5 self-hosted options
Self-hosted alternatives to Microsoft Visio
The best open-source alternative to Microsoft Visio is Excalidraw (MIT, 134,690 GitHub stars, Docker image). ChartDB stands out for the newest codebase (created August 2024), and draw.io stands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
tldraw is also listed but is source-available, so it comes after the open-source picks.
About Microsoft Visio: Microsoft's diagramming software for flowcharts, org charts and network diagrams.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Excalidraw
excalidraw/excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
Active · last commit Oct 28, 2026
UtilitiesTypeScriptDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
ChartDB
chartdb/chartdb
Database diagrams editor that allows you to visualize and design your DB with a single query.
Active · last commit Oct 22, 2026
Database ManagementTypeScriptDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created August 2024).
- Rank 3:
draw.io
jgraph/drawio
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Active · last commit Oct 23, 2026
Note-taking & EditorsJavaScriptDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license.
At a glance
Microsoft Visio alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 134,690 | 285 | Oct 28, 2026 | Yes |
| ChartDB | the newest codebase (created August 2024) | AGPL-3.0 | 23,027 | 98 | Oct 22, 2026 | Yes |
| draw.io | a permissive Apache-2.0 license | Apache-2.0 | 9,028 | 73 | Oct 23, 2026 | Yes |
| WBO | the longest track record (since 2013) | AGPL-3.0 | 2,675 | 1,144 | Oct 24, 2026 | Yes |
| tldraw | the most commits in the last 12 months (1,931) | source-available, tldraw license | 51,123 | 1,931 | Oct 28, 2026 | No |
Full list
All 5 Microsoft Visio alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Excalidraw
Virtual hand-drawn style whiteboard for diagrams and sketches.
UtilitiesDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Excalidraw has 134,690 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 285 commits in the last year.
- 2
ChartDB
Database diagrams editor that allows you to visualize and design your DB with a single query.
Database ManagementDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created August 2024). ChartDB has 23,027 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 98 commits in the last year.
- 3
draw.io
Diagram software for making flowcharts, process diagrams, org charts, UML, ER and network diagrams.
Note-taking & EditorsDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. draw.io has 9,028 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 73 commits in the last year.
- 4
WBO
Web Whiteboard to collaborate in real-time on schemas, drawings, and notes.
Team ChatDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2013). WBO has 2,675 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 1,144 commits in the last year.
- 5
tldraw
Infinite canvas whiteboard and SDK for drawing and diagramming.
Source-availableUtilitiesStands out for the most commits in the last 12 months (1,931). tldraw has 51,123 GitHub stars, is source-available under the tldraw license (not an open-source license) and had 1,931 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft Visio?
Yes. 4 of the 5 apps on this page are open source; 1 is source-available. The open-source ones are free to self-host without per-user fees; source-available licenses add conditions such as user caps or limits on hosted use, so read them before you commit.
Can I self-host an alternative to Microsoft Visio with Docker?
Yes. 4 of the 5 apps here publish a Docker image, including Excalidraw, ChartDB and draw.io, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Microsoft Visio alternative is the most actively developed?
tldraw (source-available) (source-available, tldraw license), with 1,931 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.