EdrawMax

Desktop and web diagramming with templates for technical and business visuals

KINDA · partial replacement
price variesestimated build time multi-dayreplaced by 0 people

The visible general diagramming loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. EdrawMax earns its keep through interaction polish, collaboration, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • large template libraries
  • high-fidelity import and export
  • presentation and enterprise controls
  • multiplayer cursors and comments

Why people still pay

EdrawMax: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • A supported Node release for development and a modern browser. Ship a static bundle that can work locally without an account.
  • Implementation components: Vite, React and TypeScript with SVG for diagrams or a Canvas rendering adapter for raster assets. IndexedDB for projects and revisions; versioned JSON documents with stable object IDs.
  • Scope boundary: large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export
01
Vite, React and TypeScript with SVG for diagrams or a Canvas rendering adapter for raster assets.
02
IndexedDB for projects and revisions; versioned JSON documents with stable object IDs.
03
Domain model: documents, stencil types, geometry, connector anchors, layers and export bounds
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build a general diagram editor with a small stencil library, grid snapping and orthogonal connectors. Add text/style controls, undo and an export that includes the actual drawing bounds. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export

2

Phase 2

Durable model. Model documents, stencil types, geometry, connector anchors, layers and export bounds Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Connector endpoints reference anchors rather than screen pixels; imported unsupported stencil types remain visible as labeled placeholders.

3

Phase 3

Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Represent edits as reversible commands, debounce autosave, and persist a complete project snapshot before destructive structural changes.

4

Phase 4

Permissions and integration failure. Sanitize imported SVG, reject external scripts and oversized assets, and require user selection before reading local files. Keep document contents out of telemetry. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.

5

Phase 5

Portable handoff. Export editable JSON with assets and an SVG or PNG rendering. Reopen the editable export to retain layers, relationships and IDs; image exports alone are not backups. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.

6

Phase 6

Acceptance scenarios. Zoom and move a connected shape without changing topology; undo a group deletion and recover all edge references in the JSON export. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
WORKING SLICE
Build a general diagram editor with a small stencil library, grid snapping and orthogonal connectors. Add text/style controls, undo and an export that includes the actual drawing bounds.

Build this scoped EdrawMax-inspired workflow with a documented data model and visible failure states.

Architecture
- Vite, React and TypeScript with SVG for diagrams or a Canvas rendering adapter for raster assets.
- IndexedDB for projects and revisions; versioned JSON documents with stable object IDs.

Prerequisites and limits
A supported Node release for development and a modern browser. Ship a static bundle that can work locally without an account.
Outside this release: large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export

Data model and correctness
documents, stencil types, geometry, connector anchors, layers and export bounds
Invariant: Connector endpoints reference anchors rather than screen pixels; imported unsupported stencil types remain visible as labeled placeholders.
Represent edits as reversible commands, debounce autosave, and persist a complete project snapshot before destructive structural changes.

Security and privacy
Sanitize imported SVG, reject external scripts and oversized assets, and require user selection before reading local files. Keep document contents out of telemetry.

Recovery and export
Export editable JSON with assets and an SVG or PNG rendering. Reopen the editable export to retain layers, relationships and IDs; image exports alone are not backups.

Implementation order
1. Phase 1 — Scope and fixtures. Implement this bounded workflow: Build a general diagram editor with a small stencil library, grid snapping and orthogonal connectors. Add text/style controls, undo and an export that includes the actual drawing bounds. Record prerequisites, select representative user-owned fixtures and document the unsupported features: large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export
2. Phase 2 — Durable model. Model documents, stencil types, geometry, connector anchors, layers and export bounds Add migrations or a versioned document format, explicit validation, stable IDs and a visible import-error report. Preserve this rule: Connector endpoints reference anchors rather than screen pixels; imported unsupported stencil types remain visible as labeled placeholders.
3. Phase 3 — Complete the first useful path. Implement the workflow's input, review and output interface, with clear controls and explicit empty/error states. Represent edits as reversible commands, debounce autosave, and persist a complete project snapshot before destructive structural changes.
4. Phase 4 — Permissions and integration failure. Sanitize imported SVG, reject external scripts and oversized assets, and require user selection before reading local files. Keep document contents out of telemetry. Request integration credentials and permissions only for the enabled feature; show a disconnected state instead of mock results.
5. Phase 5 — Portable handoff. Export editable JSON with assets and an SVG or PNG rendering. Reopen the editable export to retain layers, relationships and IDs; image exports alone are not backups. Include setup, operating limits, fixture walkthrough and shutdown/restart instructions in the README.
6. Phase 6 — Acceptance scenarios. Zoom and move a connected shape without changing topology; undo a group deletion and recover all edge references in the JSON export. Repeat the workflow after restart and with a denied permission or unavailable dependency; show recoverable failure rather than a success placeholder.

Acceptance
Zoom and move a connected shape without changing topology; undo a group deletion and recover all edge references in the JSON export.
Use real source data or clearly labeled fixtures. Explain unsupported input and provider failures; do not fabricate analytics, delivery receipts, accuracy claims or security guarantees.

Optional agent guidance
Optional external skill: [vercel-composition-patterns](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/composition-patterns/SKILL.md) — Design reusable React components with composition, context and explicit component variants. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Optional external skill: [web-design-guidelines](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/web-design-guidelines/SKILL.md) — Review web interfaces for accessibility, keyboard focus, forms, navigation and interaction quality. Review its instructions and compatibility before use; it does not grant deployment, data-access or publication permission.
Project rule — data model: documents, stencil types, geometry, connector anchors, layers and export bounds
Project rule — preserve this invariant: Connector endpoints reference anchors rather than screen pixels; imported unsupported stencil types remain visible as labeled placeholders.
Project rule — acceptance evidence: Zoom and move a connected shape without changing topology; undo a group deletion and recover all edge references in the JSON export.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

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Alternatives to building your own

diagrams.netThe unglamorous diagram workhorse: huge template coverage, local files, imports, automatic layouts, and collaboration through shared storage.62kjul 2026open source↗yEdExcellent automatic layout and plenty of business and technical diagrams; less template theatre, more getting boxes aligned.$0free↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

EdrawMax pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free trial$0$02 built-in templates plus 2 local and 2 cloud templates; 500 AI tokens; 5 recycle-bin items retained 7 days; up to 60 shapes in a general diagram; 5 Visio/CAD imports; exported files are watermarkedOngoing restricted free/trial mode.
semi-annual——Desktop on up to 3 PCs plus 3 mobile devices and online access; 1 GB cloud storageOfficial comparison table listed $69 per 6 months, but no field in the requested schema represents a six-month price and live promotional selectors were inconsistent.
annual—$8.25Desktop on up to 3 PCs plus 3 mobile devices and online access; 1 GB cloud storageOfficial comparison table listed $99/year ($8.25/month equivalent); a promotional selector displayed $89 without an unambiguous term association.
perpetual——Current major desktop version on up to 3 PCs; mobile/web access for 3 years; 10 GB cloud storageOne-time purchase, not a monthly/annual subscription. Promotional and comparison sections displayed inconsistent one-time prices, so the USD price is left null.

free tier2 built-in templates plus 2 local and 2 cloud templates; 500 AI tokens; 5 recycle-bin items/7-day retention; 60 shapes per general diagram; 5 Visio/CAD imports; watermark

billingsemi-annual + annual auto-renewing subscriptions; perpetual one-time license

hidden costsThe optional EdrawMax AI Assets checkbox starts with a 7-day trial and then auto-renews as a separate subscription at a price not cleanly exposed. Perpetual covers the purchased major desktop version and only 3 years of mobile/web access; subscription payments are not credited toward a perpetual license.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗

Questions about EdrawMax

Can you build your own EdrawMax with AI?

Partly. The visible general diagramming loop is buildable, but a credible replacement needs more than the first screen. EdrawMax earns its keep through interaction polish, collaboration, so expect a weekend or multi-day build and a narrower personal scope.

What does the EdrawMax build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a general diagram editor with a small stencil library, grid snapping and orthogonal connectors. Add text/style controls, undo and an export that includes the actual drawing bounds. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export; presentation and enterprise controls. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the EdrawMax prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this EdrawMax project take?

The catalogue estimate is multi-day for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing EdrawMax?

large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export; presentation and enterprise controls; multiplayer cursors and comments. EdrawMax: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.

What can I use instead of building EdrawMax?

diagrams.net: The unglamorous diagram workhorse: huge template coverage, local files, imports, automatic layouts, and collaboration through shared storage. yEd: Excellent automatic layout and plenty of business and technical diagrams; less template theatre, more getting boxes aligned. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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