Flowchart Fun vs Mermaid (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Flowchart Fun and Mermaid share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money, where Flowchart Fun grades higher, or features and platforms, where Mermaid does.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Flowchart Fun
Text-based flowchart maker that draws diagrams as you type
Mermaid
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor
Which one is for you
Pick Flowchart Fun if
- Fits if you would rather type a diagram than drag boxes
- Works for quick process charts that you export as an image
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, because the editor resets each day
- Skip it if you want a drag-and-drop whiteboard, as this is a text editor
- Watch out: AI creation, watermark-free export, local files and data import are all Pro
- Watch out: the page does not say how the $2 a month is billed
- Skip it if you want a desktop or phone app, as none is listed
Pick Mermaid if
- Fits if you already write Mermaid syntax in your docs or Markdown
- Works for diagrams you want versioned and reviewed as text, like code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pay by the month, since paid plans are billed annually only
- Tight if you're staying free, with 3 diagrams on the plan card, a size limit and 15 AI credits
- Pricey if you lean on the AI, with 300 credits a year on Plus and 2,000 on Premium at $20
- Watch out: one page gives the free plan 3 diagrams on the card and 6 in the table, and the trial length isn't stated
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, or free viewer seats below Premium
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFlowchart FunFair | 2.4GPAMermaidFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $2 a month, under 60% of the category's cheaper quarter ($5), though the page does not say whether that is billed monthly or yearly. A 30-day pass is $9. | CPlus is $10 a user a month against a category middle of $8.33, and it's billed annually only, so you hand over $120 up front with no monthly option. That buys 300 AI credits for the whole year, and free viewer seats wait for Premium at $20. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free plan is a daily sandbox that resets each day, so nothing you make is kept. It exports PNG, JPG and SVG with a watermark. | CBasic is free and includes co-editing and external sharing, but the caps arrive fast: 3 diagrams on the plan card, up to 6 in the comparison table on the same page, a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits. The trial of the paid plans has no stated length. |
| Features | CIt does one job fully: text in, flowchart or mind map out. That is a smaller job than a whiteboard, and AI, local files and imports sit on Pro. | BThe diagramming job, covered: flowcharts, sequence and ER diagrams, Gantt charts and mind maps written in Mermaid syntax and laid out for you, AI drafts from a document or transcript, a visual editor that rewrites the code as you drag, plus slides and live co-editing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You have to learn to write charts as text. | CNo rating on record. This is a tool you learn: Mermaid syntax has its own grammar per diagram type, and the AI drafts and click-and-drag editor soften that rather than remove it. Easier if you already write Mermaid in your docs, a curve if you don't. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with Visio and Lucidchart file import and no apps. | BWeb only, with no desktop or phone app. It has plugins for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint, plus an MCP server so Claude or Cursor can generate diagrams. |
| Best for | flowcharts typed as text | diagrams you write as text, then tidy by hand |
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: Flowchart Fun and Mermaid. How we grade
Price against what you get
Flowchart Fun starts at $2 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mermaid starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Mermaid scores higher, and starts $8 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 6 score higher than Flowchart Fun for less, and 11 score higher than Mermaid 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
- Flowchart Fun is open source, according to its own site.
- Flowchart Fun also covers mind mapping.
- Mermaid also covers presentations.
At a glance
| Flowchart Fun | Mermaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2 per month (billing basis not stated) | $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year) |
| Free plan | Daily sandbox editor that resets each day, themes, templates, and PNG, JPG and SVG export. | Basic plan: 3 diagrams (the comparison table on the same page says up to 6) with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, one team and project, and co-editing and external sharing. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of Plus or Premium; the vendor does not state how long it lasts |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Tone Row | Mermaid Chart |
| Price read from | flowchart.fun | mermaid.ai |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Flowchart Fun
- On the Free plan the editor is a daily sandbox that resets each day; permanent flowcharts need Pro.
- Watermark-free export, AI creation, local files and data import are Pro features.
- The pricing page does not say whether $2 per month is billed monthly or yearly.
- It runs in a browser; no desktop or mobile apps are listed.
Mermaid
- The free Basic plan is listed as 3 diagrams on its plan card and up to 6 in the comparison table, with a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits.
- Paid plans are billed annually only; the vendor's FAQ says monthly plans are not available.
- AI credits are capped at 300 a year on Plus and 2,000 a year on Premium; only Enterprise is listed as unlimited.
- Free viewer seats start at Premium, and SSO, invoicing and a customer success manager are limited to Enterprise.
Key features
Flowchart Fun
- Text-to-flowchart editor
- Charts are written as text in an editor and drawn alongside it, covering flowcharts, mind maps and process diagrams.
- AI creation and editing
- On Pro, AI and dictation can generate and edit diagrams from a written description.
- Data import
- Pro can import data from Visio, Lucidchart and CSV files.
- Export options
- PNG and JPG export and SVG export with embedded fonts are listed on the Free plan; Pro removes the watermark.
- Local files and sharing
- Pro can save and load local files, and offers full-screen, read-only and template sharing.
Mermaid
- Diagrams from Mermaid code
- Diagrams are written in Mermaid syntax and laid out automatically. Clicking a node jumps to its code and clicking the code finds its shape, so the two stay in step.
- Mermaid AI
- A description, an uploaded document or a pasted transcript becomes a first-draft diagram, and the AI suggests a fitting diagram type. Use is metered in credits below Enterprise.
- Visual Editor
- Nodes, edges, labels, colors and shapes can be changed by clicking and dragging while the code rewrites itself, with node alignment and movable edges for tidying a layout.
- Live co-editing and share links
- Teammates can co-edit a diagram at the same time, and a share link lets other people view it without logging in. Free viewer seats are part of Premium and Enterprise.
- Plugins and MCP server
- Plugins cover VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Windsurf, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint. An MCP server lets Claude, VS Code and Cursor generate diagrams.
- Presentations
- Existing diagrams become slides written in Markdown. A deck updates when its diagrams change and can be shared through a public link for viewing and comments.
Plans
Flowchart Fun
Free$0
Daily sandbox editor that resets daily, theme customization, templates, raster and vector export.
Pro$2
per month; billing basis not stated
Unlimited permanent flowcharts, AI creation, watermark-free diagrams, local files, Visio, Lucidchart and CSV import.
30-Day Pass$9
one-time, 30 days, never renews
Every Pro feature for 30 days from one $9 payment, with no subscription.
Mermaid
Basic$0
3 diagrams with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, and one team and project. Co-editing and external sharing are included.
Plus$10
per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year)
Unlimited diagrams with no size limit and 300 AI credits per year, for individuals who diagram often.
Premium$20
per user / month, billed annually ($240 a year)
Everything in Plus, plus 2,000 AI credits per year, unlimited free viewer seats, and unlimited teams and projects.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Premium, plus SSO, custom contracts and invoicing, IP management, user consolidation and a dedicated customer success manager.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Flowchart Fun or Mermaid?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Flowchart Fun starts at $2 per month (billing basis not stated), and Mermaid starts at $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Flowchart Fun or Mermaid?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Flowchart Fun and Mermaid 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.