shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use PlantUML.com?

Easily create beautiful UML Diagrams from simple textual description. There are also numerous kind of available diagrams. It's also possible to export images in PNG, LaTeX, EPS, SVG. - plantuml.com

Worth it. Developers and docs teams should use it — it's free, open source, and diagrams live as versionable text. Skip it if you want drag-and-drop visuals or vendor support.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~15 public sources: official site, security advisories (NVD, Snyk, Fedora), comparisons, and community threads. User quote snippets were truncated in sources, so no verbatim quotes extracted.

Ratings

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

Pricing

$0

Open source

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • Developers diagramming architecture as code
  • Docs-heavy engineering teams
  • Teams versioning diagrams in Git
  • Anyone wanting free UML with no licenses

Not for

  • Non-technical teams wanting drag-and-drop drawing
  • Buyers needing vendor support or SLAs
  • Polished exec-deck diagrams — use a presentation tool
  • Overkill for one-off flowcharts — a whiteboard does it

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Fedora 2024 high-severity type-confusion fixes; run the latest release

medium

CVE-2022-1231 stored XSS, CVSS 6.1 — matters mainly if you run a public PlantUML server

medium

Second stored XSS reported in v1.2024.6 (GitHub issue #1875); keep the renderer updated

low

Free forever means community-only support; no SLA, helpdesk, or migration help

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source, always
  • Diagrams from plain text — easy to version and review
  • Many diagram types; exports PNG, SVG, LaTeX, EPS
  • Comprehensive customization options
  • Integrates with GitLab, VS Code, Slack, Google Workspace

Cons

  • Text-only — no drag-and-drop; non-technical users struggle
  • No vendor support; community-funded via Patreon donations
  • Server deployments need your own hosting and security maintenance

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/21/2026 - 12 sources - A few CVEs, mostly affecting server deployments; patch promptly and avoid exposing servers unpatched.

official x5review x3security x3news x1
  • CVE-2022-1231 — Cross-site scripting (CVSS 6.1), XSS flaw in PlantUML rendering; relevant when running a server.
  • Stored XSS in v1.2024.6, Proof-of-concept reported as persisted; tracked in GitHub issue #1875.
  • Type confusion fixes (Fedora 40, high severity), Fedora advisory flagged high-severity type-confusion fixes in 2024.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free and open source, forever
  • Ease of use: 3/5. Simple diagrams easy; syntax curve for complex ones
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Many diagram types, comprehensive customization
  • Support quality. No support evidence found
  • Security posture: 2/5. Multiple XSS and type-confusion advisories
  • $0 Starting price Free and open source, always
  • Yes Free tier The entire tool is free
  • 4+ Export formats PNG, SVG, LaTeX, EPS
  • 3 Security advisories found CVE-2022-1231 plus 2024 XSS and type-confusion fixes

Pricing

Open source

$0

  • All diagram types
  • PNG, SVG, LaTeX, EPS export
  • Community support via GitHub

Security

A few CVEs, mostly affecting server deployments; patch promptly and avoid exposing servers unpatched.

  • CVE-2022-1231 — Cross-site scripting (CVSS 6.1)XSS flaw in PlantUML rendering; relevant when running a server.³
  • Stored XSS in v1.2024.6Proof-of-concept reported as persisted; tracked in GitHub issue #1875.⁴
  • Type confusion fixes (Fedora 40, high severity)Fedora advisory flagged high-severity type-confusion fixes in 2024.⁵

What users say

sources describe PlantUML as a versatile, comprehensive free text-based diagramming tool popular with developers for documentation.

Alternatives

Compare PlantUML.com with each alternative.

  • Mermaid

    Text diagrams rendered natively in GitHub and Markdown; gentler syntax

  • PlantText

    Free online PlantUML editor; fastest way to try it

    PlantUML.com vs PlantText

  • Miro

    Whiteboard with built-in PlantUML editor alongside visual shapes

  • Visual Paradigm

    Free PlantUML editor plus commercial modeling suite

Full analysis

Based on ~15 public sources: official site, security advisories (NVD, Snyk, Fedora), comparisons, and community threads. User quote snippets were truncated in sources, so no verbatim quotes extracted.

Free open-source text-to-UML tool, great for developers; wrong for non-coders wanting drag-and-drop.

Methodology

Based on ~15 public sources: official site, security advisories (NVD, Snyk, Fedora), comparisons, and community threads. User quote snippets were truncated in sources, so no verbatim quotes extracted.

Sources

  1. PlantUML official siteplantuml.com
    official
  2. PlantUML security pageplantuml.com
    official
  3. CVE-2022-1231 — NVDnvd.nist.gov
    security
  4. PlantUML v1.2024.6 XSS — GitHub issue #1875github.com
    security
  5. Fedora 40 PlantUML type-confusion advisorylinuxsecurity.com
    security
  6. Mermaid vs. PlantUML comparisongleek.io
    review
  7. Edrawmax PlantUML reviewedrawmax.wondershare.com
    review
  8. GitLab PlantUML integration docsdocs.gitlab.com
    official
  9. PlantUML crowdfunding pageplantuml.com
    official
  10. Reddit r/programming threadreddit.com
    review
  11. TheirStack: 40 APAC companies use PlantUMLtheirstack.com
    news
  12. Slack PlantUML rendererslack.com
    official

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