There are many tools available, mostly web-based applications supporting cross-platform usage. Some are entirely free, others offer a trial period, and some are free but limited…
Microsoft Visio
Despite many tools on the market, the most familiar one is probably Visio from the classic Office suite. It comes in both a traditional desktop and a modern web app, but none are free. For Office 365 users, it's highly suitable (additional licensing required) as it integrates well with MS Teams for sharing, editing, and commenting. A notable feature is Re-Layout Page, which automatically arranges diagrams with one click.
Templates/icons: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/featured-visio-templates-and-diagrams-27d4274b-5fc2-4f5c-8190-35ff1db34aa5#p2-aws
Draw.io
Draw.io comes next due to being free and integrating well with cloud services for easy sync and sharing, making it a top choice today. It allows custom templates, which is very helpful for large projects needing reusable components across teams. While dynamic flow animations are supported, exporting as GIFs or videos isn’t available. You can, however, export as a URL or screen capture to display an animated diagram.
Excalidraw.com
Interestingly, Excalidraw.com also provides a library that allows you to quickly build a similar application (https://codesandbox.io/p/github/excalidraw/excalidraw/master), and you can try a live demo at Excalidraw Demo. The interface is very simple, focusing solely on drawing, and the output has a hand-made, artistic feel.
Icon sets for major tech stacks are redesigned to match the sketch style, giving a harmonious overall look. For regular users, however, the free version has a few minor limitations, such as no support for cloud storage syncing. While it allows adding custom templates/icons, any added items are public across the entire system, making it unsuitable for projects requiring data confidentiality.
Cloudairy.com
It’s no exaggeration to say that Cloudairy has greatly contributed to the trend of “animated architecture diagrams.” They share many beautifully designed technical architecture diagrams with various animation effects. The interface is very modern and easy to use, even for first-time users.
Stylish and visually impressive, reminiscent of Apple’s design style! There’s a free version available for trial, and registration doesn’t require a credit card. The Export feature is comprehensive, even allowing you to crop and export only a specific section of the drawing.
The minimap feature, similar to those in strategy games, is very useful for navigating large diagrams. Surprisingly, the free account still includes AI Gen, and it seems to understand Vietnamese—I was quite amazed!
IcePanel.io
It’s a unique tool because it supports the C4 Model, a technique for describing software architecture in a clear and useful way to explain information to both non-technical and technical stakeholders in a project.
C4 stands for Context, Container, Component, and Code, with each layer represented differently to suit various audiences. IcePanel offers strong linking capabilities, allowing for easy drill-down or drill-up, making it simpler to explain complex technical issues.
Markdown support allows you to document directly with objects in the diagram. It also lets you use multiple versions to show the system's development over time. The Flow-building feature is highly convenient and intuitive for illustrating how a process or data flow is managed.
In Summary
While there are countless other tools—Textografo, SmartDraw, Whimsical, Lucidchart, Figma… even AWS has a list of Drawing and Diagramming Tools on their AWS architecture icons page (https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/icons).
Looking forward to your discussions and other tool recommendations you may have experienced!
Saigon, a weekend day without sun or rain
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