Common Diagramming Tools for Developers: Excalidraw, draw.io, Yuque, Xmind, Carbon, ProcessOn

Many readers often wonder which software is used to create the diagrams in technical articles; this guide compiles a list of commonly used diagramming tools and their key features.

Excalidraw

Excalidraw is a lightweight, open‑source hand‑drawn style whiteboard that can quickly produce attractive flowcharts, UML diagrams, and charts.

It offers a rich library of hand‑drawn icons and components, searchable in the template marketplace.

Key characteristics include a clean interface, numerous templates, keyboard shortcuts, no registration required, optional Chinese language, end‑to‑end encryption, and support for exporting images, source files, shareable links, real‑time collaboration, and workspace saving.

Online address: https://excalidraw.com/

draw.io

draw.io (also known as diagrams.net) is a free online diagram editor capable of creating flowcharts, UML, class diagrams, org charts, swimlane diagrams, ER diagrams, mind maps, and more.

It provides a rich set of templates covering business, cloud, engineering, layout, network, software, UML, Venn diagrams, etc., and allows custom templates.

Additional features include Chinese language support, layer management, hand‑drawn style options, extensive icon sets, and export capabilities to PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF, HTML, XML with advanced settings such as DPI, dimensions, scaling, and background.

Online address: https://app.diagrams.net/

Download address: https://github.com/jgraph/drawio/releases

语雀 (Yuque)

Yuque is a future‑oriented documentation and knowledge collaboration platform that also supports drawing basic shapes, flowcharts, UML, ER diagrams, and mind maps.

The drawing board allows direct icon search via icofont and provides a variety of ready‑made diagram templates.

Features include team collaboration on diagrams and version history with rollback.

Common templates: https://www.yuque.com/danchun-eekrs/pbxiht

Online address: https://www.yuque.com/

Xmind

Xmind is a cross‑platform mind‑mapping software offering various structures such as tree, logic, fishbone, timeline, and matrix, which can be freely combined.

It provides many diagram types and theme styles, flexible node customization, icon insertion, and supports importing/exporting formats like FreeMind, MindManager, PNG, SVG, PDF, Markdown, Word, and Excel, as well as dynamic presentations.

Download address: https://xmind.app/download/

Carbon

Carbon is an open‑source, free tool for generating beautiful images of source code; users paste code into the editor and configure styling options.

Generated images are ideal for sharing and support multiple themes, custom fonts, line numbers, margins, background colors, shadows, and sizes.

Supports many programming languages and customizable code styles.

Online address: https://carbon.now.sh/

ProcessOn

ProcessOn is an online collaborative diagram platform supporting mind maps, flowcharts, org charts, network topologies, fishbone diagrams, UML, etc.; the free tier limits users to nine diagrams.

Its extensive template marketplace offers ready‑made diagram ideas searchable by category or keyword.

Online address: https://www.processon.com/diagrams/new#template