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:
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Flowcharts
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UML diagrams
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ER diagrams
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Network architecture diagrams
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Mind maps
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Org charts
and more.
It’s popular because:
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No sign-up required
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Completely free and open source
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Data stays local to your browser or is saved to your chosen cloud (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)
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Works offline via desktop app (Electron-based)
π§π» Who developed it?
draw.io was developed by JGraph Ltd., a UK-based company founded by David Benson and Gaudenz Alder.
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They have been working on graph and diagramming libraries since the early 2000s.
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Originally they created mxGraph, a JavaScript diagramming library, which is the foundation of draw.io.
π ️ How was it developed?
Technology stack:
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Front-end: Vanilla JavaScript + HTML5 + CSS
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Uses mxGraph, a highly-optimized JS diagramming library created by JGraph.
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Cloud storage integration: API connectors for Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, GitHub.
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Desktop app: Built with Electron.js, packaging the web app into cross-platform desktop apps.
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Open source: The code is open-source under Apache 2.0 license and available on GitHub.
π How does it run?
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The application is entirely client-side.
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When you open app.diagrams.net, your browser downloads the JS app.
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All computation (rendering, layout, interaction) happens in your browser memory.
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Storage is delegated to your choice: local browser storage, local filesystem, or connected cloud service.
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This makes it privacy-friendly and reduces server costs for JGraph.
πΈ How does it make money?
The core app is free and open source, but JGraph earns revenue through:
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Enterprise services:
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Paid Atlassian Confluence & Jira plugins (integrated diagramming inside Confluence/Jira).
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These plugins are sold through Atlassian Marketplace and generate steady revenue.
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Support contracts:
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Paid support, SLAs, and customization for enterprise clients.
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Branding & goodwill:
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Being open source, it builds credibility and feeds their enterprise sales.
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π‘ 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
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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."
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ChatGPT generates the diagram structure as a JSON (or GraphML), and the front-end renders it.
2️⃣ Mind Map Generator
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You type:
"Create a mind map about the pros and cons of solar energy."
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ChatGPT generates the tree hierarchy and suggests layouts, while the app visualizes it.
3️⃣ Business Workflow Designer
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Text prompt:
"Show a workflow for processing customer returns in an e-commerce company."
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ChatGPT designs a BPMN-like diagram of the process.
4️⃣ UML Generator
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You describe a system:
"We have a user class, admin class, product catalog, and shopping cart."
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ChatGPT writes UML diagram definitions, rendered visually.
5️⃣ ER Diagram from Database Schema
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Paste your SQL schema, and the app generates an ER diagram using ChatGPT to parse and explain relationships.
6️⃣ Concept Map Creator for Education
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Teachers can type:
"Make a concept map explaining photosynthesis to high school students."
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ChatGPT creates nodes and edges with learning-friendly explanations.
7️⃣ AI Design Coach
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You describe a project and ChatGPT suggests not only a diagram but best practices, potential pitfalls, and alternatives in real time.
π How to build such apps
Since you want ChatGPT-only-powered applications, the architecture could look like:
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Frontend: Lightweight web app for UI (React/Next.js or even static HTML/CSS/JS)
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Backend:
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API endpoint that sends user input to ChatGPT and gets back structured data.
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Optionally stores sessions or diagrams in a database (Firebase, Supabase, etc.)
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Rendering:
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Use libraries like D3.js, Cytoscape.js, mxGraph, or Mermaid.js to render diagrams from the JSON/text generated by ChatGPT.
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π Monetization ideas
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Freemium: Basic free version, premium features (export formats, templates, team collaboration).
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Paid integrations: Slack, Teams, Jira, Trello.
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Branded versions for corporate intranets.
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Template marketplace: Paid templates curated for specific industries.
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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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