10 reasons why you should use draw.io

A cut above the rest

As the number #1 rated diagramming app in the Atlassian Marketplace, with more installs for Confluence and Jira than any other comparative tool, what makes so many users choose draw.io?

In this blogpost, we’ll demonstrate 10 reasons why draw.io is the one tool for every team, and specifically which features make draw.io a cut above the rest.

1. Versatile

The number one reason teams choose draw.io is for its versatility. Our users come from a wide range of sectors: IT, finance, healthcare, HR, and many more. For every business type, there are a wealth of templates for you to choose from, along with industry-specific shape libraries, and even the ability to generate diagrams using AI.

This allows teams to visualize exactly what they want: from technically-precise ERD and UML diagrams, to creative mind maps and interactive Agile check-ins – whatever the use case, draw.io has you covered.

A user flow diagram, UML diagram, and mind map – all created in draw.io

2. Intuitive

draw.io is accessible for the complete beginner, right through to the diagramming expert. The user interface results in easy navigation to find just what you need, and the drag-and-drop functionality allows you to quickly add and connect shapes, connectors, and other elements.

Simply click on a shape to add it to the canvas, or drag and drop the shape to place it precisely where you want to

3. Secure diagramming

For businesses handling sensitive data, maintaining compliance standards, and conducting audit trails, draw.io for Confluence and Jira ensures the highest levels of security. There is no tracking or external retention of your data, guaranteeing your information remains protected at all times.

Diagrams are securely stored in your single source of truth, either as page attachments in the Confluence page or Jira issue they are attached to. This also means your diagrams mirror the permissions settings of the page or issue they are embedded in, allowing you to control who can view and edit your diagrams based on those access permissions.

Choose who can view or edit your diagram using the restriction settings on the Confluence page

4. Rich feature set

draw.io offers a rich feature set to assist with your diagramming needs. There are extensive shape libraries that allow you to build and customize your diagrams with ease, equipping you with the tools necessary to create detailed and precise visual representations.

You can even create a custom library and import your own shapes – this is great for companies wanting their corporate logo on their diagrams, or employee headshots to create a custom org chart.

The electrical shape libraries in draw.io

5. AI-generated diagrams

Our Smart Templates enable you to create diagrams using AI at the click of a button. Simply type in your parameters, hit “Generate”, and Smart Templates will create a diagram tailored to your specific needs. This helps teams looking to streamline their processes, and ultimately save time.

Example of a sequence diagram generated using Smart Templates

6. Dark mode

A must for any app: choose between either using draw.io in light or dark mode by default, or set it to automatically mirror your system settings.

We recently developed our dark mode, including improve contrast and high contrast modes to ensure readability and that your diagrams truly stand out.

We’ve introduced two new modes in draw.io: high contrast and improve contrast

7. Autosave

No one likes their work going missing, especially if you’ve spent hours building a diagram! Fortunately, draw.io’s built-in autosave feature keeps your diagram up-to-date as you and others work on this, reducing the likelihood of any precious work being lost.

The autosave feature in draw.io

8. Customizable

With draw.io comes a high degree of customization options, to help teams tailor their visualizations and make them their own. Use company colors, fonts, logos, etc., to create diagrams with a personalized edge, essential for anyone with an upcoming presentation who wants their diagrams to really shine.

Personalize your diagrams using our range of font and color customization options 

9. Collaborative

draw.io and collaboration go hand in hand. You can collaborate in real time if you’re using Confluence Cloud, with any changes that you or your colleagues make appearing instantly.

For Data Center, we’ve made significant improvements to enable collaborative editing, resulting in a minimal delay, (you can even customize the delay duration), between changes made by others and their appearance on your screen.

Collaborate with your colleagues on diagrams in real time

10. Best of both worlds: a diagram and whiteboard editor, all in one app

When you purchase draw.io for your teams, everyone gets unlimited access to both the diagram and whiteboard editors. The diagram editor is ideal for building technical diagrams, with the format panels visible by default.

The whiteboard editor offers all the same features as the diagram editor but with a minimalist interface, offering a clean and uncluttered canvas for you to get creative.

Want to dive deeper into the world of draw.io? Access our linktr.ee page to follow us on social media and learn how others use draw.io, as well as pick up some helpful tips and tricks.