draw.io vs Archboard for Architecture Diagrams

If your architecture diagrams live in draw.io today, you probably know the moment that starts the search for an alternative: the diagram exists, but nobody is sure which copy is the current one. This post compares draw.io (diagrams.net) and Archboard for architecture diagrams specifically, and shows what changes when your team moves to one shared, current map.

The short version

• draw.io is a general-purpose, file-based diagram editor: you draw generic shapes and save a .drawio file wherever you keep files.
• Archboard is an architecture workspace: typed nodes with ports, one link per diagram, autosave and revision history, and no files to pass around.

If your diagrams describe systems your team runs, and more than one person maintains them, Archboard is built for exactly that job.

Where file-based diagrams create friction

draw.io stores each diagram as a file. That works for a quick drawing; it starts to hurt when a whole team maintains one architecture map over months:

• Copies multiply. Someone pastes a PNG export into a design doc, someone edits the .drawio file in a branch, a third copy sits in a shared drive. Which one reflects production?
• Shapes carry meaning only by convention. A generic shape with a Kubernetes icon looks right, but whether it is a Service or a Deployment lives in the label and in your team's habits.
• Access lives in the storage layer. Who can edit depends on folder or repository permissions, not on the diagram.
• History is someone else's job. Git, Google Drive, Dropbox or Confluence keep versions, but a file on a laptop or a shared drive does not, so what changed and when depends on where the file lives.

What Archboard does differently

Archboard is a hosted architecture workspace. There is no file to save or pass around: you sign in with Google or GitHub, and the first sign-in creates your account and organization. No credit card.

• Domain node packs. 27 built-in packs with 223 node types, including Kubernetes, Cloud, Network, C4 Model, Data, DevOps, Security, Sequence and BPMN. Nodes are first-class nodes with ports, not generic shapes, and you connect ports rather than drawing loose lines.
• One link per diagram. Share a public link (branded on Free) or embed the live diagram in your docs site on Pro and Enterprise. Your docs always show the current version.
• Autosave and revision snapshots. Every change is saved; Free keeps 5 revisions, Pro keeps a year of revision history and Enterprise keeps it with no time limit.
• Organizations, workspaces and roles. Access is part of the workspace, with roles on Pro and Enterprise.
• Markdown and code blocks on the canvas, so a runbook snippet or a config example sits next to the component it describes.
• Brainstorming on the same canvas. Sticky notes, stickers and mind maps sit next to the architecture packs.
• Structured JSON import and export, plus SVG and PNG on every plan and JPEG, PDF and animated GIF/WebM on Pro.

draw.io vs Archboard: comparison table

	draw.io / diagrams.net	Archboard
Built for	General diagramming	Architecture and infrastructure diagrams
Building blocks	Generic shapes and icon libraries	27 domain node packs, 223 typed node types with ports
Where diagrams live	Files you store and share yourself	Archboard workspace, one link per diagram
Current version	Whichever file copy is newest	Always the live diagram
Access control	Folder or repository permissions	Google/GitHub sign-in, organizations, workspaces, roles
History	Depends on where the file lives	Autosave and revision snapshots
Sharing	The file, an export, or a publish or embed link to a public file	Share links; live embed on Pro and Enterprise
Brainstorming	Shapes and text	Sticky notes, stickers and mind maps next to the architecture packs

See /compare/drawio for the full side-by-side and /pricing for plan details.

When Archboard fits best

Archboard fits a team that wants one shared, current architecture map without managing files to get there. Typical cases:

• A platform team maintaining a map of clusters and services: a Cloud pack Kubernetes Cluster node per account with its Kubernetes Namespace frames, and Deployment, Service and Ingress nodes connected by ports.
• An architecture group keeping a C4 view current with Person, Software System, Container and Database nodes inside boundaries.
• Engineering managers who want new hires to open one link instead of hunting for the right export.

Autosave and revision snapshots replace "which file is current?", and a share link or embed replaces pasted PNGs.

Moving from draw.io in an afternoon

Treat the move as a cleanup pass, not a migration project:

1. Start with your most-used diagram, the one linked from onboarding docs or incident runbooks.
2. Open a similar diagram in the /examples gallery and use its structure as a reference for your own canvas.
3. Redraw with typed nodes. Use a Namespace frame instead of a dashed rectangle, a Service node instead of a labelled box, and connect ports.
4. Replace the links, not the files. Point docs at the share link (or embed it on Pro) and archive the old .drawio file.

The Free plan lets you try this with every pack; for a full production map, Pro gives you unlimited diagrams and nodes.

FAQ

Is Archboard a free draw.io alternative? Archboard has a Free plan with 1 seat, 3 diagrams, every built-in pack and 15 diagram nodes plus 150 notes, text, stickers and mind map topics per diagram, enough to try it on a real diagram. Teams that edit together move to Pro for teammate seats, unlimited diagrams and nodes, roles and embed.

Can I import my .drawio files? Not directly. Archboard imports its own structured JSON plus Kubernetes YAML and Docker Compose files, so you redraw the .drawio diagrams worth keeping or start cluster maps from your manifests. With typed nodes and ports this goes quickly, and the result is cleaner than the original.

Can I use Archboard offline or self-host it? There is no self-hosted edition: Archboard is a hosted workspace you open from any browser. If your connection drops, keep working in the open tab; your changes sync when you reconnect.

Does Archboard include official cloud provider icon sets? Archboard's Cloud nodes are typed and vendor-neutral rather than an official icon set, and the Brand icons in the insert search add provider logos when you want them. Label each node with the service name, and the diagram stays clear and consistent across clouds.

Start free — one seat, no credit card