![]() Open up a diagram file in a text editor, and you'll see what I mean. The domain specific language of general purpose diagramming tools is basically "boxes and lines". For software architecture diagrams though, my recommendation is no, for a few reasons. It's "diagrams as text".īut you might be wondering, what about general purpose diagramming tools such as Visio, draw.io/, LucidChart, Gliffy, OmniGraffle, etc? Should they be used for creating software architecture diagrams? For the record, I want to say that these are all great tools and, like many other people, I do use them myself. Software architecture diagrams - which tool should we use? looks at how to generate software architecture diagrams with PlantUML, Mermaid, WebSequenceDiagrams, and Structurizr, all via the tooling agnostic, and open source, Structurizr DSL. Before you buy your next desktop diagramming license, shop around the web for freeware that could be just as useful."Which diagramming tool should we use?" is a question I'm asked frequently. There are plenty of online apps that work just fine - in fact several of them are what I’d consider to be “full-featured.” I’ve checked out Cacoo and Coggle, and right now I’m using Lucidchart, which is a solid free solution.īottom line: Visio and OmniGraffle are expensive choices. ![]() But that’s not the case with Visio and OmniGraffle. When it comes to programs like the Adobe Creative Suite, there doesn’t seem to be much web-based competition. You can augment this by downloading additional stencil sets from sites like Graffletopia, usually for a fee. But it also doesn’t have as many shape libraries. If you’re a Mac-exclusive user, OmniGraffle might still be worth it. Plus, the current iPad app is an extra $50. But the price tag is still pretty big: $100 for the standard version, and $200 for Pro, and the updates are infrequent. It’s software that lives up to its Mac moniker-sleek and well-designed. Unless you’re an ultra-dedicated power diagrammer, or the world’s biggest Microsoft fan, Visio is probably not your best option. Never mind that it doesn’t work on Mac half the time, it doesn’t seem to work on PC either. For software that’s been around almost 15 years, it shouldn’t still be a pain to connect a couple objects. Visio has loads of shape choices, but it’s clunky. ![]() The professional version, which you’ll need if you’re working on a team, comes in at $589 per license.Īnd cost isn’t the biggest concern. The standard version alone cost a hefty $300. Visio used to be a necessary evil, but now it might be an unnecessary one. YMMV, so I’d love to hear what you think. ![]() With all the cloud-based diagramming options out there, are these two applications still worth it? I decided to break down the advantages and disadvantages for each program. Swapping out some programs has led me to reconsider others, and that includes the diagramming software big guns: OmniGraffle and Visio. But I’ve since repented of my cloud-skeptical ways, especially now that I’m using a PC at work and a Mac at home. While friends were writing articles in Google Docs, I was still chugging away in Microsoft Word. I’ll be honest, I was once a very reluctant adopter of the SaaS model. ![]()
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