# yEd review (2026): is it any good? > Free desktop graph editor with automatic diagram layout Checked Nov 12, 2026 ยท graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA. yEd is a desktop application from yWorks for drawing diagrams and for arranging large ones automatically. Diagrams can be built by hand or from imported Excel or XML data, and exported to image and vector formats. The vendor says yEd is freely available and also offers a browser version, yEd Live. - **Category:** Whiteboards & Mind Maps - **Made by:** yWorks - **Website:** https://www.yworks.com/products/yed - **Runs on:** Web, macOS, Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want people editing the same diagram live. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 12, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 12, 2026, yEd is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** yEd is freely available for Windows, macOS and Linux, and a browser version, yEd Live, is offered. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The yEd desktop editor, free to download after accepting the license agreement. | Read from https://www.yworks.com/products/yed on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with yEd before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Analyzing and laying out large graphs or networks - People who want a free desktop diagram editor - Technical users who import spreadsheet or XML data into diagrams ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 12, 2026. yEd is a free desktop editor that lays out big diagrams automatically and imports Excel or XML data. It has no live editing with other people, and you accept a license agreement before you get the installer. Look elsewhere for a shared whiteboard. - **Value for money: A.** Free to download, against $5 to $10 a month for most whiteboards. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole editor is free on Windows, macOS and Linux, and there's a browser version, yEd Live. - **Features: C.** Automatic layout, Excel and XML import and several export formats. The product page describes no live multi-user editing. - **Ease of use: C.** No store rating on record, and you work out the layout tools and data import yourself. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Desktop on three operating systems plus yEd Live in a browser. The only integration listed is Excel. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from yWorks'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 - yEd's GPA of 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 53 of 61) and worst on features (C, above 0). - yEd 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.** yEd 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 2.8 is higher than 46 of the 61 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade. - You could not: A diagram editor. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with Microsoft Excel **Tags:** Diagrams, Works offline ## Alternatives - [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-yed) - [Microsoft Visio](https://toolgpa.com/tools/microsoft-visio): Diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and floor plans. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/microsoft-visio-vs-yed) - [SmartDraw](https://toolgpa.com/tools/smartdraw): Floor plans, scaled layouts and business diagrams in the browser. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/smartdraw-vs-yed) - [Gliffy](https://toolgpa.com/tools/gliffy): Diagramming app that runs inside Confluence. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/gliffy-vs-yed) - [ConceptDraw](https://toolgpa.com/tools/conceptdraw): Desktop diagramming, mind mapping and project software. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/conceptdraw-vs-yed) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026: - https://www.yworks.com/products/yed - https://www.yworks.com/products/yed/download Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/yed Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).