# PlantUML review (2026): is it any good? > Draw UML and other diagrams from plain-text descriptions Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. PlantUML is an open-source tool that turns short text descriptions into diagrams. It covers UML types such as sequence, class and activity diagrams, plus non-UML ones such as Gantt charts, mind maps and wireframes. It is free, and the project offers an online editor, a downloadable jar and integrations with many wikis and editors. - **Category:** Whiteboards & Mind Maps - **Made by:** PlantUML - **Website:** https://plantuml.com - **Runs on:** Web, Browser extension - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want to drag shapes around a canvas. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, PlantUML is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free of charge and open source, under several license options including GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL and MIT. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Open source | $0 | Free jar and source code under your choice of license; you run it yourself or use the online editor. | Read from https://plantuml.com/en/faq on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with PlantUML before buying. ## Key features - **Text-to-diagram language:** Diagrams are written as short text and drawn from it, so changing the text updates the picture. - **UML and non-UML diagrams:** Supports sequence, use case, class, object, activity, component, deployment, state and timing diagrams, plus Gantt, MindMap, WBS, wireframe and others. - **In-browser editor:** The home page has an editor that runs in the browser with a JavaScript rendering engine and redraws as the code changes. - **Many integrations:** The Running page lists connections to wikis and forums, editors and IDEs, including Confluence, MediaWiki, IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse. - **Several license options:** The download page offers jars under GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL and MIT; the GPL build is the one with every feature, such as ditaa. ## Good for - Developers who want diagrams stored as text in version control - Teams documenting systems in wikis or Markdown - Anyone who needs a UML tool without a license fee ## Worth knowing - Layout is controlled by the engine; the FAQ says it gives less control over placement than drag-and-drop tools. - Diagrams are written in code, so there is no visual canvas for freehand sketching. - Builds under licenses other than GPL lack some features, such as the ditaa integration. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. PlantUML turns a few lines of text into sequence, class, activity and other diagrams, and it costs nothing. But you write code to draw, the engine decides where things sit, and there's no canvas for freehand sketching. If you want to drag boxes around, look elsewhere. - **Value for money: A.** Free and open source, with a jar anyone can download or an online editor. Nothing to pay, whatever the category's $5 to $10 a month. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole tool is free, under GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL or MIT licenses, so there's no cap to hit. - **Features: C.** UML plus Gantt, mind maps and wireframes from text. But the FAQ admits you get less say over layout, there's no visual canvas, and non-GPL builds lose some features like ditaa. - **Ease of use: C.** You have to learn its text language before you get a diagram, and no store rating is on record. The in-browser editor takes some of the sting out. - **Platforms and integrations: B.** Runs in a browser and through a jar, with links into Confluence, MediaWiki, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse and GitHub. No phone app or desktop app of its own is listed. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from PlantUML's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among whiteboard and mind map tools - PlantUML's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 85 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 10. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 83 of 98) and worst on features (C, above 0). - PlantUML has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 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.** PlantUML is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 85 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade. - You could make: Mind mapping and Gantt & timelines: an app builder makes these well. - You could not: A diagram editor. - You could not: It plugs into other products, Confluence, MediaWiki and WordPress among them. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Confluence, MediaWiki, WordPress, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, GitHub, GitLab, Slack **Tags:** Diagrams, Open source, Mind mapping, Gantt & timelines ## Alternatives - [Mermaid](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mermaid): Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mermaid-vs-plantuml) - [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-plantuml) - [Eraser](https://toolgpa.com/tools/eraser): AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/eraser-vs-plantuml) - [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-plantuml) - [Visual Paradigm](https://toolgpa.com/tools/visual-paradigm): Desktop and online modeling suite for UML, BPMN and architecture. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/plantuml-vs-visual-paradigm) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://plantuml.com/en/ - https://plantuml.com/en/faq - https://plantuml.com/en/download - https://plantuml.com/en/running Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/plantuml Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).