SmartDraw vs Structurizr
SmartDraw
smartdraw.com
Structurizr
structurizr.comSide by side
| Figure | SmartDraw | Structurizr |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.75/mo | £25/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 23 |
| Spec score · Diagramming tools | 9.3 (#2) | 9.0 (#7) |
| Spec score · Diagram Software | 8.6 (#8) | 8.7 (#7) |
| Spec score · Diagramming Software | 8.6 (#15) | 8.7 (#13) |
| Diagram types | Templates and tools cover flowcharts, organizational charts, network diagrams, UML, ERD, timelines, mind maps, Gantt charts, cause-and-effect diagrams and technical drawings. | system landscape,system context,container,component,code,dynamic,deployment,custom,filtered,image |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Headquarters | The Woodlands, Texas, USA | Jersey, Channel Islands |
| Support | SmartDraw offers free in-house email and chat support; enterprise customers receive dedicated support representatives. | Support for server licenses is available through the GitHub issue tracker. |
| What it does | SmartDraw is a visual workspace for creating professional diagrams, drawings, floor plans and data visualizations without specialist CAD training. | Structurizr is a models-as-code tool for creating multiple C4 software-architecture diagrams from one model. |
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
Structurizr
- 1–20 unique users£300 a month
- 21–50 unique users£600 a month
- 51–100 unique users£900 a month
- 101–250 unique users£1,200 a month
- 251–500 unique users£1,500 a month
- 501–1000 unique users£1,800 a month
- 1001+ unique users£2,400 a month
- Open core/build from sourceFree
- Self-hosted server open coreFree
- Self-hosted server, 1–20 unique users£300 a year
In their own words
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.
Structurizr
Structurizr is a models-as-code tool for creating software architecture diagrams from one C4 model written in Structurizr DSL. A model can produce system landscape, system context, container, component, code, dynamic, deployment, custom, filtered and image views. Its C4 diagrams are interactive and animatable, can be embedded, and include an automatically generated key or legend. Users can work in a browser playground, use a local diagram viewer and layout editor, or run a self-hosted server. The CLI exports workspace views to PlantUML, Mermaid or a static HTML site; supported imports include Structurizr DSL and Structurizr JSON. Version history is available. The product has API, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web and Windows availability. Structurizr offers a free plan and a 14-day trial. Paid server licenses start at £300/mo (annual) for 1–20 unique users per installation; higher user bands cost more. The self-hosted open core is free when built from source, but has no authentication and public workspaces. Structurizr is headquartered in Jersey, Channel Islands. Its cloud service runs in AWS US-East-1 and describes AES encryption and optional client-side encryption for paid workspaces.