Cacoo vs Mermaid
Cacoo
nulab.com
Mermaid
mermaid.js.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cacoo | Mermaid |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $6/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 4 |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.2 (#25) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 9.2 (#2) | 8.2 (#17) |
| Spec score · Flowchart Software | 9.3 (#2) | 8.2 (#9) |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 9.0 (#6) | 8.4 (#19) |
| Deployment | Cacoo Team is cloud-hosted by Nulab, while Cacoo Enterprise can be installed on a private server with control over data, users, security settings, updates, and permissions. | Mermaid can be used through the Live Editor, installed as an npm dependency, loaded from a CDN, or deployed using its API. |
| Diagram types | flowcharts,wireframes,network diagrams,organizational charts,BPMN diagrams,component diagrams,deployment diagrams,AWS architecture diagrams | The documentation lists diagram types including flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, state diagrams, ER diagrams, Gantt charts, mind maps, timelines, Sankey diagrams, and architecture diagrams. |
| Enterprise security | Enterprise security includes SAML SSO, SCIM user provisioning, audit logs, and centralized access management. | Mermaid Chart's enterprise page lists SSO/SAML authentication, SOC 2 compliance, encryption at rest, centralized seat management, and domain lockdown. |
| Integrations | Official integrations include Backlog, Google Drive, Google Docs, and Atlassian Confluence, with additional integrations listed by Nulab. | Listed integrations include VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, ChatGPT, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint. |
| Purpose | Cacoo is an online diagramming and visual collaboration tool for creating wireframes, flowcharts, mind maps, workflows, and other visuals. | Mermaid is a JavaScript diagramming and charting tool that renders Markdown-inspired text definitions into diagrams and visualizations. |
| Security controls | Enterprise features include SAML single sign-on, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, advanced security and compliance, centralized access management, and security integrations. | Mermaid's rendering security setting defaults to strict, which encodes HTML tags in text and disables click functionality; sandbox mode renders in a sandboxed iframe. |
Plans
Cacoo
- FreeFree
- Pro$6 a month
- Team$6 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Education$9 a month
- Enterprise private server$1,500 a year
In their own words
Cacoo
Cacoo is a diagramming and visual collaboration tool for teams creating flowcharts, wireframes, mind maps, workflows and technical diagrams. Its editor offers templates, shapes, sticky notes, an infinite canvas, tables and dynamic charts, with real-time collaboration and in-app video chat. It supports network, organizational, BPMN, component, deployment and AWS architecture diagrams. Users can share diagrams by public URL or shared folder, present them, embed them in websites and wikis, and protect them with passwords. Cacoo imports Microsoft Visio files and CSV. The Free plan supports PNG exports; paid plans add SVG, PDF, PS and PPT. Free includes unlimited users and six sheets, but limits exports and activity history. Pro and Team each cost $6 per user per month, billed monthly, and include a 14-day trial without a credit card. Enterprise offers security controls such as SAML SSO, SCIM provisioning and audit logs; private-server hosting is also available.
Mermaid
Mermaid is an open-source JavaScript tool that turns Markdown-inspired text definitions into diagrams and visualizations. Its diagram types include flowcharts, sequence and class diagrams, state diagrams, Gantt charts, timelines, mindmaps, Git graphs, use case diagrams, and event modeling diagrams. Users can also describe an idea, upload a document, or paste a transcript to generate a diagram, then refine it in a context-aware conversation. The platform supports real-time co-editing, click-based adjustments, and shareable live links that recipients can open without logging in. Mermaid can be used in its Live Editor, installed as an npm dependency, loaded from a CDN, or deployed through its API. Listed integrations span IDEs, office tools, and community projects. It imports.mmd files and exports PNG, SVG, and Markdown; version history is available. The free Basic tier allows up to six diagrams, a size limit of 60, 15 AI credits, and one team and project creation. Plus costs $10 a month billed annually; Premium costs $20 a month billed annually.