Five free apps for diagramming your network

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For most people, diagrams.net is the best free app for diagramming your network: it supports network and infrastructure diagrams, runs in a browser or desktop app, needs no basic sign-up, and offers flexible storage. yEd, Excalidraw, Mermaid, and Lucidchart Free are better choices for specific needs such as automatic layout, sketches, Git workflows, or small collaborative diagrams.

The five tools are not interchangeable. A physical rack diagram, a logical VLAN map, a cloud architecture diagram, and a quick home-network sketch need different levels of precision. The word “free” also covers both permanently free editors and restricted free tiers, so the limits matter before you start documenting a large topology.

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Key takeaways

• diagrams.net is the safest default because its free editor and desktop app support network infrastructure diagrams, multiple storage destinations, and basic use without an account.
• yEd is the strongest choice for large relationship-heavy diagrams because it provides automatic layout algorithms, data import, and desktop applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Excalidraw is best for quick, informal explanations because its free editor needs no account and uses an infinite, hand-drawn-style canvas.
• Mermaid is best when the diagram belongs in Git, Markdown, Terraform, Ansible, or another text-based documentation workflow.
• Lucidchart Free is polished and collaborative, but its published free plan is limited to three editable documents and 60 shapes per document.
• None of these five apps automatically discovers devices, polls SNMP, validates cabling, or provides a continuously updated live network map.

Which free app is best for diagramming your network?

Choose diagrams.net for most home networks, labs, small businesses, and general infrastructure documentation. Choose yEd when automatic arrangement is more important than dedicated network stencils, Excalidraw when speed and approachable sketches matter, Mermaid when diagrams must be reviewed as code, and Lucidchart Free when a small team prioritizes polished browser collaboration.

What kind of network diagram do you need?

The right app depends first on the information your diagram must communicate. A single picture should not try to be a physical topology, a logical security map, a cloud architecture, and a live monitoring dashboard at the same time.

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• Physical topology: shows real devices, racks, locations, cables, ports, and sometimes link speeds.
• Logical topology: shows VLANs, subnets, routing relationships, firewall zones, and traffic paths.
• Cloud architecture: shows VPCs or VNETs, subnets, load balancers, gateways, security groups, and managed services.
• Home-network map: commonly includes the ISP connection, modem or ONT, router, switches, access points, NAS, cameras, IoT devices, and client segments.
• Process or dependency diagram: shows services and communication paths rather than physical equipment.
• Live network map: is automatically generated or synchronized from discovery and monitoring data. None of the five apps in this article is a complete network-discovery or monitoring platform.

What does “free” mean for these network diagram apps?

“Free” means different things across the shortlist. diagrams.net, yEd, Excalidraw, and Mermaid provide a genuinely usable free editor or open-source ecosystem, while Lucidchart Free is a restricted tier rather than an unlimited version of the paid product.

Lucidchart’s published pricing page also advertises an Individual plan at $9 per month plus tax after a seven-day trial. Pricing and limits were observed in the supplied research on August 16, 2026, and should be rechecked before publication because software plans can change.

Why is diagrams.net the best overall free network diagram app?

diagrams.net, also known as draw.io, is the best general-purpose choice because it combines network-oriented diagramming with local and cloud-storage flexibility without requiring a paid account for the basic editor.

The official diagrams.net feature overview lists network infrastructures among its supported diagram types. The tool can use network, cloud, vendor, and custom shape libraries, although the availability of an exact manufacturer stencil should be checked rather than assumed.

Readers can use the free online editor at app.diagrams.net or install the free desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The official about page describes the editor as Apache 2.0 licensed and says the free online editor does not store diagram data on draw.io’s servers. That privacy position does not automatically apply to every third-party cloud integration: storage in Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Confluence, GitHub, GitLab, or another connected service remains subject to that service’s policies.

How do you create a network diagram in diagrams.net?

1. Open the online editor or install the desktop application.
2. Start with a network or infrastructure template, or choose a blank diagram.
3. Place the internet or ISP edge first, followed by the modem or ONT, router/firewall, core switch, access switches, wireless access points, servers, and important endpoints.
4. Use distinct colors or line styles for wired Ethernet, wireless, WAN or VPN, trunk links, and management or out-of-band connections.
5. Label VLANs, subnets, interfaces, link speeds, and ownership where those details help someone operate the network.
6. Save the editable source file, then export an SVG or PDF for documentation and a PNG for tickets or presentations.

diagrams.net’s documented storage and integration options make it practical to keep the editable source beside other documentation. The main weakness is maintenance: diagrams.net draws what a person records, but does not discover devices or update links automatically. Large diagrams also need disciplined grouping or separation into multiple views.

When is yEd better than diagrams.net?

yEd is better when the diagram contains many relationships and automatic layout can save substantial manual rearrangement. yEd Graph Editor is a free desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and yEd Live provides a browser-based alternative.

The current official yEd product page lists version 3.25.1, automatic layout algorithms, Excel and XML import, and export to PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, and SWF. yWorks also states that yEd can be used commercially at no cost subject to its software license; that statement is a license qualification, not a promise that every yWorks product or service is free.

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For a growing topology, create nodes for devices and edges for links, label nodes with hostnames, IP addresses, interfaces, VLANs, or roles, then apply an automatic layout. Afterward, manually reposition the critical devices and zones so that the result reflects how readers think about the network rather than accepting the algorithm’s first arrangement.

yEd Live’s official product page says graphs remain local in the browser unless the user explicitly stores them in a supported cloud service. That makes the storage behavior worth checking before using cloud integrations for a confidential topology.

yEd’s trade-off is specialization. yEd is primarily a general graph editor, so it is less immediately familiar than a network-focused stencil canvas and may require more preparation for exact vendor equipment illustrations. yEd can use custom vector and raster graphics, but a generic node may be more maintainable than a detailed device icon.

Is Excalidraw good for a network diagram?

Excalidraw is excellent for a quick, informal network diagram but is not the strongest choice for formal port-level or rack documentation. The free editor is open source, requires no account to start drawing, uses an infinite canvas, and intentionally produces a hand-drawn visual style.

That visual language is useful during design discussions, incident reviews, onboarding, and home-network explanations. A sketch can communicate zones, trust boundaries, traffic direction, and unresolved assumptions faster than a carefully aligned equipment diagram.

How should you use Excalidraw for a network sketch?

1. Open the free editor without creating an account.
2. Draw the major zones first: internet, edge, LAN, servers, guest network, IoT, and remote access.
3. Use arrows and short labels to show traffic direction and trust boundaries.
4. Add notes for assumptions, unknown links, or follow-up work.
5. Export or share the result according to the sensitivity of the network information.

The official Excalidraw product information distinguishes the free editor from Excalidraw Plus, which adds hosted workspace and enhanced collaboration capabilities. Do not treat a hosted collaboration feature as part of the no-account editor. Excalidraw’s informal appearance may also fail a documentation standard that requires exact ports, rack units, standardized vendor symbols, or a dense cable schedule.

Why choose Mermaid for infrastructure documentation?

Choose Mermaid when the network diagram should live as text beside code and documentation. Mermaid is a text-based diagramming and charting tool with a Live Editor, so the source can be reviewed, diffed, stored in Git, and regenerated as documentation changes.

The Mermaid documentation describes the Live Editor and its diagramming ecosystem, while the official site says the editor can be used without an account. Mermaid is particularly suitable for infrastructure-as-documentation workflows involving Markdown, Terraform, Ansible, or pull requests.

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flowchart LR
    ISP((Internet)) --> ONT[ONT / Modem]
    ONT --> FW[Firewall / Router]
    FW --> SW[Core Switch]

    SW --> AP1[Wi-Fi AP]
    SW --> NAS[NAS]
    SW --> SRV[Server]

    FW --> GUEST[Guest VLAN]
    FW --> IOT[IoT VLAN]

    AP1 --> USERS[User Devices]
    AP1 --> IOTDEV[IoT Devices]

Use Mermaid subgraphs to represent VLANs, trust zones, sites, or cloud boundaries. Render an SVG or image when the destination does not support Mermaid directly.

Mermaid’s limitation is not price but representation. Mermaid is strongest for nodes, edges, labels, and relationships; detailed physical equipment illustrations, rack elevations, and exact vendor iconography are awkward. Automatic layout may also produce a technically correct but visually inconvenient arrangement.

Mermaid and Mermaid Chart should be treated as separate layers. The open-source Mermaid syntax and rendering ecosystem is not the same product as the hosted Mermaid Chart service. The Mermaid Chart documentation lists a Basic free plan limited to three diagrams and limited AI usage, while real-time multi-user editing is listed for Pro and Enterprise plans.

When does Lucidchart Free make sense?

Lucidchart Free makes sense for a small, polished browser diagram when templates and collaboration matter more than unlimited capacity. Lucidchart provides network diagram templates, drag-and-drop shapes, and browser-based sharing, but the free tier is easy to outgrow.

According to Lucidchart’s published plan details, the current Free plan includes three editable Lucidchart documents, 60 shapes per document, and 100 basic templates. A modest home or small-office map may fit, but a topology that includes every switch port, client segment, server, and dependency can exceed 60 shapes quickly.

Lucidchart advertises a seven-day free trial separately from the $0 plan. The same pricing page advertises an Individual plan at $9 per month plus tax after the trial, with unlimited documents and shapes, premium templates, 1 GB of cloud storage, and Visio import/export. Readers should confirm the current plan before committing to a workflow or promising a particular export format.

Lucidchart is a reasonable choice for a small team that wants a polished, shared browser workspace. Lucidchart Free is a poor choice if the diagram must remain local, must be created without an account, or is likely to exceed the document and shape limits.

How do the five tools compare on shapes, collaboration, and storage?

The most important difference is the workflow behind the picture: diagrams.net emphasizes flexible editing and storage, yEd emphasizes graph layout, Excalidraw emphasizes communication, Mermaid emphasizes source control, and Lucidchart emphasizes a hosted collaborative experience.

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How should you choose between the five apps?

Use the following decision rules rather than choosing based only on the number of icons in a template library.

• Home network: choose diagrams.net for a maintainable map, or Excalidraw for a quick explanation that does not need formal symbols.
• Small business: choose diagrams.net for local or flexible storage, or Lucidchart if a small team values browser collaboration and will stay within the free limits.
• Large topology or relationship map: choose yEd for automatic layout, then manually clean up the most important areas.
• Git-based infrastructure: choose Mermaid so changes can be reviewed as text beside code and Markdown.
• Sensitive topology: start with diagrams.net desktop or yEd desktop, or use a self-hosted and organization-approved option. Do not upload confidential infrastructure data to a cloud service without checking policy.
• Exact vendor icons: diagrams.net is the strongest initial candidate for libraries and imported SVG or PNG assets. Lucidchart may be convenient if the required shapes and plan support are available; yEd and Excalidraw can use custom graphics with more preparation, while Mermaid is usually the wrong choice for icon-heavy physical diagrams.
• Visio exchange: verify the specific import and export path before migration. Lucidchart’s official plan page places Visio import/export in the paid Individual plan, and no converter should be assumed to preserve every connector, font, stencil, or metadata field perfectly.

How do you make a network diagram that stays useful?

A network diagram becomes operational documentation only when another person can understand its scope, trust its labels, and find the editable source.

1. Define the scope: state whether the diagram covers physical topology, logical VLANs, cloud architecture, service dependencies, or a specific site.
2. Start with zones and major devices: place the internet, WAN, firewall, core switching, wireless, server, guest, IoT, and management areas before adding endpoints.
3. Label useful facts: include hostnames, interfaces, VLAN IDs, subnet ranges, link speeds, ownership, and traffic direction when those facts are relevant.
4. Use a legend: explain line colors and styles for Ethernet, wireless, VPN, trunks, and management links.
5. Separate views: split a large network into a high-level topology, physical layout, logical VLAN map, and service-dependency diagram instead of forcing every detail onto one canvas.
6. Preserve the source: keep the editable diagrams.net, yEd, Excalidraw, or Mermaid source file. A PNG pasted into a wiki is not a maintainable network record.
7. Add ownership and date: record who maintains the diagram and when the diagram was last verified.
8. Review after changes: update the diagram after a firewall replacement, VLAN change, site move, new WAN circuit, or major service change.
9. Sanitize shared copies: remove public IP addresses, internal subnets, credentials, VPN details, management URLs, device names, and security-control locations before external distribution.

Are free diagramming apps suitable for confidential network information?

Network diagrams can expose public IP addresses, internal subnets, firewall boundaries, device names, management interfaces, VPN endpoints, and security-control locations, so storage and sharing deserve the same care as other infrastructure records.

The diagrams.net about documentation says the free online editor does not store diagram data on draw.io’s servers and supports local or user-selected storage. The yEd Live product page says data stays in the local browser unless the user explicitly stores it in a supported cloud service. Those statements should not be generalized to Excalidraw-hosted workspaces, Mermaid-hosted tools, Lucidchart, or third-party storage integrations.

Before using any hosted editor, check organizational policy, account controls, retention, sharing permissions, and the provider’s current privacy documentation. For a diagram intended to leave the organization, create a sanitized version rather than relying on recipients to protect a complete production topology.

When is a diagramming app not enough?

A drawing app is not a replacement for network discovery, monitoring, IP address management, configuration management, a CMDB, rack documentation, or cloud inventory.

Use a dedicated network-management or documentation platform when you need automatic discovery, SNMP polling, live status, configuration synchronization, IP address management, asset ownership, or a continuously updated topology. Use a rack and cable documentation system when you must maintain rack units, patch-panel ports, cable IDs, serial numbers, warranty records, and change history tied to assets.

A free drawing app can document the intended or last-verified state of a network, but the diagram is only as current as its last human or automated update. When network changes happen frequently, a manually maintained image may need to become one layer of a broader documentation and monitoring process.

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What about Microsoft Visio?

Microsoft Visio is not a universally free standalone replacement for these five apps. Microsoft provides a lightweight Visio web app to some Microsoft 365 business subscribers, while full Visio plans are commercial products.

Microsoft’s Visio in Microsoft 365 documentation explains the qualification for the lightweight web experience, and Microsoft’s Visio feature comparison distinguishes capabilities across versions. Visio can be sensible when an organization already has the required Microsoft 365 entitlement or needs compatibility with existing Visio records, but it should not be presented as a free app for every reader.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which free app is easiest for a home network diagram?

diagrams.net is the easiest default for a maintainable home network diagram because the basic editor requires no sign-up, supports network and infrastructure shapes, and is available online or as a desktop app. Excalidraw is a better fit when the goal is a quick informal sketch rather than a formal record.

Can these free apps automatically discover my network devices?

No. diagrams.net, yEd, Excalidraw, Mermaid, and Lucidchart are diagramming tools rather than complete network-discovery systems. None should be treated as a substitute for SNMP polling, monitoring, IP address management, CMDB, or automated topology-mapping software.

Which free network diagram app works best with Git?

Mermaid works best with Git because the diagram is represented as text that can be reviewed, diffed, stored beside Markdown or infrastructure code, and regenerated. Mermaid is less suitable for detailed physical equipment illustrations and exact vendor iconography.

Is Lucidchart Free unlimited?

No. Lucidchart’s published Free plan lists three editable documents and 60 shapes per document. Lucidchart also advertises a separate seven-day trial and a paid Individual plan, so the trial should not be confused with an unlimited permanently free version.

What is the safest way to share a production network diagram?

Store the editable source in an organization-approved location, review the provider’s privacy and sharing controls, and sanitize external copies. Remove credentials, public IP addresses, internal subnet details, VPN endpoints, management URLs, and other information that could expose the production network.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: Start with diagrams.net unless your workflow points clearly elsewhere. Use yEd for large automatically arranged graphs, Excalidraw for fast human-readable sketches, Mermaid for diagrams maintained as code, and Lucidchart Free for small polished collaborative documents that fit within three files and 60 shapes per document. Whichever tool you choose, preserve the editable source, separate physical and logical views, protect sensitive details, and remember that no free app in this shortlist provides live network discovery.

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