Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Diagramming Software

Lucidchart vs PlantUML

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Lucidchart #2 in Diagramming Software 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Lucidchart
PlantUML #6 in Diagramming Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit PlantUML

Lucidchart leads on 0 checks, PlantUML on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreLucidchart · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresLucidchart · 2 of 3

Lucidchart scores higher on our rubric for diagramming software: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.

Lucidchart is the better fit for collaborative teams and business diagramming. PlantUML is the better fit for open-source UML and technical diagrams.

  • Lucidchart fits best

    Collaborative teams and business diagramming

  • PlantUML fits best

    Open-source UML and technical diagrams

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Lucidchart 9.3/10 Visit ↗ PlantUML 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #2 in Diagramming Software #6 in Diagramming Software
Best for Collaborative teams and business diagramming Open-source UML and technical diagrams
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Browser extension
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 100+ integrations 7 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Lucidchart 2/3 · PlantUML 0/3
Real-time collaboration ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Desktop apps Not checked yet Not checked yet
Offline editing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Diagram types process maps, flowcharts, org charts, technical diagrams, system architecture diagrams, UML diagrams, ERDs, sequence diagrams, Gantt charts, C4 models Sequence, use-case, class, object, activity, component, deployment, state, timing, regex, network, wireframe, Archimate, Gantt, mind map, WBS, EBNF, JSON, YAML
Import/export formats VSDX, VSD, VDX, Draw.io XML, OmniGraffle flat files, BPMN, XPDL; export PDF, PNG, JPEG, SVG, VDX, VSDX, JSON, CSV Not checked yet
Editor seat limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Real-time editing supports collaborative diagram work.
  • Covers process, technical, UML, architecture, and data-linked diagrams.
  • Imports and exports across Visio, Draw.io, image, and data formats.
  • Text syntax supports UML and many non-UML diagram types
  • Multiple layout engines include Graphviz, Smetana, VizJs, and ELK
  • Integrates with IDEs, Git, documentation tools, Docker, and APIs
Cons
  • Offline editing is limited to previously opened documents.
  • The product is not open source.
  • Its broad feature set may exceed simple one-off diagram needs.
  • Built-in real-time multi-user collaboration is not a core feature
  • Version history is not built into the diagramming workflow
  • Text-first authoring is less visual than drag-and-drop editing
Our verdict

Lucidchart is a cloud-based diagramming application for individuals, teams, and enterprises. It supports process maps, flowcharts, organizational charts, technical diagrams, system architecture visualizations, UML diagrams, ERDs, sequence…

Read the review →

PlantUML is an open-source diagram generator for developers, architects, technical writers, and teams that prefer defining diagrams as text. Its syntax covers standard UML diagrams such as sequence, use case, class, activity, component,…

Read the review →
  1. LucidchartDiagramming Software 9.3Free plan
  2. PlantUMLDiagramming Software 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Lucidchart — where it wins

    • Real-time editing supports collaborative diagram work.
    • Covers process, technical, UML, architecture, and data-linked diagrams.
    • Imports and exports across Visio, Draw.io, image, and data formats.

    Where it doesn't

    • Offline editing is limited to previously opened documents.
    • The product is not open source.
    • Its broad feature set may exceed simple one-off diagram needs.

  • PlantUML — where it wins

    • Text syntax supports UML and many non-UML diagram types
    • Multiple layout engines include Graphviz, Smetana, VizJs, and ELK
    • Integrates with IDEs, Git, documentation tools, Docker, and APIs

    Where it doesn't

    • Built-in real-time multi-user collaboration is not a core feature
    • Version history is not built into the diagramming workflow
    • Text-first authoring is less visual than drag-and-drop editing

More comparisons

All diagramming software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update