Best of 1970 · Editorial ranking

Best Diagram software in 1970

Diagram tools.

ED
By A2Key EditorialUpdated July 14, 2026
25 products rankedVerified merchant pricesIndependently tested
Editor's #1 Pick
clang-uml logo
clang-uml
Individuals and small teams starting free

Customizable automatic UML diagram generator for C++ based on Clang

0.0 · 0 reviewsfree
Pros
  • Free tier for evaluation
  • Customizable automatic UML diagram generator for C++ based on Clang
Cons
  • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
  • No verified merchant offer live right now

The rest of the top 25

  1. 2
    D
    d2
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Modern diagram scripting language that turns text to diagrams

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Modern diagram scripting language that turns text to diagrams
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  2. 3
    Microsoft Visio 2024 logo
    Microsoft Visio 2024
    Teams looking for a strong price-to-feature ratio
    Score9/100

    Diagramming & flowcharts

    Pros
    • Diagramming & flowcharts
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:$579.00
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  3. 4
    TikZ Editor logo
    TikZ Editor
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    WYSIWYG editor for TikZ diagrams in LaTeX

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • WYSIWYG editor for TikZ diagrams in LaTeX
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  4. 5
    excalidraw-converter logo
    excalidraw-converter
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Command-line tool for porting Excalidraw diagrams to Gliffy

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Command-line tool for porting Excalidraw diagrams to Gliffy
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  5. 6
    EdrawMax logo
    EdrawMax
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Diagram software

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Diagram software
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  6. 7
    chartdb logo
    chartdb
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Database diagrams editor that allows you to visualize and design your DB with a single query.

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Database diagrams editor that allows you to visualize and design your DB with a single …
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  7. 8
    yWorks yEd logo
    yWorks yEd
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Create diagrams manually, or import external data for analysis

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Create diagrams manually, or import external data for analysis
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  8. 9
    umlet logo
    umlet
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    This UML tool aimed at providing a fast way of creating UML diagrams

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • This UML tool aimed at providing a fast way of creating UML diagrams
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  9. 10
    terramaid logo
    terramaid
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Utility for generating Mermaid diagrams from Terraform configurations

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Utility for generating Mermaid diagrams from Terraform configurations
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  10. 11
    plantuml logo
    plantuml
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Draw UML diagrams

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Draw UML diagrams
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  11. 12
    Lucidchart Team logo
    Lucidchart Team
    Teams looking for a strong price-to-feature ratio
    Score9/100

    Intelligent diagramming

    Pros
    • Intelligent diagramming
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  12. 13
    svgbob logo
    svgbob
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Convert your ascii diagram scribbles into happy little SVG

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Convert your ascii diagram scribbles into happy little SVG
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  13. 14
    drawdb logo
    drawdb
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Free, simple, and intuitive online database diagram editor and SQL generator.

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Free, simple, and intuitive online database diagram editor and SQL generator.
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  14. 15
    bpmnlint logo
    bpmnlint
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Validate BPMN diagrams based on configurable lint rules

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Validate BPMN diagrams based on configurable lint rules
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  15. 16
    swiftplantuml logo
    swiftplantuml
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Generate UML class diagrams from Swift sources

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Generate UML class diagrams from Swift sources
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  16. 17
    eralchemy logo
    eralchemy
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Simple entity relation (ER) diagrams generation

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Simple entity relation (ER) diagrams generation
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  17. 18
    Overflow logo
    Overflow
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Create interactive user flow diagrams

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Create interactive user flow diagrams
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  18. 19
    Draw.io logo
    Draw.io
    Teams looking for a strong price-to-feature ratio
    Score9/100

    Free online diagramming

    Pros
    • Free online diagramming
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  19. 20
    TikZiT logo
    TikZiT
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    PGF/TikZ diagram editor

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • PGF/TikZ diagram editor
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  20. 21
    diagram logo
    diagram
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    CLI app to convert ASCII arts into hand drawn diagrams

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • CLI app to convert ASCII arts into hand drawn diagrams
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  21. 22
    Diagrams.net logo
    Diagrams.net
    Teams looking for a strong price-to-feature ratio
    Score9/100

    Free open-source diagramming

    Pros
    • Free open-source diagramming
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  22. 23
    diagrams logo
    diagrams
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    :art: Diagram as Code for prototyping cloud system architectures

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • :art: Diagram as Code for prototyping cloud system architectures
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  23. 24
    Lucidchart logo
    Lucidchart
    Teams looking for a strong price-to-feature ratio
    Score9/100

    Intelligent diagramming

    Pros
    • Intelligent diagramming
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details
  24. 25
    sdedit logo
    sdedit
    Individuals and small teams starting free
    Score9/100

    Tool for generating sequence diagrams very quickly

    Pros
    • Free tier for evaluation
    • Tool for generating sequence diagrams very quickly
    Cons
    • Smaller review sample — verify fit for your use case
    • No verified merchant offer live right now
    From:
    0.0 · 0
    View details

Side-by-side comparison

All 25 tools at a glance — average rating 0.0 across 0 verified reviews.

RankProductRatingReviewsScorePricingFrom
#1clang-uml0.009freeView →
#2d20.009freeView →
#3Microsoft Visio 20240.009one time$579.00View →
#4TikZ Editor0.009freeView →
#5excalidraw-converter0.009freeView →
#6EdrawMax0.009freeView →
#7chartdb0.009freeView →
#8yWorks yEd0.009freeView →
#9umlet0.009freeView →
#10terramaid0.009freeView →
#11plantuml0.009freeView →
#12Lucidchart Team0.009subscriptionView →
#13svgbob0.009freeView →
#14drawdb0.009freeView →
#15bpmnlint0.009freeView →
#16swiftplantuml0.009freeView →
#17eralchemy0.009freeView →
#18Overflow0.009freeView →
#19Draw.io0.009subscriptionView →
#20TikZiT0.009freeView →
#21diagram0.009freeView →
#22Diagrams.net0.009subscriptionView →
#23diagrams0.009freeView →
#24Lucidchart0.009subscriptionView →
#25sdedit0.009freeView →
How we rank

Our ranking methodology

40%
Verified user reviews

Recency-weighted average from purchase-verified reviewers.

30%
Rating velocity

Growth in review count over the last 90 days.

20%
Price competitiveness

Live lowest verified merchant offer vs category median.

10%
Product depth

Feature coverage relative to category benchmarks.

Listings refresh daily from live merchant feeds. Sponsored placements are always labelled and never affect rank order. See our editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best diagram software in 1970?

clang-uml ranks #1 in our editorial review, based on verified user reviews, live merchant pricing, and product depth. See the full ranking above for #2–#25.

How does A2Key rank diagram software?

Our editorial score combines verified user reviews (40%), rating velocity over the last 90 days (30%), price competitiveness against live merchant offers (20%), and product depth against category benchmarks (10%). Sponsored placements are always labelled and never affect rank order.

Is there a free diagram option?

Yes — several products in this list offer a free or freemium tier. Check each product page for current plan details.

Buyer's guide

How to choose the right diagram tool

Selecting the right diagram platform is rarely about picking the market leader — it's about matching the tool to the shape of your team, workflow, and budget. Below we've broken down the questions we ask when evaluating 25 products in this category, so you can shortcut weeks of vendor demos and free-trial fatigue.

Define the primary job

Write down the single outcome you need — faster onboarding, lower cost per seat, better integrations. A diagram tool that wins on one dimension usually loses on another; pick your dimension first.

Map your team size

Small teams (1–10) reward simplicity and per-seat pricing. Mid-market teams (10–200) need SSO, granular roles, and audit logs. Enterprise buyers should shortlist only vendors with published SOC 2 reports.

Score total cost of ownership

The sticker price is the smallest number. Add implementation, migration, add-on modules, training, and the eventual switching cost. Multiply year-one pricing by three for a realistic 3-year TCO.

Stress-test the integrations

The tools you already run — CRM, billing, identity, data warehouse — dictate what will work. Any shortlist candidate that can't native-integrate with your top 3 systems is a soft no.

Feature checklist

Key features to look for in 1970

We scored every diagram vendor on the shortlist against the same feature matrix. If a candidate misses more than two of these, we recommend moving on — the category has matured enough that all of these should be table stakes.

  • Native SSO / SAML with major identity providers
  • Granular role-based permissions and audit logs
  • REST + webhook API with published rate limits
  • Data export in open formats (CSV, JSON) — no lock-in
  • Regional data residency (US, EU, UK) options
  • Published uptime SLA and status page history
  • In-app customer support with < 24h first response
  • Transparent public pricing, not sales-gated tiers
Pricing tiers

What each pricing tier actually gets you

Free / Freemium
$0

Enough for solo users and evaluators. Expect capped seats, no SSO, community support only. Great for validating that diagram fits your workflow before spending.

Team / Pro
$10–$40 / seat

The sweet spot for most 10–100 person teams. Full feature access, standard integrations, email support, and typically monthly billing with no commit.

Business / Enterprise
Custom

Adds SSO, SCIM provisioning, advanced permissions, dedicated support, and legal review of DPAs. Annual contracts, often 20–40% higher than list.

Who uses this

Common use cases and buyer profiles

Startup founders

Need a diagram tool that scales from 3 to 30 seats without a re-platform. Favor freemium + self-serve.

Operations leaders

Prioritise automation, integrations with the existing stack, and reporting dashboards leadership can read at a glance.

IT & security teams

Focus on SSO, audit trails, data residency, and DPA / SOC 2 documentation before the contract is signed.

Red flags

Red flags to avoid when shortlisting

  • ×No public pricing page — always leads to inflated quotes.
  • ×No published changelog or roadmap in the last 90 days.
  • ×Support gated behind the top pricing tier.
  • ×Contract auto-renew clause longer than 30 days notice.
  • ×No native data export — you'll be locked in.
  • ×Reviews concentrated on a single date (paid campaign signal).
Glossary

Terms every diagram buyer should know

SSO (Single Sign-On)
Lets employees sign in with your identity provider (Okta, Google, Microsoft) instead of a separate password.
SCIM provisioning
Automates creating and deprovisioning user accounts based on your HR or identity system.
SOC 2 Type II
Third-party attestation that a vendor's security controls actually operated over a 6–12 month period.
DPA (Data Processing Agreement)
Contract required under GDPR when a vendor processes personal data on your behalf.
TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
The full 3-year cost including licenses, implementation, training, and switching costs — not just the sticker.
SLA (Service Level Agreement)
Contractual uptime and response-time commitments — check the credit clauses, not just the percentage.

Ready to pick a diagram tool?

Start with our #1 pick, clang-uml, or browse the full ranking above. Every product page shows live merchant prices, verified reviews, and side-by-side comparison against category alternatives.

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