draw.io Desktop: offline diagramming with files that stay yours
What draw.io Desktop does
draw.io Desktop is the installable, offline build of the draw.io diagramming editor. It ships the same shape libraries as the browser version: flowcharts and process diagrams, UML class and sequence notation, BPMN 2.0, entity relationship tables, org charts, rack and network diagrams, and the vendor icon sets for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Kubernetes. Shapes can be dragged from the library, drawn freehand with the pen and connector tools, or generated from pasted text. Stencils, layers, tags and reusable custom libraries let one file carry a system diagram, its legend and its documentation without turning into a pile of copies. Because the app is a desktop program, it works on a train: no connection, no account, no server round trip.
How a diagram usually gets built
The common pattern is to start from a template or an empty canvas, sketch the boxes, then let the layout tools do the tidying. Layout applies an automatic arrangement such as a vertical or horizontal tree, and individual vertices can carry fixed constraints so a re-layout does not scramble the parts you placed by hand. Containers group related shapes and move as one. Every element is addressable through the Edit Diagram view, which exposes the underlying XML of the file, so a diagram can be generated, diffed or patched as text. Export covers PNG, JPEG, SVG, PDF, HTML and raw XML, with options for transparent background, zoom factor and embedded copies of the diagram data. Import handles .drawio files, .vsdx from Visio, and several other exchange formats, which makes it a practical landing place for diagrams inherited from elsewhere.
Storage, configuration and limits
By default the app reads and writes a local file, and the format is open XML you can keep in Git or any folder you sync. The desktop build also offers storage integrations with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, GitHub and GitLab, but those need the corresponding account and an online session; nothing forces it. Real-time co-editing is a feature of the hosted web version, not the desktop build, so teams that need two cursors in one diagram should use the browser app. Other limits are ordinary: the Electron package is a few hundred megabytes installed, updates arrive as new releases rather than through a store, very large diagrams slow down, and BPMN shapes are drawing notation rather than an executable process engine. The desktop build is published under the GPL v3, which matters if you intend to redistribute a modified version.
Who should choose something else
If your organisation needs a governed modelling repository with ArchiMate, TOGAF or validated BPMN semantics, a dedicated modelling suite will serve you better. If you want quick whiteboard sketches and infinite canvas, a lightweight web sketchpad is faster. If your diagrams live inside a commercial office suite and must round-trip losslessly to Visio, verify the exchange first. draw.io Desktop is the right answer when you want broad notation coverage, local files and no subscription.
- Best for
- Teams and individuals who need serious offline diagrams stored as plain files they control
- Good to know
- The desktop build has no real-time co-editing, and cloud storage integrations need an account even though local files do not.
How to get started
- Install the Windows package from the project's release page, choosing the installer or the MSI for managed deployment.
- Open the app and pick a template, or start from a blank canvas and drag shapes in from the library panel on the left.
- Connect shapes by hovering over a shape edge and dragging from the arrow markers, then label the connector by double-clicking it.
- Use Arrange > Layout to tidy a large diagram, and Edit Diagram when you want to inspect or paste the raw XML.
- Save locally with File > Save As, and export a copy as PDF or SVG for sharing with people who do not have the app.
Questions & answers
Does it need an account?
No. Local files work with no sign-in; accounts are only involved if you choose to store diagrams in Google Drive, OneDrive, GitHub or a similar integration.
Can it open Visio files?
Yes, .vsdx files can be imported, though complex Visio-specific features may not survive the conversion intact.
Is it the same as the web version?
The editor and shape libraries are the same, but real-time collaboration and browser embedding belong to the hosted web app rather than the desktop build.
