# nomnoml review (2026): is it any good? > Text-to-UML diagram editor with a live preview Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. nomnoml draws UML diagrams from a short text syntax. You type code on one side of the page and the diagram redraws beside it, covering class, component, flow chart and use case shapes. It is a free, open-source web editor that also ships as a JavaScript library and command-line tool. - **Category:** Whiteboards & Mind Maps - **Made by:** Daniel Kallin - **Website:** https://www.nomnoml.com - **Runs on:** Web - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a freehand canvas or sticky-note board. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, nomnoml is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The whole editor, the npm library and the command-line renderer are free under the MIT license. | Read from https://www.nomnoml.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with nomnoml before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Developers who prefer typing a UML diagram to dragging shapes - Embedding generated diagrams in a web page or build script - Quick class and component sketches without an account ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Nomnoml draws UML-style diagrams from text, and it costs nothing. The web app has no accounts, sharing or collaboration, saving depends on browser storage the author does not guarantee, and there is no canvas to draw on. - **Value for money: A.** Free, open source and available as a library and a command line tool as well as the web app. - **Free plan and trial: A.** Free outright, with no sign-up, cap or paid plan. - **Features: C.** Class, 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: C.** No store rating on record. You learn its text syntax first. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Web only for most people, plus a library and command line. No integrations are listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from nomnoml's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among whiteboard and mind map tools - nomnoml's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 75 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 9. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 83 of 98) and worst on features (C, above 0). - nomnoml has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/whiteboards ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** nomnoml is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 2.8 is higher than 75 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade. - You could not: A diagram editor. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Diagrams, Open source ## Alternatives - [PlantUML](https://toolgpa.com/tools/plantuml): Draw UML and other diagrams from plain-text descriptions. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nomnoml-vs-plantuml) - [Mermaid](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mermaid): Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mermaid-vs-nomnoml) - [draw.io](https://toolgpa.com/tools/draw-io): Free diagram editor that saves files to storage you choose. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/draw-io-vs-nomnoml) - [Flowchart Fun](https://toolgpa.com/tools/flowchart-fun): Text-based flowchart maker that draws diagrams as you type. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/flowchart-fun-vs-nomnoml) - [Swimlanes.io](https://toolgpa.com/tools/swimlanes-io): Free text-driven sequence diagram maker that updates live. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/nomnoml-vs-swimlanes-io) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.nomnoml.com - https://github.com/skanaar/nomnoml - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/skanaar/nomnoml/master/README.md Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/nomnoml Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).