The Ultimate Guide: Migrating to draw.io from Gliffy

Choose the right diagramming tool for your team

If you’re planning on migrating from Server or Data Center to Cloud, now is the time to consider your options and reevaluate the current tools you are using. Maybe you are paying a lot for an app that isn’t delivering enough  value for you and your team, or you have a legacy app lying around that is no longer used, and no one’s quite sure what it does…

The key is that you want apps in your toolset that are intuitive and adapt to the needs of your team. Otherwise, you’re faced with having to create more and more workarounds to achieve exactly what you want.

Migrating from Gliffy to draw.io is simple

Let’s face it, migrating from one system to another can be a pain. That’s why we’ve designed our Gliffy mass import tool to be as straightforward as possible. This blogpost will cover everything you need to know about migrating. Plus, we’re on hand to support if you have questions or run into any stumbling blocks.

If you have decided to migrate to draw.io from Gliffy, our mass migrator tool will convert all your diagrams in a few simple steps.

Pre-migration checklist

Here are some key things to check before you begin:

Step-by-step migration guide

We recommend performing the actual conversion outside of your company’s normal hours to keep page edits to a minimum during the process.

1. Set up the test instance (Recommended)

• Confluence Cloud Premium/Enterprise: Set up a test instance using a sandbox environment.
• Confluence Cloud Standard: Create a test space and copy a selection of representative pages into it.

2. Prepare and install draw.io

1. Install the draw.io app from the Atlassian Marketplace via your Confluence administration panel.
2. Apply your license or a 30-day trial license.

3. Import your diagrams

1. Click on the Settings cog in the top-right corner.
2. In the left navigation panel, under draw.io Add-on, click on the Gliffy Mass Import tab.
3. If performing a test run, select the Confluence test space you created from the Filter by spaces dropdown menu.
4. Click on the Start Import button to import all Gliffy diagrams.
5. Wait until the import has finished, keeping the browser window open. Both the current Gliffy JSON and legacy XML formats are supported.
6. Copy and save the migration report.
7. Uninstall Gliffy once the mass import is complete and you have checked everything over in the migration report.

Migration FAQs

How long does the migration take?

This will depend on how many Gliffy diagrams are in your Confluence Cloud instance. Though just to give an idea: We once performed a live migration with a customer at Atlassian Team, where we migrated 2000 diagrams in 5 minutes!

Importantly, the migration process will not impact the performance of Confluence for you and your teams. There’ll be a running log of the conversion you can view, which you can download once everything’s finished.

What happens to my data after the migration?

Once you have migrated, all of your data is preserved in Confluence. A new page version is created, with Gliffy macros replaced by draw.io macros containing the converted diagram. The original files are still attached to the Confluence page and remain unchanged, meaning even after migrating and converting your diagrams, the Page history where the diagram is embedded is still preserved.

What if I run into issues during the migration?

We recommend performing the migration in a test instance first, as this will significantly reduce the risk of anything going wrong during the actual migration. The Mass Importer is designed to be as smooth and straightforward as possible; however, if any hiccups crop up along the way, just get in touch with us. To enable us to help you as quickly as possible, please attach a copy of the import report from the migration screen.

Why should I choose draw.io over Gliffy?

We’re glad you asked! When switching diagramming apps, you want to make sure that your decision to switch to draw.io is the right one.

We are known and trusted in the Atlassian Ecosystem as the number #1 diagramming app for Confluence and Jira. We are the top-reviewed Confluence app in the whole Marketplace, and in the current year (2025), we have over 68K installs of draw.io for Confluence Cloud (in contrast, Gliffy has less than a third of this, with 18.9K). We also offer a competitive price-performance ratio.

We are constantly innovating and updating:

• In addition to our diagram editor, customers can use our whiteboarding macro at no extra cost. This gives you the choice to diagram using the classic editor or the whiteboard editor for a more streamlined interface. This is ideal for processes like brainstorming ideas, as well as Agile frameworks like check-ins, and Inspect and Adapt.
• Our Smart Templates empower users to generate custom diagramming templates using AI. Specify your parameters and build custom diagrams in seconds: flowcharts, ERDs, Sequence Diagrams, and more.
• Dark mode allows you to diagram the way that they want, whether that’s to reduce strain on the eyes, save some battery, or simply for the aesthetics.

For an extensive comparison of draw.io and Gliffy covering features and usability, see our Gliffy Comparison PDF.

In 2024, Contegix assessed which apps have grown the most over the past month in order to, “…shine a light on products that more and more customers are finding value in while also acknowledging the outstanding vendors fueling this vibrant marketplace.”

The numbers speak for themselves:

Source: Contegix, Fastest Growing Paid Atlassian Marketplace Apps – February 2024.

What our users have to say

Last but certainly not least, we look at what our users say who made the switch from Gliffy to draw.io:

“We used Gilffy for 10+ years and as of January 2021 we decided move to draw.io. We migrate all our 6000+ Gliffy diagrams in our Confluence workspaces to draw.io and we are ready to go – very fast, smooth and transparent migration path. There is a number of reasons for this decision and we are happy that we are making this move. Its not just much more friendly pricing for large teams but also excellent support, rich features, stability and good performance with large diagrams what we are going to benefit from in the years to come.”

– Peter Kobes

“We were missing some important features when using Gliffy. To create diagrams that included our corporate identity font, we had to use Visio. Using two applications at the same time was too cumbersome and too expensive. So we looked for a solution where we could store our font, our icons and our company colors. To be considered, a replacement application had to perform more efficiently.”

– Nina Breu, Senior Software Engineer

If you’re thinking of making a switch and want to compare, start your free 30-day trial today. Discover how draw.io enables teams to visualize the way they want, and join the vast number of users who have made the switch to draw.io and have never looked back.

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.