Mermaid vs Napkin AI
We give Mermaid a 3.2 GPA and Napkin AI a 3.0, out of 4.0. Mermaid grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mermaid
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor
Napkin AI
Turns written text into editable diagrams and infographics
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAMermaidVery good | 3.0GPANapkin AIVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPlus is $10 a user a month, the dear end of typical for this category. It's billed annually only, so that's $120 a year up front, with 300 AI credits to last the whole year. Free viewer seats don't start until Premium at $20. | BPlus is $9 a person a month billed yearly, or $12 monthly, about typical for this category. That buys 10,000 AI credits a month, PPT and SVG export and no Napkin branding. Pro is $22 for 30,000 credits. Unused credits don't carry over. |
| Free plan and trial | BBasic is free with co-editing and external sharing. But its plan card says 3 diagrams (the comparison table on the same page says up to 6), with a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits. There's a free trial of the paid plans, though Mermaid doesn't say how long it lasts. | BFree gives you 500 AI credits a week, unlimited editing, file import and PNG and PDF export. At roughly a credit per word selected, that's not a lot of source text. Your visuals carry Napkin branding, and PowerPoint and SVG export are paid. |
| Features | AWrite a diagram in Mermaid syntax and it lays itself out. AI drafts one from a description, a document or a transcript, and the visual editor rewrites the code as you drag. Flowcharts, sequence and ER diagrams, Gantt charts and mind maps, plus slides. For text-first diagrams, that's the whole job. | BOne thing, done fully: select a passage and get several candidate visuals, from flowcharts and mind maps to data charts. Everything in the result can be reworded, recoloured and restyled, and Slides, in beta, builds whole decks. It's narrow: it works from text, and there's no offline mode. |
| Ease of use | BNo App Store rating on record, as it's a web app. It's at its best if you know Mermaid syntax, or don't mind learning it. The AI drafts and the click-and-drag editor soften that for everyone else. | BNo App Store rating on record, as it runs in a browser with nothing to download. The idea is simple: paste text, select a bit, pick a visual. You don't need to be able to draw. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only. The plugins go a long way, though: VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint. An MCP server lets Claude, VS Code and Cursor generate diagrams too. | BWeb only, and it needs an internet connection. There's a REST API that returns a visual as SVG, PNG or PPT, and it works with Make and n8n. Files come in as PPT, DOC, PDF, HTML or Markdown. |
| Best for | diagrams you write as text, then tidy by hand | turning your writing into diagrams for slides |
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: Mermaid and Napkin AI. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mermaid starts at $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year). Napkin AI starts at $9 per person / month, billed yearly.
- Napkin AI also covers mind mapping.
At a glance
| Mermaid | Napkin AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year) | $9 per person / month, billed yearly |
| Free plan | 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. | 500 AI credits per week, unlimited editing, file import, and PNG and PDF export, with built-in styles and Napkin branding on visuals. |
| Free trial | Free trial of Plus or Premium; the vendor does not state how long it lasts | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mermaid Chart | Napkin AI |
| Price read from | mermaid.ai | napkin.ai |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Mermaid
- Developers who already write Mermaid syntax in docs or Markdown
- Teams that want diagrams versioned and reviewed as text
- People who want AI to draft a diagram from a document or transcript
- Showing diagrams as slides without exporting them
Napkin AI
- Turning written documents into diagrams for slides and reports
- People who have the text but not the design skills or time to draw
- Bloggers and marketers illustrating posts and social content
- Developers adding generated visuals to a product through the API
Worth knowing
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.
Napkin AI
- The Free plan gives 500 AI credits a week, puts Napkin branding on visuals and exports only PNG and PDF.
- Unused AI credits do not carry over, and generating a visual costs roughly 1 credit per word selected.
- Napkin runs only in a browser and needs an internet connection; the vendor says there is no offline mode.
- The vendor states that it does not offer discounts for nonprofits or students.
Key features
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.
Napkin AI
- Visuals generated from text
- Napkin works from pasted or imported text rather than a prompt. Selecting a passage produces several candidate visuals, and the user picks the one that fits.
- Editable results
- A generated visual can be restyled and taken apart: wording, colors and individual elements can all be changed, and editing is unlimited on every plan.
- Brand styles and fonts
- Brand colors and fonts are set up in Brand Studio. Plus allows 3 brand styles, while Pro allows unlimited custom branding and uploaded fonts.
- Import and export
- PPT, DOC, PDF, HTML and Markdown files can be imported on every plan. PNG and PDF export are free, and PowerPoint and SVG export need Plus or Pro.
- Slides (beta)
- Napkin Slides builds full presentations with an AI agent. The vendor says it is covered by the Free, Plus and Pro plans with no separate charge.
- API
- A REST API returns a visual for submitted text as SVG, PNG or PPT and works with Make and n8n. Any plan can create a token; credits, rate limits and watermarks vary by plan.
Plans
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.
Napkin AI
Free$0
500 AI credits per week, unlimited visual editing and file import, PNG and PDF export, standard icons, and Napkin branding on visuals.
Plus$9
per person / month, billed yearly ($12 billed monthly)
10,000 AI credits per month, PPT and SVG export, 3 brand styles, bold icons, no Napkin branding, and team management and billing.
Pro$22
per person / month, billed yearly ($30 billed monthly)
30,000 AI credits per month, exclusive designs, unlimited custom branding, uploaded fonts and optional credit top-ups.
EnterpriseCustom
Offered on request through the sales team; the pricing page gives no details beyond a contact link.
Ways to pay less
Mermaid
No public discounts listed.
Napkin AI
- Annual discount
Save 25% with yearly billing
Napkin's pricing page states a 25% saving on yearly plans: Plus is $9 per person a month against $12 billed monthly, and Pro is $22 against $30.
