Dia AlternativesOnly apps categorised as UML Modeling Tools

The best UML Modeling alternative to Dia is yEd Graph Editor, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Dia and 17 are UML Modeling Tools so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting UML Modeling Tool alternatives to Dia are LibreOffice - Draw, Lucidchart, PlantUML and Visual Paradigm.

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Dia alternatives are mainly UML Modeling Tools, but if you're looking for Diagram Editors or Mind Mapping Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux + Open Source. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Dia.
Dia iconDia
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  • ...

Open-source diagram editor with cross-platform support offering entity relationship, UML, flowchart, and network diagram creation with editable objects.

More about Dia
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Dia alternatives page was last updated May 16, 2025
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  1. yEd Graph Editor icon

    yEd Graph Editor

     438 likes
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    yEd is a powerful diagram editor that can be used to quickly create diagrams manually or import external data for analysis and auto-magically arrange even large data sets by just pressing a button. You can use yEd to quickly create flow charts, BPMN and UML diagrams...

    114 yEd Graph Editor alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    yEd Graph Editor screenshot 1

    Top yEd Graph Editor Features

    1.  Export to SVG
    2.  Flow diagram visualisation
    3.  BPMN diagrams
    4.  Flow Chart
    5.  Auto Layout
    6.  Portable
    7.  XML import / export
    8.  Modules
    9. Microsoft Excel icon  Import From Excel
    10.  Grid layout options
    11.  ER Diagrams
    12.  Layout

    yEd Graph Editor VS Dia

     
    Comments about yEd Graph Editor as an Alternative to Dia
    Most Recent Comment
    Guest
    Positive Jul 31, 2018
    2

    Featureful. Reliable and extendable.

    Lacika
    Positive Jul 23, 2019
    1

    yEd has pretty much all features as Dia and a lot more! It has a bit steep learning curve and sometimes a bit strange UI, but once you learn it you can do almost any diagram in it. It can even reorganize it automatically, if it gets messy!

    Guest
    Positive Jul 10, 2018
    1

    Simple to use and has all the options you could want. I have now adopted it for the program I have developed in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

    Dia Icon
    yEd Graph Editor icon

    • Most users think yEd Graph Editor is a great Dia alternative.

    • yEd Graph Editor is Free and ProprietaryDia is Free and Open Source
  2. LibreOffice - Draw icon

    LibreOffice - Draw

     304 likes
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    Draw lets you produce anything from a quick sketch to a complex plan, and gives you the means to communicate with graphics and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, Draw is a an excellent package for producing technical drawings, general posters, and much else.

    95 LibreOffice - Draw alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flathub
    LibreOffice - Draw screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Export to PDF
    2.  Portable
    3.  Sequence Diagrams
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Support for Layers
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Auto Layout
    9.  WYSIWYG Support
    10.  RAW Photo Editors
    11.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    12.  Import CSV Data

    LibreOffice - Draw VS Dia

     
    Comments about LibreOffice - Draw as an Alternative to Dia
    dimlakgorkehgz
    Negative Apr 15, 2019
    2

    Line links not attached to objects. Better for drawing than diagramming though it is still possible.

    Dia Icon
    LibreOffice - Draw icon

    • Most users think LibreOffice - Draw is a great Dia alternative.

    • LibreOffice - Draw is Free and Open SourceDia is also Free and Open Source
    • LibreOffice - Draw is LightweightDia is not according to our users
  4. Lucidchart icon

    Lucidchart

     533 likes
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    Lucidchart is a cloud-based platform that promotes teamwork through diagramming, collaboration, and data visualization. It serves millions worldwide, offering flowcharts, UML, real-time collaboration, Visio support, and browser access. Designed for innovation and understanding, it integrates easily into workflows.

    50 Lucidchart alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    Lucidchart Templates and Examples: With hundreds of template examples to choose from, you can start diagramming in no time.

    Top Lucidchart Features

    1.  Real time collaboration
    2.  Flow Chart
    3.  Web-Based
    4.  Export to PDF
    5.  General-purpose diagramming
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Support for @mentions
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  AI-Powered
    10.  Charts
    11.  Scalable UI
    12.  Online collaboration

    Lucidchart VS Dia

     

    • Some users think Lucidchart is a great Dia alternative, some don't.

    • Lucidchart is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad, SaaS & Android Tablet alternative to Dia.

    • Lucidchart is Freemium and ProprietaryDia is Free and Open Source
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    ClickCharts icon
    ClickCharts

    Design flowcharts, UML, Venn, and mind map diagrams with customizable templates, varied symbols, shapes, connector styles, overlapping sheet support, and intuitive drag-and-drop editing. Export visuals as images, edit multiple di...

    http://www.nchsoftware.com
    Learn More
  6. PlantUML icon

    PlantUML

     118 likes
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    PlantUML is an open-source tool that uses simple textual descriptions to draw UML diagrams. The generator can be run anywhere within JVM and integrated with various application such as wiki, text editor, IDE, programming language, documentation generator, and others.

    112 PlantUML alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • FR flagFrance
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
    Common PlantUML JAR GUI application that will render text file into image.

    PlantUML Features

    1.  Text Based Format
    2.  Portable
    3.  Java based
    4.  VCS Friendly
    5.  Support for MarkDown
    6.  Workflow
    7.  Rendering
    8.  Create UML entities
    9.  Flow Chart

    PlantUML VS Dia

     
    Comments about PlantUML as an Alternative to Dia
    Guest
    Negative Sep 19, 2018
    6

    Not a GUI diagramming tool. By this logic graphviz is an alternative to Dia.

    Guest
    Negative Sep 19, 2023
    0

    PlantUML has no way to make a diagram or chart without knowing command line and learning a whole new markup language.

    Dia Icon
    PlantUML icon

    • Some users think PlantUML is a great Dia alternative, some don't.

    • PlantUML is Free and Open SourceDia is also Free and Open Source
  7. Visual Paradigm icon

    Visual Paradigm

     42 likes
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    Visual Paradigm for UML (VP-UML) is a UML design tool and UML CASE tool designed to aid software development. VP-UML supports key modeling standards such as Unified Modeling Language (UML) 2.4, SysML, ERD, DFD, BPMN 2.0, ArchiMate 2.0, etc.

    80 Visual Paradigm alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • HK flagHong Kong SAR China

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Visual Paradigm screenshot 1

    Visual Paradigm Features

    1.  Ide integration
    2.  Entity Relationship Diagrams
    3.  Website wireframing
    4.  SAML Single Sign-On
    5.  User story mapping

    Visual Paradigm VS Dia

     
  8. Umbrello icon

    Umbrello

     41 likes
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    Umbrello is a Unified Modelling Language (UML) modelling tool and code generator. It can create diagrams of software and other systems in the industry-standard UML format, and can also generate code from UML diagrams in a variety of programming languages.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Umbrello screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Works Offline

    Umbrello VS Dia

     
  10. Software Ideas Modeler icon

    Software Ideas Modeler

     25 likes
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    Lightweight, powerful, easy to use, UML tool

    Software Ideas Modeler is a lightweight and powerful CASE tool. It supports UML 2.2 diagrams and a lot of other ones. Software Ideas Modeler is freeware (for non-commercial use). Commercial user may use this software only after buying.

    57 Software Ideas Modeler alternatives

    License model

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • SK flagSlovakia
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Software Ideas Modeler screenshot 1

    Software Ideas Modeler Features

    1.  Code generation
    2.  BPMN diagrams
    3.  Flow Chart
    4.  Entity Relationship Diagrams

    Software Ideas Modeler VS Dia

     
  11. Creately icon

    Creately

     109 likes
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    Web-based diagram platform offers real-time teamwork, 50+ diagram and mind mapping types, technical wireframing, smart objects, templates, version control, secure cloud storage, PDF export, collaboration tools, commenting, and integration for business and education use.

    78 Creately alternatives

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • AU flagAustralia

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    Creately screenshot 1

    Creately Features

    1.  Real time collaboration
    2.  Flow diagram visualisation
    3.  Multiple export options
    4.  Flow Chart
    5.  Export to PDF
    6. Confluence icon  Confluence integration
    7. JIRA icon  Jira integration
    8.  ER Diagrams

    Creately VS Dia

     
    Comments about Creately as an Alternative to Dia
    Guest
    Positive Jun 10, 2016
    0

    Support almost every diagram type of DIA and much better user interface and templates

    Dia Icon
    Creately icon
    • Creately is Freemium and ProprietaryDia is Free and Open Source
  12. MagicDraw icon

    MagicDraw

     6 likes
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    MagicDraw is an award-winning business process, architecture, software and system modeling tool with teamwork support. MagicDraw UML can do comprehensive UML diagramming, reverse and forward engineering for Java and C++.

    License model

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    MagicDraw screenshot 1

    MagicDraw VS Dia

     
  13. Gaphor icon

    Gaphor

     4 likes
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    Gaphor is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) UML and SysML modeling environment easy to use that will help you create your applications.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • NL flagNetherlands
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Gaphor screenshot 1

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  SysML
    2.  Export to SVG
    3.  Python-based

    Gaphor VS Dia

     
10 of 17 Dia alternatives