draw.io vs yEd (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 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 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 yEd if
- Fits if you lay out large graphs or networks
- Works for people who want a free desktop diagram editor
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want people editing the same diagram live
- Skip it if you want phone or tablet apps, as none are listed
- Watch out: you must accept a license agreement before the installer is offered
- Watch out: the paid side of its maker is the yFiles SDK, so don't expect support from a plan
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAdraw.ioVery good | 2.8GPAyEdGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 to download, against $5 to $10 a month for most whiteboards. |
| 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. | AThe whole editor is free on Windows, macOS and Linux, and there's a browser version, yEd Live. |
| 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. | CAutomatic layout, Excel and XML import and several export formats. The product page describes no live multi-user editing. |
| 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, and you work out the layout tools and data import yourself. |
| 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. | CDesktop on three operating systems plus yEd Live in a browser. The only integration listed is Excel. |
| Best for | free technical diagrams you store yourself | a free desktop graph editor |
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 yEd. 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. yEd 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 yEd 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 planWebmacOSWindowsLinuxWorks offlineDiagrams
At a glance
| draw.io | yEd | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | yEd is freely available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and a browser version, yEd Live, is offered. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | draw.io Ltd | yWorks |
| Price read from | drawio.com | yworks.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
yEd
- It is a desktop editor first; the product page describes no live multi-user editing.
- The download requires accepting a license agreement before the installer is offered.
- yWorks's paid business is its yFiles SDK, and its Confluence editor Graphity is sold separately in the Atlassian Marketplace.
- The latest release shown is 3.25.1.
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.
yEd
- Automatic layout
- Layout algorithms arrange the elements of even large diagrams at the press of a button.
- Data import
- Diagrams can be built by hand or from imported Excel (.xls) or XML data.
- Export formats
- Diagrams export as PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF and SWF.
- Diagram types
- The product page shows BPMN diagrams, semantic networks, family trees, flowcharts and social networks as examples.
- yEd Live in the browser
- The download page links to yEd Live, a version that runs in a browser without installing an app.
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.
yEd
Free$0
The yEd desktop editor, free to download after accepting the license agreement.
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.
yEd
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, draw.io or yEd?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both draw.io and yEd are free to use.
Which has a free plan, draw.io or yEd?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both draw.io and yEd have a free plan.
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.