draw.io
Free Apache 2.0 diagram editor from draw.io Ltd in England that saves files in storage you choose, with a desktop app and Microsoft, Google and GitHub integrations
Quick Overview
| Company | draw.io Ltd |
|---|---|
| Category | Diagram Software |
| Headquarters | Northampton, United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - United Kingdom (UK) |
| Data Location | Diagrams are saved on your device or in the storage you connect, not on draw.io servers; PDF export, real-time collaboration and AI features send the diagram to provider servers in the EU, the US and Cloudflare data centres without keeping it (privacy statement) |
| Open Source | Apache-2.0 |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes (UK GDPR) |
| Self-Hosting | Source code published on GitHub under Apache 2.0; the desktop app runs locally |
| Main Features | Real-time collaboration with shared cursors, desktop app, export to SVG, PNG and PDF, embedding via iframe, integrations with Google Drive, SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, GitHub, VS Code and Notion |
| Pricing | Free; the site says free forever, no sign-up required, no paywalled enterprise tier |
| Best For | Anyone who needs Visio-style flowcharts and network or architecture diagrams without a licence fee |
| Replaces | Microsoft Visio, Lucidchart |
Detailed Review
draw.io, also served as diagrams.net, is a diagram editor that runs in the browser or as a desktop app. According to its home page it has been available since 2005, files created in 2005 still open today, and anyone can open and edit draw.io files on any platform.
The terms of use are an agreement with draw.io Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with company number 04051179 and its registered office at Artisans' House, 7 Queensbridge, Northampton. The privacy statement names draw.io Limited as controller under the UK GDPR.
Storage you control
The privacy statement says the application runs in your browser and diagrams are saved on your device or in a storage service you connect, never on draw.io servers. Inside Microsoft SharePoint or Teams the files stay in your organisation's SharePoint or OneDrive.
Some functions do send a diagram to a server for processing and do not keep it: export to PDF or image, real-time collaboration, opening a file from a web address and the AI features. The collaboration service holds encrypted changes in memory for at most five minutes.
Integrations and embedding
The home page lists native integrations with Google Drive, Docs and Slides, Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive and Teams, GitHub repositories and Markdown, a VS Code extension, Notion and a Chrome extension. Diagrams can be embedded with an iframe and exported to SVG, PNG or PDF.
The apps for Atlassian Confluence and Jira are distributed by Seibert Group GmbH under a separate licence agreement, so those two integrations follow different terms from the rest.
Governing law and ownership
The terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The site describes the company as independent and not VC-funded, and the footer names both draw.io Ltd and draw.io AG.
Limitations to Consider
The pages checked do not describe a vendor shape-library catalogue comparable to Visio's. Files lost from your own storage cannot be recovered by draw.io. The UK is outside the EU, so UK GDPR and English law apply, and the privacy statement lists transfers to the US. The Confluence and Jira apps come from a different company with its own licence.
Who Should Use draw.io
Teams that want a free, widely compatible diagram editor and are happy to manage file storage themselves.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free with no sign-up and no paywalled enterprise tier according to the site
- Apache 2.0 source code on GitHub
- Diagrams stay in storage you choose
- Desktop app and many native integrations
- Files from 2005 still open
Cons
- draw.io cannot recover files lost from your storage
- Several functions send the diagram to provider servers (not stored)
- Confluence and Jira apps sit under a separate vendor licence
- Contracting entity is in the UK, not the EU
Alternatives to draw.io
Other European diagram software worth comparing before you decide:
yEd
Germany · Free desktop graph editor with automatic layout, from a German company
Software Ideas Modeler
Slovakia · UML, BPMN, ArchiMate and SysML modeling tool from a Slovak developer
Camunda Modeler
Germany · BPMN and DMN process modeler where the diagram is what runs
Modelio
France · GPL-licensed UML, BPMN and ArchiMate modeler, now offered by Docaposte
See all European diagram software or compare them directly against Microsoft Visio on our alternatives page.
Frequently Asked Questions
The draw.io home page says free forever, no sign-up required and no lock-in, and that there is no enterprise tier for SSO. The Confluence and Jira apps are distributed by Seibert Group GmbH under their own licence, so check that agreement before relying on them.
The terms of use are an agreement with draw.io Ltd, registered in England and Wales under company number 04051179 with its registered office in Northampton. The page footer names draw.io Ltd and draw.io AG.
On your device or in the storage service you connect, never on draw.io servers, according to its privacy statement. Export to PDF, real-time collaboration and AI features process the diagram on provider servers and do not keep it.