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Drawing tools for architects

 In the early days of software development, architectural design was often informal, with little documentation beyond basic sketches. As UML and formal modeling practices gained traction, teams began spending weeks or even months creating detailed design documents—sometimes even after development was complete, purely for compliance or maintenance purposes.

While detailed documentation can be helpful, architecture is fundamentally about making technical decisions that drive business objectives. If diagrams and documentation don’t actively guide development or help achieve functional and non-functional requirements, they risk becoming a bureaucratic exercise rather than a useful tool. Design should be an iterative and collaborative process, with architects and developers brainstorming together, sketching ideas on a board, and capturing decisions dynamically rather than rigidly upfront.

That said, visual representation of architecture is still crucial, particularly for communicating complex ideas to stakeholders. Diagrams help explain systems to senior management, development teams, and external partners. However, these diagrams should focus on high-level architecture rather than low-level technical details.

Given this need, many architects prefer simple and flexible drawing tools over rigid UML modeling tools. While UML tools have their place, many find tools like PowerPoint, Miro, or even whiteboard snapshots to be more effective for real-world architectural discussions. Here are some commonly used tools for architects:


Diagrams Using AWS and Other Cloud Provider Icons

diagrams.net (formerly draw.io)

  • Company: Seibert Media (Germany)

  • Type: Online and downloadable

  • License: Commercial open-source, Free

  • URL: https://www.diagrams.net/

  • Description:

    • Extensive shape library covering various cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

    • Supports UML, Archimate, C4 Model, and more

VP Online Diagrams

Lucidchart

  • Company: Lucid Software Inc

  • Type: Online

  • License: Commercial (Limited free account available)

  • URL: https://app.lucidchart.com/

  • Description:

    • Wide range of cloud architecture templates (AWS, Azure, GCP)

    • Free templates available, but most are premium

Cloudcraft

  • Type: Online

  • License: Free with limited features

  • URL: https://cloudcraft.co/

  • Description:

    • 3D visualizations of cloud infrastructure

    • Supports AWS architecture diagrams

Gliffy

Enterprise Architecture (Archimate) Tools

Archi

  • Company: Archi Community

  • Type: Desktop

  • License: Open-source

  • URL: https://www.archimatetool.com/

  • Description:

    • Supports Archimate modeling for enterprise architecture

    • Free and open-source

diagrams.net (draw.io)

  • Also supports Archimate modeling

Design Tools (UML Modeling)

diagrams.net (draw.io)

  • Supports UML notation

WebSequenceDiagrams

  • Type: Online

  • License: Commercial (Free version with limited features)

  • URL: https://www.websequencediagrams.com/

  • Description:

    • Generate sequence diagrams using text-based input

    • Simple and fast

Other Free UML Tools

  • Modelio (Free)

  • Umbrello (Free)

  • BOUML (Free, again now)

  • UMLet (Free)

  • umletino.com (Web version)

  • DIA (Very old release available, free, supports various types of diagrams)

Commercial UML Tools

  • MagicDraw (Commercial)

  • Enterprise Architect (Sparx Systems) (Commercial)

  • IBM Rational Rose (Commercial)

  • StarUML (Commercial)

Additional Diagramming Tools

  • Cacoo (Commercial)

  • Lucidchart (Commercial)

  • Creately (Commercial)

  • Coggle (Commercial)

  • yED (Commercial)

  • SmartDraw (Commercial)

  • EDrawMax (Commercial)

  • Terrastruct (Commercial)

PlantUML

  • Type: Online and downloadable

  • License: Open-source

  • URL: https://plantuml.com/

  • Description:

    • Text-based UML diagram generation

    • Supports sequence, class, and deployment diagrams

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