Open Source Dia Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Dia for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best open source Linux alternative is draw.io. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Dia and 16 are open source and available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Linux alternatives to Dia are LibreOffice - Draw, PlantUML, Apache OpenOffice Draw and Umbrello.

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Dia alternatives are mainly Diagram Editors, but if you're looking for Vector Graphic Apps or UML Modeling 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
More about Dia
Dia alternatives page was last updated May 16, 2025
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  1. draw.io icon

    draw.io

     986 likes
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    Feature-rich diagram editor offering privacy-focused, ad-free experience with real-time collaboration, offline usage, dark mode, and cloud storage support. No registration required and compatible with various diagram formats, it excels in simplicity by not tracking user data.

    122 draw.io alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Notion
    • Self-Hosted
    • Microsoft SharePoint
    • Microsoft OneDrive
    • PortableApps.com
    • Google Drive
    • Google Docs
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Google Slides
    • Google Sheets
    • Nextcloud
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Use the diagram editor in dark mode. Go to app.diagrams.net/?splash=0&ui=dark

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Flow Chart
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Export to PDF
    4.  Mind Mapping
    5.  Web-Based
    6.  Sync with Google Drive
    7.  Multiple export options
    8.  Export to SVG
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Interior Design
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Single Line Diagram

    draw.io VS Dia

     
    Comments about draw.io as an Alternative to Dia
    Most Recent Comment
    Bryan McKnight
    Negative Apr 10, 2019
    2

    Draw.io is a decent alternative, but is too different. Mainly the problem is that Dia is an application program for Windows, while draw.io is a mere Web app. I know Web apps are popular these days, but they're not the same as actual applications, and personally I don't like how many companies seem to be attempting to make all programs Web apps or "online" "programs".

    Guest
    Positive Nov 1, 2018
    2

    Easy to use. Free and open source. can install on my pc (linux mint) Better application than Dia, that I can use online as well on my PC. Very Good !

    Guest
    Positive Jan 31, 2018
    3

    Draw.io is very usable, with a sleek interface, tons of stencils/shapes, and the ability to export to various file formats. I have used for home and work projects and have been pleased with the results. I would even go as far as saying it's more useful than MS Visio if your requirements aren't too technical.

    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Dia Icon
    draw.io icon

    • Most users think draw.io is a great Dia alternative.

    • draw.io is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Dia.

    • draw.io is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Dia.

    • draw.io is Free and Open SourceDia is also 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. 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
  5. Apache OpenOffice Draw icon

    Apache OpenOffice Draw

     125 likes
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    Draw, part of the Apache OpenOffice suite, is a graphics editor that gives you the tools to communicate with visuals and diagrams. With a maximum page size of 300cm by 300cm, Draw is powerful tool for posters, graphs, charts, and more.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    For technical drawings with integrated graduation function (not available in PowerPoint)

    Apache OpenOffice Draw Features

    1.  Edit PDF

    Apache OpenOffice Draw VS Dia

     
  6. 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

     
  7. D2 icon

    D2

     2 likes
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    Create beautiful diagrams in minutes. Simple syntax. Endlessly customizable. D2 is the fastest and easiest way to get a mental model from your head onto the screen, then make edits with your team.

    25 D2 alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Self-Hosted
    Create sequence diagrams https://d2lang.com/tour/sequence-diagrams

    D2 Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Golang

    D2 VS Dia

     
  9. 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. Heimer icon

    Heimer

     12 likes
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    Heimer is a desktop application for creating mind maps and other suitable diagrams. It's written in Qt and targeted for Linux and Windows.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Simple mind map of Heimer itself running on Ubuntu 18.04

    Heimer Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Tagging

    Heimer VS Dia

     
  11. Core2D icon

    Core2D

     2 likes
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    Core2D is a multi-platform application for making data driven 2D diagrams. The application has built-in wyswig vector graphics editor where you can bind data to shapes, share data across multiple documents, edit documents using layers.

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • PL flagPoland
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Core2D screenshot 1

    Core2D Features

    1.  Flow Chart

    Core2D VS Dia

     
  12. PGF and TikZ icon

    PGF and TikZ

     13 likes
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    PGF/TikZ is a tandem of languages for producing vector graphics from a geometric/algebraic description. PGF is a lower-level language, while TikZ is a set of higher-level macros that use PGF. The top-level PGF and TikZ commands are invoked as TeX macros, but in contrast with...

    19 PGF and TikZ alternatives

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    PGF and TikZ Features

    1. LaTeX icon  Support for LaTeX
    2.  High-res Vector GRPHX

    PGF and TikZ VS Dia

     
10 of 16 Dia alternatives