draw.io vs nomnoml (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 2.8.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
draw.io grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
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
Pick nomnoml if
- Fits if you want a class or flow diagram out of a few lines of text
- Works for developers who embed diagrams through the library or command line
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a freehand canvas or sticky-note board
- Watch out: saving relies on browser localStorage, which the author says comes with no guarantees
- Not for you if you need accounts, sharing links or real-time editing, as the web app has none
- Too light for teams: no collaboration of any kind is listed
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAdraw.ioVery good | 2.8GPAnomnomlGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | AFree, open source and available as a library and a command line tool as well as the web app. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AFree outright, with no sign-up, cap or paid plan. |
| Features | 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. | CClass, component and flow diagrams from text, with styling. It does that fully, but it is a smaller job than a whiteboard, with no freehand canvas or sticky notes. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo store rating on record. You learn its text syntax first. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | CWeb only for most people, plus a library and command line. No integrations are listed. |
| Best for | free technical diagrams you store yourself | UML diagrams drawn from a text syntax |
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 nomnoml. How we grade
Price against what you get
draw.io has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. nomnoml has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
draw.io scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, none scores higher than draw.io for less, and none scores higher than nomnoml 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 self-hostable, according to its own site.
- draw.io also covers templates.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceDiagrams
At a glance
| draw.io | nomnoml | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | draw.io Ltd | Daniel Kallin |
| Price read from | drawio.com | nomnoml.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
nomnoml
- It draws diagrams from code only; there is no freehand canvas or sticky-note board.
- Saving relies on browser localStorage, which the author says comes with no guarantees.
- The web app has no accounts, sharing or real-time collaboration.
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.
nomnoml
- Text syntax with live preview
- Edit the code on the left and the diagram on the right updates as you type, with keyboard shortcuts borrowed from Sublime Text.
- Several UML shape families
- Built-in classifier types cover classes, abstract classes, packages, components, sockets, actors, use cases, states, choices, databases and tables.
- Styling directives
- Directives such as #direction, #fill, #font and #spacing change layout and appearance, and custom classifier styles can be defined and imported from other files.
- Library and command line
- The nomnoml npm package renders diagrams on a web page or to SVG in Node, and npx nomnoml converts a file from the command line.
- Browser-only storage
- The web app is client-side and keeps your diagram in the browser's localStorage, so it is there on your next visit, though the author gives no guarantee.
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.
nomnoml
Free$0
The whole editor, the npm library and the command-line renderer are free under the MIT license.
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.
nomnoml
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, draw.io or nomnoml?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both draw.io and nomnoml are free to use.
Which has a free plan, draw.io or nomnoml?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both draw.io and nomnoml have a free plan.
Which platforms do draw.io and nomnoml 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.