draw.io Desktop — Open-Source Diagramming for Developers

Introduction

draw.io Desktop is the offline version of the popular draw.io diagramming web application. It provides a full-featured diagram editor without requiring a browser or internet connection, making it suitable for working with sensitive or air-gapped content.

What draw.io Desktop Does

• Creates flowcharts, UML, ER diagrams, network topologies, and org charts with a drag-and-drop interface
• Exports to PNG, SVG, PDF, VSDX (Visio), and XML formats
• Integrates with Git-based workflows by saving diagrams as editable XML files
• Supports custom shape libraries and templates for domain-specific diagramming
• Runs fully offline as an Electron application on Windows, macOS, and Linux

Architecture Overview

draw.io Desktop wraps the draw.io web editor inside Electron, bundling Chromium and the mxGraph rendering engine into a standalone application. Diagram data is stored as XML, which can be embedded inside PNG or SVG metadata for single-file portability. The app reads and writes directly to the local filesystem without any cloud dependency.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via Homebrew on macOS, Snap on Linux, or download binaries from the GitHub releases page
• No server component needed; the app is entirely self-contained
• Diagram files are plain XML and work well with version control systems
• Custom shape libraries can be loaded from local XML files
• Configuration is stored locally; no account or license key required

Key Features

• Extensive shape library with hundreds of built-in icons for AWS, Azure, GCP, Cisco, and UML
• Real-time collaborative editing when used with the web version and shared storage backends
• Mermaid and PlantUML import support for converting text-based diagrams
• Keyboard shortcuts and search for rapid diagram construction
• Plugin system for extending editor functionality

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Excalidraw — hand-drawn aesthetic, simpler but fewer shape libraries and no Visio export
• Lucidchart — polished SaaS product but proprietary and requires a subscription
• Mermaid — text-only diagramming rendered in Markdown; no visual drag-and-drop editor
• PlantUML — text-to-diagram for UML specifically; less flexible for general diagramming
• yEd — free desktop editor with auto-layout but closed-source and less community support

FAQ

Q: Can draw.io Desktop work with Visio files? A: Yes. It imports and exports .vsdx files, making it a practical open-source alternative for teams migrating away from Microsoft Visio.

Q: Are diagrams stored in a proprietary format? A: No. Diagrams are saved as standard XML, optionally embedded inside PNG or SVG files. The format is open and documented.

Q: Does it require an internet connection? A: No. The desktop version runs entirely offline. Cloud storage integrations (Google Drive, OneDrive) are optional.

Q: Is it free for commercial use? A: Yes. draw.io Desktop is released under the Apache 2.0 license and is free for both personal and commercial use.

Sources

• https://github.com/jgraph/drawio-desktop
• https://www.drawio.com/