UML (Unified Modeling Language) Diagrams are very important in the field of software engineering. It allows us to visualize and analyze systems. It is efficient because as they say “One picture is worth a thousand words”. It is easier to explain to clients using diagrams. In software engineering, UML diagrams are used to visualize the project before it is done and to document the project after it is done. You need to know that a lot of time is often saved with the help of these UML diagrams.
Also, there are the best UML modeling tools available out there that help us to draw UML diagrams. So, we’re going to explore various such tools with their specifications. Let’s get started:
1. Draw.io
Draw.io is a free open-source collaborative workspace for drawing UML diagrams. It also contains predefined templates for drawing any UML diagram, creating wireframes, business charts, etc. It is available as both software and online tool. It is used by many enterprises. Draw.io supports enterprise browsers. It is linked with Google Drive so it automatically saves our work. It has a beginner-friendly interface and is mostly used for professional diagrams. It was founded by Gaudenz Alder in 2000. It supports the file format of PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF, etc. It is fully a free source and it does not contain any paid service. It is supported in browsers like Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. The OS supports for this tool are Windows, Linux, and macOS.
2. Lucidchart
The Lucidchart is a tool where users draw diagrams and charts. It provides a collaborative platform for drawing diagrams. It is an online tool and paid service. People can use it with a single sign-up. It is user-friendly. It contains all the shapes for drawing any UML diagrams. It also provides basic templates for all diagrams. So we can draw any diagram easily with the help of those templates. It also helps business people to plan for their events. So it will be very helpful for data visualization, diagramming, etc. It uses a free trial option. It allows only a few frames and shapes for free trial users. Free users are allowed to use only 60 shapes per diagram. It does not support enterprise browsers. This tool is not only helpful for drawing UML diagrams but also helpful for any project design and project management.
3. Visual Paradigm
Visual Paradigm is a diagramming tool used by business organizations for planning and modeling. Visual Paradigm is available both as an online tool and software. It requires a single sign-up for using an online tool. It contains predefined layouts. It is a paid platform and provides a free trial of 30 days. The purpose of the Visual paradigm is not only limited to drawing UML diagrams but also for many purposes like creating Business Cards, Brochures, Book covers, Gift Cards, etc. It can also be used as an image editing tool. It was released in 2002. For premium users, it provides many types of categories like Enterprise, Professional, Standard, Modeler. The cost varies depending on the category.
4. Edraw Max
Edraw Max is developed by the Edrawsoft company. It was released in March 2019. Edraw is a 2D diagramming tool. It is also used to create flowcharts, workflow diagrams, mind maps, network diagrams, etc. It is a fully-featured drawing app. It is known for its extensive compatibility because the diagrams can be exported in various formats like images, documents, HTML, etc. It is available on various platforms like Windows, macOS, and Linux. It is very easy to use because it contains a lot of templates. It also comes up with additional image editing features which can help to enhance the images we are drawing. It is available only as software that requires system storage and compatibility to deal with. This Edraw Max can also be used to do project planning, drawing electrical circuits, and building planning.
5. StarUML
It is developed by MKLab and is proprietary commercial software. StarUML is a tool specifically used for drawing UML diagrams. It is a diagramming tool mainly used for agile and concise modeling. It also uses source codes of programming languages and converts that into models. StarUML is available only as software. So it requires system storage and system compatibility to download the software. It is available on platforms like macOS, Windows, Ubuntu. It can be published as HTML docs. Star UML also allows for pdf export for the purpose of clean printing. It also supports markdown syntax. It allows code generation for various programming languages like C, C++, Java, and Python. It also allows the users to write their own extensions using HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Node.js. It also allows for asynchronous model validation.
6. Gliffy
Gliffy was founded by Chris Kohlhardt and Clint Dickson in 2005. Gliffy is an online programming tool that allows any team to visually share ideas. The main advantage of Gliffy is the drag and drop feature which makes the drawing so easy. We can effortlessly drag and drop the shapes and use the available templates. It eases the process of drawing diagrams. Using this we can draw wireframes for apps, design projects. In Gliffy we can draw the diagrams with ease, share the document with anyone we want, and can collaborate instantly, import and export the documents easily. Another advantage of Gliffy is that it is cloud-based and does not need to require the users to download it. The allowed format of downloadable extensions in Gliffy are PNG, JPG, SVG, etc. We can also choose the size like fit to max size, screen size, medium, large, extra-large.
7. Cacoo
Cacoo was founded by Masanori Hashimoto in 2009. It is located in Japan. Cacoo is the online software for drawing UML diagrams, creating wireframes and flowcharts. It is available both as a software and online tool. It provides a free trial of 2 months. It also provides a free template for making any design. The advantage of Cacoo is that we can edit together and share the same diagram to edit with our friends, we can track and review the changes periodically. We can converse and comment about the diagrams. Cacoo also has drawing templates in various fields like development, product/design project management, marketing, business, general, and custom templates. The export options available are PNG, SVG, PDF, PS, PPT, etc.
