shouldiuse.io

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VERDICT

Should I use draw.io?

Free, open source diagramming application with 100M+ users. Store your data wherever you want—we can't access it. - drawio.com

Worth it. Buy if you need capable, free diagramming—especially inside Confluence/Jira or where data privacy matters. Skip it if you want polished real-time whiteboarding or vendor support SLAs.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 12+ public sources; review volume is small (11 Trustpilot reviews), so ratings carry limited weight.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Open source app

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Atlassian app$1–$827.50

Best for

  • Atlassian Confluence/Jira teams
  • Engineers diagramming architecture, UML, networks
  • Privacy-sensitive orgs wanting local storage
  • Any team needing free diagramming

Not for

  • Teams wanting Miro-style real-time brainstorm whiteboards
  • Buyers needing vendor SLAs or dedicated enterprise support
  • Guess: non-technical execs wanting polished presentation-grade visuals
  • Self-hosters unwilling to keep versions patched

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Versions under 18.0.0 vulnerable to stored XSS — do not run old builds

medium

12 pricing plans span $1 to $827.50 — verify your user tier before buying

medium

Keep self-hosted installs patched; CVE-2026-46642 fixed in 29.7.12

low

Not VC-funded private company — expect no enterprise support SLAs

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free, open source core with 100M+ users
  • Data stays in your storage; vendor can't access it
  • Users praise ease of use and intuitive interface
  • Extensive shape library, templates, broad import/export
  • Atlassian permissions mirror Confluence page permissions

Cons

  • Thin Trustpilot sample: 3.5/5 from 11 reviews
  • CVE history, including stored XSS before 18.0.0
  • vs domain split confuses trust
  • Atlassian pricing tops out at $827.50

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/20/2026 - 12 sources - Strong local-data privacy model; several patched CVEs exist — keep versions current.

official x2review x5security x4news x1
  • CVE-2026-46642, Configurable diagramming/whiteboarding issue; patched in version 29.7.12.
  • CVE-2022-1575 stored XSS, Versions prior to 18.0.0 vulnerable to stored XSS when served without proper CSP.
  • CVE-2022-1774 and CVE-2022-1713, Two vulnerabilities found in one week during a code review.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free core; paid plans start at $1
  • Ease of use: 5/5. G2 and Microsoft reviewers praise intuitive interface
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Extensive shapes, templates; no evidence of automation
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 4/5. Local-data model strong; patched CVE history
  • 3.5/5 Trustpilot 11 reviews
  • 100M+ Users per vendor tagline
  • $1–$827.50 Paid plans 12 plans, TrustRadius
  • Yes Free tier open source core app

Pricing

Open source app

$0

  • Full editor, shapes, templates
  • Store data anywhere you want

Atlassian app

$1–$827.50

  • Native Confluence/Jira integration
  • 12 plans scaled by user tier

Security

Strong local-data privacy model; several patched CVEs exist — keep versions current.

  • CVE-2026-46642Configurable diagramming/whiteboarding issue; patched in version 29.7.12.⁸
  • CVE-2022-1575 stored XSSVersions prior to 18.0.0 vulnerable to stored XSS when served without proper CSP.11
  • CVE-2022-1774 and CVE-2022-1713Two vulnerabilities found in one week during a code review.10

What users say

Users consistently praise ease of use, shape libraries, and diagram range; G2 sentiment is positive but the small Trustpilot sample is lukewarm.

“Users consistently praise the ease of use and intuitive interface of Draw.io, which allows for quick and efficient diagram creation.”
G2 review summary
“Easy to use diagramming tool with extras for power users. Extensive shape library. Lots of templates. Import & export various formats.”
Microsoft Store review
“draw.io is very well suited for creating decision trees, flowcharts, workflows, UML diagrams, network diagrams, ...”
TrustRadius review

Alternatives

Compare draw.io with each alternative.

  • Lucidchart

    Polished diagramming with slick real-time collaboration; paid

  • Miro

    Whiteboard-first brainstorming for cross-functional workshops

  • Excalidraw

    Free, quick hand-drawn sketches; lighter on rigor

    draw.io vs Excalidraw

  • Microsoft Visio

    Standard in Microsoft enterprises; costly

Full analysis

Based on 12+ public sources; review volume is small (11 Trustpilot reviews), so ratings carry limited weight.

Free, open source diagramming with a strong privacy model. Hard to beat on value; collaboration polish lags Miro.

Methodology

Based on 12+ public sources; review volume is small (11 Trustpilot reviews), so ratings carry limited weight.

Sources

  1. Security-first diagramming for teams | draw.iodrawio.com
    official
  2. Your diagram data is secure and private with draw.iodrawio.com
    official
  3. Security - draw.iodrawio-app.com
    security
  4. draw.io Diagrams - Microsoft Storeapps.microsoft.com
    review
  5. Draw.io Reviews - G2g2.com
    review
  6. draw.io Reviews - TrustRadiustrustradius.com
    review
  7. Read Customer Service Reviews of draw.io - Trustpilottrustpilot.com
    review
  8. CVE-2026-46642 Detail - NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  9. CVE-2022-1575 Stored XSS - GitHubgithub.com
    security
  10. draw.io CVEs - HackMDhackmd.io
    security
  11. draw.io or diagrams.net? - GitHubgithub.com
    review
  12. draw.io Zero Egress on Forgeforge-apps.com
    news

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