ArgoUML vs kUML

ArgoUML is a free, open-source UML modeling tool for creating standard UML 1.4 diagrams. It supports all nine diagram types in that standard and follows the OMG UML 1.4 specification. The application is written entirely in Java and is intended to run on platforms with Java 5 or Java 6; the project offers installation through Java Web Start. Models use a JMI-based repository and XMI for saving: ArgoUML imports XMI 1.1 and 1.2 and writes XMI 1.2. Diagram output can be saved as GIF, PNG, PostScript, Encapsulated PostScript, PGML, or SVG. It can generate code for Java, C++, C#, PHP4, and PHP5, and its reverse-engineering framework supports Java source, JARs, and class files. Other capabilities include UML profiles, OCL constraint modeling with syntax and type checking, and background design critics that add suggestions to a to-do list. The interface is available in ten listed languages. ArgoUML is distributed under the Eclipse Public License 1.0 and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux through a Java runtime.

kUML is a modeling tool that expresses UML 2.x, SysML 2, C4, BPMN 2.0, and ERM as a type-safe Kotlin DSL. It supports all 14 UML 2.x diagram types, with compile-time validation and IDE support. Built-in transformations generate JPA, OpenAPI 3.0 YAML, Kubernetes manifests, and Dockerfiles. Integrations include CLI, Gradle, IntelliJ, Obsidian, Asciidoctor, and VS Code. For interoperability, it supports Structurizr DSL round-tripping and optional XMI through the kuml-io-emf module. kUML also includes an MCP server for agent introspection and a kuml ai subcommand for AI-assisted modeling. It is free and open source under Apache 2.0, with no paid plans or feature limits stated. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and the web, and can be deployed both self-hosted and through other means. Install options include packages for major desktop systems, Docker, and Maven Central library modules. Rendering Kotlin scripts executes their source code, so use only scripts or workspaces you trust.