved to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub, GitLab, the browser or the local device. The online editor does not store diagram data on the vendor's servers.
- Offline desktop app and self-hosting
- A stand-alone desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux works with no internet connection, and the editor can be deployed in a self-hosted Docker container.
- Co-editing with shared cursors
- People editing the same diagram see each other's changes in real time when the file is stored in Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or in draw.io for Confluence.
- Diagrams generated from text
- The editor builds diagrams from Mermaid code, CSV spreadsheet data or SQL code, and an AI tool can generate a diagram from a written description.
- Import, export and embedding
- Files from other diagramming tools can be dropped in and edited, and diagrams export to SVG, PNG or PDF or embed as interactive viewers in docs, wikis and web pages.
Plans
Cloudcraft
Included with Datadog$0
Free with any Datadog subscription, including the free tier and trial; unlimited teammates and diagrams.
draw.io
Free$0
The full editor online at app.diagrams.net, as a desktop app for Windows, macOS and Linux, or self-hosted in a container. No sign-up is needed.
Ways to pay less
Cloudcraft
No public discounts listed.
draw.io
- Nonprofit
Free Confluence and Jira Cloud license for charities
draw.io's licensing docs say charitable organizations and partners are eligible for a free license for its Confluence or Jira Cloud apps.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cloudcraft or draw.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudcraft and draw.io are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Cloudcraft or draw.io?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Cloudcraft and draw.io have a free plan.
Which platforms do Cloudcraft and draw.io run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only draw.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.