draw.io vs Eraser
We give draw.io a 3.6 GPA and Eraser a 3.0, out of 4.0. draw.io grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Eraser
AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams
How we grade them
| 3.6GPAdraw.ioExcellent | 3.0GPAEraserVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AIt's free. The online editor, the desktop apps and self-hosting all cost nothing, and the editor has no paid tier. The only things sold are the separate apps for Confluence and Jira on the Atlassian Marketplace. | CStarter is $15 a member a month billed annually, or $20 monthly, where paid plans in this category typically start around $8.33. It comes with 40 AI credits a month, and more cost $60 per 100. API calls are billed on top, and SAML SSO needs Business at $45. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole editor is free with no account and no sign-up. That goes for the browser version, the desktop apps on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a copy you host yourself in a container. | BFree forever, with diagram-as-code, Markdown notes, unlimited guests and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. But it stops at 3 files and 3 AI diagrams, keeps 7 days of version history and has no private files. |
| Features | AShape libraries for flowcharts, UML, ER models, network, rack and circuit diagrams, org charts and floor plans. It builds diagrams from Mermaid code, CSV or SQL, and an AI tool drafts one from a description. Exports to SVG, PNG or PDF. For diagramming, that's the whole job with depth. | ADiagrams by hand, as code or from AI, covering architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN. It can draw from a connected Git repo, and Eraserbot comments on pull requests with updated diagrams. People edit together live. For engineering diagrams, that's the whole job with depth. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record. There's no sign-up, which helps. But you have to decide where your files live, and live co-editing only works if that's Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, or inside Confluence. | BNo App Store rating on record, since it only runs in a browser. Typing a prompt to get a first diagram is a gentle start. Diagram-as-code does have its own text syntax to pick up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BBrowser, Windows, macOS and Linux, and it plugs into Confluence, Jira, Google Drive, OneDrive, GitHub and Notion. No native phone apps are listed, though. The docs suggest adding the web editor to your home screen. | BWeb only, with no desktop or mobile app listed. It connects well, though: GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code, a REST API, and an MCP server so Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can make and update diagrams. |
| Best for | free technical diagrams you store yourself | architecture diagrams written as code or by AI |
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: draw.io and Eraser. How we grade
Where they differ
- draw.io is free. Eraser starts at $15 per member / month, billed annually.
- Only draw.io lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- draw.io is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- draw.io also covers templates.
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
At a glance
| draw.io | Eraser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $15 per member / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | 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. | 3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code, Markdown notes and the GitHub, Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. No private files. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | draw.io Ltd | Eraser Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | drawio.com | eraser.io |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
draw.io
- UML, ERD, network and flowchart diagrams at no cost
- Teams whose data rules require files to stay in their own storage
- Diagramming offline on Windows, macOS or Linux
- Documentation kept in Confluence, Google Drive or GitHub
Eraser
- Engineering teams documenting system architecture
- Developers who prefer to write diagrams as code
- Keeping diagrams in step with a Git repository
- Embedding live-updating diagrams in Notion or Confluence
Worth knowing
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.
Eraser
- The Free plan stops at 3 files and 3 AI diagrams, keeps 7 days of version history and has no private files.
- AI use beyond a plan's monthly credits costs $60 per 100 credits, and only on paid plans with usage-based pricing switched on.
- API calls are billed by usage on top of a paid plan: $80 per 100 prompt-to-diagram calls and $20 per 100 code-to-diagram calls.
- The vendor's site lists no desktop or mobile app; Eraser runs in a browser, and SAML SSO needs the Business plan.
Key features
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.
Eraser
- AI diagram generation
- A prompt, an image or a file such as Terraform or a database schema is turned into an editable diagram, which can then be refined through AI chat or by hand in the visual editor.
- Diagram-as-code
- Architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN diagrams each have a text syntax, so a diagram can be read, compared and edited as code. It is included on every plan.
- Canvas with Markdown notes
- A file holds one infinite canvas and a note editor with Markdown support. Figures from the canvas can be embedded in the document, and files export to PDF, PNG, SVG or Markdown.
- Codebase diagrams and Eraserbot
- Diagrams can be generated from a connected Git repository. Eraserbot watches chosen files and comments on pull requests with updated diagrams when they change.
- REST API and MCP server
- The API renders a diagram from a prompt or from Eraser's diagram code. The MCP server lets Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT create, search, update and export diagrams.
- Real-time collaboration and guests
- Members edit together in real time and leave comments and mentions. Guests are free on every plan and can edit or comment only on files they are invited to.
Plans
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.
Eraser
Free$0
3 files, 3 AI diagrams and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code and Markdown notes.
Starter$15
per member / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Unlimited files, 40 AI credits a month, 90-day version history, private files, 20 custom icons and usage-based API calls.
Business$45
per member / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Everything in Starter, plus 250 AI credits a month, unlimited version history, SAML SSO, 100 custom icons and reference diagrams.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited AI diagrams, flexible deployment including single-tenant and self-hosted, usage reporting, a customer success manager and payment by ACH or wire.
Ways to pay less
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.
Eraser
- Annual discount
25% less with annual billing
Starter is $15 per member a month billed annually against $20 billed monthly, and Business is $45 against $60, which works out 25% cheaper on both plans.
- Education
Education discount on request
Eraser's docs say discounts are available to education users, who request one by filling out a form. The size of the discount is not published.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit discount on request
Non-profit users can request a discount through the same form linked from the pricing page FAQ and the docs. The size of the discount is not published.
