Free Diagram Apps for Confluence — Free-Tier Limits & Licensing
Need diagram tools for Confluence without paying for a large team? NGPILOT's three diagramming apps — Mermaid Plus, Excalidraw Plus, and Graphviz Charts — are all free for up to 10 users. This guide compares them so you can pick the right free diagram plugin for your Confluence.
Free diagram plugins for Confluence compared
| Feature | Mermaid Plus | Excalidraw Plus | Graphviz Charts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Up to 10 users | Up to 10 users | Up to 10 users |
| Input method | Text / code | Visual canvas (drag & drop) | Text / DOT language |
| Diagram types | 29 types | Freeform drawing | Directed/undirected graphs |
| Best for | Flowcharts, sequence, Gantt, class diagrams | Whiteboarding, wireframes, brainstorming | Network topologies, dependency trees |
| Live preview | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Templates | Built-in library | 220+ shape packs | DOT snippets |
Mermaid Plus — free flowcharts, sequence & Gantt charts
Mermaid Plus for Confluence lets you write diagram code and renders it instantly. It supports 29 diagram types including flowcharts, sequence diagrams, class diagrams, ER diagrams, Gantt charts, pie charts, mindmaps, and timelines.
Why it's great for free use:
- Text-based diagrams are fast to create and easy to maintain
- 29 diagram types cover most documentation needs
- One-click templates get you started immediately
- Diagrams are versionable alongside your documentation
Read the full guide: Does Confluence support Mermaid?.
Excalidraw Plus — free whiteboarding & drawing
Excalidraw plus Whiteboards for Confluence provides a visual canvas with drag-and-drop shapes, freeform drawing, and 220+ shape libraries. It's like having a digital whiteboard in every Confluence page.
Why it's great for free use:
- Visual editor — no syntax to learn
- 220+ shape packs (AWS, Azure, UML, networking, wireframes)
- Perfect for brainstorming and quick sketches
- Also available for Jira: Excalidraw for Jira
Graphviz Charts — free network & dependency graphs
Graphviz Charts for Confluence uses the DOT language to generate directed and undirected graphs with automatic layout. It excels at complex node-and-edge diagrams.
Why it's great for free use:
- Automatic layout — no manual positioning needed
- Perfect for network topologies and dependency trees
- DOT language is simple and expressive
- Great for documenting infrastructure
Which free diagram plugin should you install?
- Need flowcharts and process diagrams? → Mermaid Plus
- Need whiteboarding and freeform drawing? → Excalidraw Plus
- Need network graphs and dependency trees? → Graphviz Charts
- Need all of the above? → Install all three — each is free for up to 10 users
All three apps are available on the Atlassian Marketplace with free trials.
Get started
Install free diagram plugins for Confluence: Browse all NGPILOT apps →
Related resources
- Mermaid Plus — marketplace | docs
- Excalidraw Plus — marketplace | docs
- Graphviz Charts — marketplace | docs
- Confluence diagram tools comparison
- Drawing & diagramming tools guide