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mingrammer/diagrams

Diagram as Code: draw cloud and system architecture diagrams by writing Python, with icons for AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes and more.

Open-source alternative to:LucidchartMicrosoft Visio

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What is it?

Diagrams is a Python library for drawing cloud system architecture diagrams as code. Instead of dragging shapes in a design tool, you describe nodes and the connections between them in a Python script, and the library renders the result with Graphviz. Because the diagram is plain code, it can be versioned in any version control system and changed alongside the infrastructure it describes.

The library ships with icon sets for major cloud providers including AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Kubernetes, Alibaba Cloud and Oracle Cloud, along with nodes for on-premises systems, SaaS products, programming frameworks and C4 model elements. It is aimed at prototyping new architectures or documenting existing ones. It does not connect to or manage real cloud resources, and it does not generate CloudFormation or Terraform code.

An online playground lets you try the library in the browser without installing Python or Graphviz.

Key features

  • 01Define architecture diagrams as Python code that can be versioned with git.
  • 02Includes icon sets for AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Alibaba Cloud, Oracle Cloud and more.
  • 03Supports on-premises, SaaS, programming and C4 node types.
  • 04Renders output through Graphviz.
  • 05Offers an online playground that runs in the browser.

Use cases

  • Prototyping a new cloud system architecture before implementation.
  • Documenting an existing cloud or Kubernetes deployment as diagrams kept alongside code.
  • Generating architecture diagrams in documentation pipelines.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Graphviz (macOS via Homebrew)

    brew install graphviz
  2. 2

    Install the diagrams package with pip

    pip install diagrams

Things to know

  • Requires Graphviz to be installed separately before it can render diagrams.
  • Requires Python 3.9 or higher.
  • It does not control cloud resources or generate Terraform or CloudFormation code; it only draws diagrams.

Topics

#diagram-as-code#architecture#graphviz#cloud#visualization#python#diagram

FAQ

What is diagrams?
Diagram as Code: draw cloud and system architecture diagrams by writing Python, with icons for AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes and more. Diagrams is a Python library for drawing cloud system architecture diagrams as code. Instead of dragging shapes in a design tool, you describe nodes and the connections between them in a Python script, and the library renders the result with Graphviz. Because the diagram is plain code, it can be versioned in any version control system and changed alongside the infrastructure it describes.
Is diagrams free to use? What license does it have?
diagrams is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is diagrams still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to diagrams was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use diagrams for?
Prototyping a new cloud system architecture before implementation. Documenting an existing cloud or Kubernetes deployment as diagrams kept alongside code. Generating architecture diagrams in documentation pipelines.
How do I install diagrams?
Install Graphviz (macOS via Homebrew): brew install graphviz Install the diagrams package with pip: pip install diagrams
Where can I get diagrams?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/mingrammer/diagrams

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