PlantUML vs Graphviz

Struggling to choose between PlantUML and Graphviz? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PlantUML is a Development solution with tags like uml, diagrams, modeling.

It boasts features such as Generate UML diagrams from plain text, Supports all standard UML diagram types, Integrates with popular IDEs and tools, Open architecture and extensible via plugins, Render diagrams as PNG, SVG, LaTeX images, Command line interface and GUI available, Diagram description language easy to learn, Large library of ready-made components, Active open source community and pros including Easy to learn and use, Very flexible and customizable, Great for prototyping and documentation, Integrates into developer workflows, Large number of ready-made templates, Cross-platform and works anywhere, Free and open source.

On the other hand, Graphviz is a Development product tagged with graphing, visualization, diagrams, graphs, networks.

Its standout features include Automatic graph layout and visualization, Support for directed graphs, undirected graphs, mixed graphs, subgraphs, clustered graphs and more, Variety of output formats including PNG, PDF, SVG, PostScript, Command line interface and APIs for multiple programming languages, Graph animations, Customizable node and edge shapes, colors, labels, styles, Hierarchical graph layouts, Clustering support, Edge bundling, Interactive graph exploration, and it shines with pros like Open source and free, Powerful automatic graph layout algorithms, Support for large and complex graph datasets, High quality graph visualizations, Extensive customization options, Integration with many programming languages and environments.

Feature	PlantUML	Graphviz
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

PlantUML

Description: PlantUML is an open-source tool for creating UML diagrams from plain text. It supports all standard UML diagrams like use case diagrams, class diagrams, sequence diagrams, etc. PlantUML allows users to write simple textual descriptions which are then transformed into UML diagrams.

Graphviz

Description: Graphviz is an open source graph visualization software used for representing structural information as diagrams of abstract graphs and networks. It provides useful features for creating a variety of graph types like directed graphs, undirected graphs, hierarchies, and more.

Key Features Comparison

PlantUML Features

• Generate UML diagrams from plain text
• Supports all standard UML diagram types
• Integrates with popular IDEs and tools
• Open architecture and extensible via plugins
• Render diagrams as PNG, SVG, LaTeX images
• Command line interface and GUI available
• Diagram description language easy to learn
• Large library of ready-made components
• Active open source community

Graphviz Features

• Automatic graph layout and visualization
• Support for directed graphs, undirected graphs, mixed graphs, subgraphs, clustered graphs and more
• Variety of output formats including PNG, PDF, SVG, PostScript
• Command line interface and APIs for multiple programming languages
• Graph animations
• Customizable node and edge shapes, colors, labels, styles
• Hierarchical graph layouts
• Clustering support
• Edge bundling
• Interactive graph exploration

Pros & Cons Analysis

PlantUML

Pros

• Easy to learn and use
• Very flexible and customizable
• Great for prototyping and documentation
• Integrates into developer workflows
• Large number of ready-made templates
• Cross-platform and works anywhere
• Free and open source

Cons

• Steep learning curve for advanced features
• Limited WYSIWYG editing capabilities
• Not as feature rich as commercial tools
• Formatting options can be limited
• Not ideal for non-technical users

Graphviz

Pros

• Open source and free
• Powerful automatic graph layout algorithms
• Support for large and complex graph datasets
• High quality graph visualizations
• Extensive customization options
• Integration with many programming languages and environments

Cons

• Steep learning curve
• Cryptic command line interface
• Limited interactive features compared to some commercial tools
• Difficult to style graphs consistently across outputs
• No native support for dynamic or interactive graphs

Pricing Comparison

PlantUML

• Open Source

Graphviz

• Open Source