Draw.io Application Info - Develop Similar app

Here’s a detailed answer to your great set of questions about https://app.diagrams.net/ (aka draw.io) — and ideas for brainstorming similar applications that can be developed with ChatGPT only:


What is https://app.diagrams.net?

draw.io (diagrams.net) is a free, browser-based diagramming tool that lets users create:

  • Flowcharts

  • UML diagrams

  • ER diagrams

  • Network architecture diagrams

  • Mind maps

  • Org charts
    and more.

It’s popular because:

  • No sign-up required

  • Completely free and open source

  • Data stays local to your browser or is saved to your chosen cloud (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)

  • Works offline via desktop app (Electron-based)


πŸ§‘‍πŸ’» Who developed it?

draw.io was developed by JGraph Ltd., a UK-based company founded by David Benson and Gaudenz Alder.

  • They have been working on graph and diagramming libraries since the early 2000s.

  • Originally they created mxGraph, a JavaScript diagramming library, which is the foundation of draw.io.


πŸ› ️ How was it developed?

Technology stack:

  • Front-end: Vanilla JavaScript + HTML5 + CSS

    • Uses mxGraph, a highly-optimized JS diagramming library created by JGraph.

  • Cloud storage integration: API connectors for Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub.

  • Desktop app: Built with Electron.js, packaging the web app into cross-platform desktop apps.

  • Open source: The code is open-source under Apache 2.0 license and available on GitHub.


🌐 How does it run?

  • The application is entirely client-side.

  • When you open app.diagrams.net, your browser downloads the JS app.

  • All computation (rendering, layout, interaction) happens in your browser memory.

  • Storage is delegated to your choice: local browser storage, local filesystem, or connected cloud service.

  • This makes it privacy-friendly and reduces server costs for JGraph.


πŸ’Έ How does it make money?

The core app is free and open source, but JGraph earns revenue through:

  1. Enterprise services:

    • Paid Atlassian Confluence & Jira plugins (integrated diagramming inside Confluence/Jira).

    • These plugins are sold through Atlassian Marketplace and generate steady revenue.

  2. Support contracts:

    • Paid support, SLAs, and customization for enterprise clients.

  3. Branding & goodwill:

    • Being open source, it builds credibility and feeds their enterprise sales.


πŸ’‘ Brainstorm: ChatGPT-powered Similar Applications

You asked for ideas for applications similar in spirit to draw.io but that can be developed with ChatGPT only (LLM-driven).

Here are some concrete concepts:


1️⃣ AI Diagram Assistant

  • A diagram builder with text-to-diagram interface:

    "Draw me a network architecture with two firewalls, a load balancer, and three web servers in a cluster."

  • ChatGPT generates the diagram structure as a JSON (or GraphML), and the front-end renders it.

2️⃣ Mind Map Generator

  • You type:

    "Create a mind map about the pros and cons of solar energy."

  • ChatGPT generates the tree hierarchy and suggests layouts, while the app visualizes it.

3️⃣ Business Workflow Designer

  • Text prompt:

    "Show a workflow for processing customer returns in an e-commerce company."

  • ChatGPT designs a BPMN-like diagram of the process.

4️⃣ UML Generator

  • You describe a system:

    "We have a user class, admin class, product catalog, and shopping cart."

  • ChatGPT writes UML diagram definitions, rendered visually.

5️⃣ ER Diagram from Database Schema

  • Paste your SQL schema, and the app generates an ER diagram using ChatGPT to parse and explain relationships.

6️⃣ Concept Map Creator for Education

  • Teachers can type:

    "Make a concept map explaining photosynthesis to high school students."

  • ChatGPT creates nodes and edges with learning-friendly explanations.

7️⃣ AI Design Coach

  • You describe a project and ChatGPT suggests not only a diagram but best practices, potential pitfalls, and alternatives in real time.


πŸš€ How to build such apps

Since you want ChatGPT-only-powered applications, the architecture could look like:

  • Frontend: Lightweight web app for UI (React/Next.js or even static HTML/CSS/JS)

  • Backend:

    • API endpoint that sends user input to ChatGPT and gets back structured data.

    • Optionally stores sessions or diagrams in a database (Firebase, Supabase, etc.)

  • Rendering:

    • Use libraries like D3.js, Cytoscape.js, mxGraph, or Mermaid.js to render diagrams from the JSON/text generated by ChatGPT.


πŸ“ˆ Monetization ideas

  • Freemium: Basic free version, premium features (export formats, templates, team collaboration).

  • Paid integrations: Slack, Teams, Jira, Trello.

  • Branded versions for corporate intranets.

  • Template marketplace: Paid templates curated for specific industries.

  • Paid API access for developers to embed diagramming into their apps.


If you’d like, I can also help you:
✅ Write a business plan
✅ Draft a feature roadmap
✅ Design the technical architecture step-by-step

Just say the word — and we can pick one of the ideas above and flesh it out!

Would you like me to sketch out one of these as a MVP product concept? If yes, which idea appeals to you most?

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