draw.io vs Astah Professional

draw.io9.4Visit Astah Professional6.9Visit

Higher score draw.io #1 in Diagram Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 3 features Visit draw.io

vs

Astah Professional #23 in Diagram Software 6.9/10 20-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Astah

• draw.io fits best

  Free, broad diagramming across teams and platforms

• Astah Professional fits best

  Software teams needing UML and code engineering

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Side by side

Feature	draw.io 9.4/10 Visit ↗	Astah Professional 6.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	6.9
Ranking	#1 in Diagram Software	#23 in Diagram Software
Best for	Free, broad diagramming across teams and platforms	Software teams needing UML and code engineering
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$129.99/user/yr
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	20 days
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux
Support	Email, Community, Docs	Docs
Integrations	13 integrations	3 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features draw.io 3/3 · Astah Professional 1/3
Real-time collaboration	✓ (best)	—
Desktop app	✓	✓
Version history	✓ (best)	—
Specs
Diagram types	flow charts, mind maps, org charts, Venn diagrams, infographics, network diagrams, architecture diagrams, floor plans, electrical diagrams, rack diagrams, UML diagrams, BPMN diagrams, Kanban boards, ER diagrams, Mermaid diagrams, Gitflow diagrams, C4 models, threat models	Class, object, communication, timing, component, deployment, composite structure, use case, sequence, activity, statemachine, package, requirement, mind map, ER, flowchart, CRUD, data flow, traceability map, Eriksson-Penker process
Export formats	PNG, SVG, JPEG, animated GIF, PDF, HTML, URL, XML, JSON	JPEG, PNG, EMF, SVG, RTF, HTML, CSV, XML, CMOF
Import formats	draw.io, XML, Gliffy, VSDX, Lucidchart, PNG, SVG, JPEG	Excel, XML
Maximum editors	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports technical, business, software, infrastructure, and process diagrams Runs on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome Extension Offers extensive import, export, storage, and collaboration integrations	Supports UML, ER, flowcharts, requirements, CRUD, and traceability maps Includes Java, C#, and C++ reverse engineering plus PHP and SQL generation Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with API, plug-ins, and AI features
Cons	Real-time collaboration depends on supported storage and integrations The core editor does not provide separately tiered paid plans Its broad feature set may be more than needed for simple diagrams	No free plan; paid access starts at $11.99 per user per month Licensing is limited to one editor Collaboration is file and project-based rather than live simultaneous editing
Our verdict	draw.io is a browser-based and desktop diagramming application for creating technical, business, software, infrastructure, and process diagrams. It suits teams and individuals that need broad diagram coverage without a core editor charge,… Read the review →	Astah Professional is desktop modeling software for software developers, system designers, technical architects, and engineering teams. Its scope extends from UML to entity-relationship diagrams, flowcharts, data flow diagrams,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• draw.io — where it wins

  • Supports technical, business, software, infrastructure, and process diagrams
  • Runs on web, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome Extension
  • Offers extensive import, export, storage, and collaboration integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Real-time collaboration depends on supported storage and integrations
  • The core editor does not provide separately tiered paid plans
  • Its broad feature set may be more than needed for simple diagrams

• Astah Professional — where it wins

  • Supports UML, ER, flowcharts, requirements, CRUD, and traceability maps
  • Includes Java, C#, and C++ reverse engineering plus PHP and SQL generation
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with API, plug-ins, and AI features

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; paid access starts at $11.99 per user per month
  • Licensing is limited to one editor
  • Collaboration is file and project-based rather than live simultaneous editing

• draw.io9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad, flexible diagramming editor for teams that want free cross-platform coverage.

  Visit draw.ioFull verdict →
• Astah Professional6.9/10 · 20-day trial

  A broad desktop modeling suite for software engineering, with one-editor licensing.

  Visit AstahFull verdict →