Looking for a draw.io (diagrams.net) alternative?
What is the best alternative to transform your static diagrams into true enterprise architecture? Discover the benefits of Boldo for structuring your IT assets.
From vector drawing to intelligent modeling
draw.io (diagrams.net)
draw.io (now diagrams.net) has established itself as the global standard for rapid technical sketching thanks to its free pricing and seamless integration with Google and Atlassian environments. Its strength lies in its immediate accessibility: it allows you to produce clean visuals without any entry barrier. However, its architecture is based on static vector drawing rather than data objects. This lack of a centralized repository forces teams to manually maintain every diagram, creating documentary technical debt as soon as the information system evolves.
Boldo shifts the paradigm by offering a connected modeling approach. Rather than drawing isolated shapes, the platform allows you to manipulate live objects (applications, flows, servers) stored in a single repository. When an attribute changes, the modification is instantly reflected across all views, ensuring absolute data consistency. Boldo thus combines the simplicity of a "Consumer Grade" interface with the power of true architecture governance.
Move from frozen illustrations to living data
While draw.io offers total freedom to draw rectangles and arrows, these elements remain simple vector images devoid of semantic meaning for the system. The tool doesn't understand that a "box" is a critical application; it only sees a geometric shape, making impact analysis or object reuse impossible.
Conversely, Boldo structures information via an evolutionary metamodel. Every element created becomes a reusable asset in multiple contexts. Architecture is no longer a drawing to maintain, but a dynamic knowledge base that auto-updates, transforming documentation into a strategic management lever.
Secure the ownership and longevity of your knowledge
While draw.io's storage flexibility (local XML files, Drive, GitHub) is an asset for personal use, it becomes a governance risk for an enterprise. Knowledge becomes fragmented across scattered files, without centralized versioning or granular access control, exposing the organization to information loss or the use of obsolete documents.
Boldo centralizes architectural assets in a secure and sovereign environment. The platform ensures fine-grained permission management and full traceability of changes. By offering hosting compliant with European standards, Boldo guarantees that your information system mapping remains a controlled and sovereign asset.
Make architecture a story everyone can understand
Technical diagrams produced in draw.io often have a visual complexity that is off-putting to non-technical decision-makers. The tool, designed for engineers, stacks details on a single plane, making it difficult for business stakeholders who need a high-level, contextual overview.
Boldo democratizes access to information through its Storytelling features. The tool allows for the creation of scripted views that adapt to the reader's level of technical expertise. Thanks to a "Consumer Grade" UX, architects can present simplified journeys without sacrificing the underlying technical rigor, fostering alignment between IT and business.
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Compare Boldo with 10+ other Enterprise Architecture modelling and mapping solutions.
Designed for collaboration across all stakeholders
Architecture should not live in silos. With Boldo, business teams, IT and leadership work on the same views, in a shared and living workspace. Everyone explores, comments and aligns in real time. Architecture becomes a collective alignment tool, directly understood and adopted across the organization.
Built on European data sovereignty
Boldo is a French platform, with data hosted in Europe on Scaleway, a trusted sovereign cloud infrastructure. Your architecture repository stays fully under your control, in an environment designed to meet regulatory requirements. No ambiguity, no hidden dependencies: clear hosting, clear rules, full transparency.
A flexible metamodel that adapts to your reality
Every organization has its own constraints and maturity. Boldo relies on a flexible and evolving metamodel that adapts to your context instead of forcing a rigid framework. Start simple, enrich progressively, and let your architecture evolve at your own pace.
Visual storytelling at the core of the experience
In Boldo, diagramming is not an afterthought, it's the heart of the product. Views are intuitive, visually refined and immediately readable. Clear hierarchies, smooth navigation and embedded diagrams make architecture easy to grasp and easy to share, from executive committees to hands-on workshops.
Fair and transparent pricing
Boldo offers Pro and Team plans in self-service, with public and predictable per-user pricing. No opaque licenses, no hidden bundles, no constant renegotiation. From day one, you know what you pay, what you get, and how it scales.
We are here to drive adoption and value
Customer Success is central to our approach. We work closely with teams to build an architecture governance that is useful, alive and truly adopted. Responsive support, continuous exchanges and a long-term vision ensure architecture becomes a concrete decision-making asset, not a theoretical exercise.
draw.io (diagrams.net) vs Boldo
| draw.io (diagrams.net) | Boldo | |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | ||
| Pricing model | Open-source | User and modelled asset packs |
| Price positioning | Open-source | $$$ |
| Free trial | ||
| Self-service offering | ||
| Enterprise offering | ||
User experience | ||
| Modern interface | ||
| Consistency across views | ||
| Time to implement | 1 to 3 weeks | ~ 1 to 6 weeks |
| Learning curve for architects | Very Fast | Very fast |
| Learning curve for business / C-level users | Very Fast | Very fast |
Collaboration | ||
| Access rights management | File level | Very fine grained (fields and relationships) |
| Real-time multi-user modelling | ||
| Comments linked to objects and views | ||
| Mentions and notifications | ||
| Object-level history and versioning | ||
Modelling | ||
| Custom object type creation | ||
| Object hierarchies | ||
| Custom properties per object type | ||
| Custom relationships | ||
| Process modelling | ||
| ArchiMate metamodel support | ||
| Framework-agnostic modelling | ||
Storytelling and visualisation | ||
| Dynamic views (auto-synchronised) | ||
| Nested maps and diagrams | ||
| Data visualisation | ||
| Auto-generated diagrams | ||
| Diagram in ""conception"" mode | ||
| Bi-directional data ↔ visuals synchronisation | ||
| Storytelling mode and scripted views | ||
| Multi-dimensional impact analysis | ||
Data and automation | ||
| Public API | ||
| Batch imports (CSV) | ||
| Native connectors | ||
| Data validation rules | (Q4 2026) | |
| Automatic triggers on changes | (Q4 2026) | |
| SaaS hosting | ||
| Sovereign hosting | ||
| On-premise hosting | ||
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