Eraser vs SmartDraw
Eraser
eraser.io
SmartDraw
smartdraw.comSide by side
| Figure | Eraser | SmartDraw |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $15/mo | $0.75/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 5 |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.6 (#15) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.6 (#8) |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 9.1 (#4) | 9.3 (#2) |
| Collaboration | Plans include commenting, tagging, real-time collaboration and export to PDF, PNG, SVG and Markdown. | Teams can edit diagrams in real time, comment, share links and use version history. |
| Diagram types | The documented diagram-as-code types are flow charts, entity-relationship diagrams, cloud architecture diagrams, sequence diagrams and BPMN diagrams. | Templates and tools cover flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML, ERD, timelines, mind maps, Gantt charts, cause-and-effect diagrams and technical drawings. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Integrations | Official integrations include GitHub, Notion, Confluence and a VS Code extension. | Integrations include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Teams, Confluence, Jira, Trello, SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, AWS, Azure, GitHub, Entra ID, ChatGPT and Claude. |
| Rating on G2 | 0.0 out of 5 from 0 reviews | 4.5 out of 5 from 403 reviews. |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes | Yes |
| Security | Eraser states that it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified, annually penetration tested, and does not train AI models on customer content. | SmartDraw states that production data at rest uses FIPS 140-2 compliant AES-256 encryption and data transmission uses TLS 1.2 or greater. |
| Support | The Enterprise plan includes a customer success manager, and security reports are available under NDA. | SmartDraw offers free in-house email and chat support; enterprise customers receive dedicated support representatives. |
| What it does | Eraser is a web platform for creating AI-assisted technical diagrams and documentation. | SmartDraw is a visual workspace for creating professional diagrams, drawings, floor plans and data visualizations without specialist CAD training. |
Plans
SmartDraw
- Individual$9.95 a month
- Team$8.95 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Team$8.95 a year
- Individual$9.95 a year
In their own words
Eraser
Eraser is a diagramming tool for technical teams that generates diagrams from prompts, code, files, and private Git repositories. It supports flow charts, entity-relationship diagrams, cloud architecture diagrams, sequence diagrams, and BPMN diagrams. Generated diagrams can be adjusted with diagram-as-code or AI edits, and reference libraries can align output with company building blocks. Collaboration includes real-time work, comments, tagging, and unlimited free guests. The service lists GitHub, Notion, Confluence, and a VS Code extension, as well as live diagram embeds and Git-powered updates. The free plan includes 3 files, 3 AI diagrams, and 7-day version history. Starter costs $15 a month when billed annually, or $20 monthly; it adds unlimited files, private files, and API calls. The diagram API is for paid users, while MCP operations are subject to plan AI-credit limits. Eraser says it is SOC 2 Type 2 certified, performs annual penetration testing, and does not train AI models on customer content. Enterprise deployment options include multi-tenant, single-tenant, and self-hosted setups.
SmartDraw
SmartDraw is a diagramming tool for creating scaled floor plans and professional diagrams, from building layouts and evacuation plans to flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and mind maps. SmartDraw AI can turn natural-language prompts into editable diagrams and floor plans. Templates and automatic layout adjustment help shape diagrams as users add, move, or delete elements. Teams can edit together, comment, and review version history. The service supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web, though its desktop launcher opens the web app and requires an internet connection. Files can be imported from formats including PDF, Visio, Lucidchart, and common image files, then exported as JPEG, PNG, SVG, PDF, or Visio. SmartDraw lists integrations with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Jira, Confluence, Azure, AWS, GitHub, ChatGPT, and Claude. The paid product has a free trial but no free plan; Team requires at least three users. SmartDraw was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.