diagramHub vs draw.io: Same editor, different job

October 6, 2026 • 5 min read • diagramHub Team

draw.io (also known as diagrams.net) is one of the most popular diagram editors in the world. It is free, runs in the browser and on the desktop, and covers everything from flowcharts to cloud architecture.

So why would anyone need diagramHub? Because draw.io is an editor, not a place to keep diagrams. This article explains the difference and helps you decide what your team needs. For a quick overview that includes Confluence as well, see our draw.io vs Confluence vs diagramHub feature comparison.

The short answer

• draw.io on its own is perfect for individuals and small projects: open the editor, draw, save the file wherever you like.
• diagramHub is for organizations that want all draw.io diagrams in one governed place: with sign-in via Entra ID, permissions, version history, search and sharing.

The important part: diagramHub uses the draw.io editor. You keep the editor, the shapes, the keyboard shortcuts and the .drawio format your team already knows. diagramHub adds everything around it.

Where do the diagrams live?

draw.io: The editor doesn't store your diagrams itself. You save a file to your computer, OneDrive, Google Drive, a Git repository or wherever else. Every person decides on their own.

That flexibility is great for one person. In a company it leads to the familiar mess: diagrams in personal OneDrives, SharePoint folders, Git repositories and email attachments. Nobody knows which copy is current, and when someone leaves the company, their diagrams often go with them.

diagramHub: Every diagram is stored centrally in collections and folders, structured by team, system or project. There is one current version of each diagram, and it belongs to the organization, not to a person's drive.

Finding diagrams

draw.io: There is no search across diagrams. You search your file storage by file name, if you know where to look.

diagramHub: Search covers all diagrams and their documentation. Each diagram can have its own Markdown documentation for context, decisions and ownership, which is searchable too. New team members can find the architecture of a system in seconds instead of asking around.

Users and permissions

draw.io: Permissions are whatever your file storage provides. There is no concept of users, teams or roles inside draw.io.

diagramHub:

• Sign-in with Microsoft Entra ID SSO, personal Microsoft accounts or email
• Role-based access per collection: who can view, who can edit
• Organization administration: admins manage users and assign Editor licenses centrally

Version history

draw.io: History depends on where the file is saved. Some storage providers keep file versions, a local file usually doesn't.

diagramHub: Every diagram has its own version history. Open any earlier state, compare it and restore it with a click. All changes are recorded in an audit log.

Collaboration

draw.io: Real-time collaboration is available when the file is stored in certain cloud storages. Sharing with someone outside your company depends on that storage, too.

diagramHub:

• Real-time collaboration with live cursors, built in
• Public view links for read-only access
• Temporary guest editor links, so partners and customers can edit a diagram without an account
• Live embeds in Confluence, Azure DevOps wikis, GitHub READMEs and other tools. Change the diagram once and every embed is updated automatically. No more exporting PNGs.

More than draw.io

diagramHub also supports Excalidraw for hand-drawn style sketches and whiteboards, in the same place, with the same permissions and history.

And with the built-in MCP server, AI assistants like Claude, GitHub Copilot in VS Code or Claude Code can search, read and update your diagrams. They only see what you are allowed to see, and a version is saved before every AI edit.

Cost

draw.io: Free.

diagramHub:

• Free for personal use with up to 3 diagrams
• 10 EUR per Editor per month for teams, with unlimited viewers in your organization
• 14-day free trial, no credit card required
• Self-hosted licenses for your own infrastructure

Hosting

draw.io: Wherever you store your files.

diagramHub: SaaS hosted in Germany and GDPR compliant, or self-hosted with Docker on your own servers, including air-gapped environments. diagramHub is also available on the Azure Marketplace.

Side by side

Moving from draw.io files to diagramHub

Because diagramHub uses the draw.io format, switching is simple:

1. Sign in with your Microsoft or Entra ID account.
2. Create collections for your teams or systems.
3. Import your existing .drawio files.
4. Replace exported images in your wikis with live embeds.

Conclusion

draw.io is an excellent editor, and that is exactly why diagramHub is built on it. If you draw diagrams for yourself, draw.io is all you need. If your organization depends on its diagrams, they deserve a home with structure, permissions, version history and search. That is what diagramHub adds.

Try the live demo or start a free trial and import your first diagrams.