A detailed comparison of yEd Graph Editor and draw.io to help you choose the right tool for your needs.
Free diagramming application for flowcharts, network diagrams, and UML
Free, open-source diagramming tool for flowcharts, network diagrams, and more
| Plan | yEd Graph Editor | draw.io |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | ✓ Completely free | ✓ Completely free |
| Lowest Paid | Free | Free |
| Enterprise | Free | Free (self-hosted option) |
| Feature | yEd Graph Editor | draw.io |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic layout | ✓ | — |
| Flowcharts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Network diagrams | ✓ | ✓ |
| UML diagrams | ✓ | ✓ |
| Org charts | ✓ | — |
| Mind maps | ✓ | — |
| Desktop application | ✓ | — |
| Import/export formats | ✓ | — |
| Batch processing | ✓ | — |
| Custom styles | ✓ | — |
| Entity relationship | — | ✓ |
| Wireframes | — | ✓ |
| Offline mode | — | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | — | ✓ |
| Google Drive integration | — | ✓ |
| GitHub integration | — | ✓ |
| Confluence integration | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | ✗ | ✓ |
| Rating | ⭐ 4.2 | ⭐ 4.3 |
Choose yEd Graph Editor if: You need users needing automatic layout for complex diagrams and preferring desktop software. yEd Graph Editor excels with its completely free and powerful automatic layout.
Choose draw.io if: You need users wanting a free, powerful diagramming tool with self-hosting options. draw.io stands out with its completely free and open source.
Best free option: Both yEd Graph Editor and draw.io offer free tiers. yEd Graph Editor offers "Completely free" while draw.io offers "Completely free".
It depends on your needs. yEd Graph Editor is better for users needing automatic layout for complex diagrams and preferring desktop software, while draw.io is better for users wanting a free, powerful diagramming tool with self-hosting options. Both are excellent tools rated 4.2 and 4.3 respectively.
yEd Graph Editor starts at Free while draw.io starts at Free. Both offer free tiers.
Most tools offer import/export features to help you migrate. We recommend trying draw.io's free tier before fully committing to a switch.
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