Blog Series
This series explores Mermaid vs PlantUML from tool selection to diagram-specific syntax, expressive power, and practical documentation workflows.
Reading path
9 posts
Start with the overview, then move into the diagram-type comparisons. Each article includes examples, decision guidance, and trade-offs for teams maintaining diagrams as code.
Choose Mermaid for everyday documentation and PlantUML for formal UML or complex architecture. Compare capabilities, version limits, and delivery scenarios.
Mermaid covers six common control fragments. PlantUML adds dedicated return, autoactivation, reference, and pagination syntax for complex interaction flows.
Compare Mermaid and PlantUML class diagrams for relationships, namespaces, association classes, view trimming, and maintainable formal UML documentation.
Compare Mermaid Flowchart and PlantUML activity syntax for branches, loops, fork/join, and early exits. Learn why formal activity models favor PlantUML.
OnUML uses Mermaid 11.6.0, where subgraph only approximates lanes. Compare it with 11.16.0 swimlane-beta and PlantUML activity swimlanes for role ownership.
Mermaid C4 remains experimental as of July 22, 2026. Compare its five views, documented limits, formal architecture fit, and governance with C4-PlantUML.
Compare Mermaid and PlantUML for composite states, concurrent regions, history states, and entry or exit points in production state-machine documentation.
Use Mermaid Crow's Foot notation for application schemas and PlantUML Chen notation for conceptual models. Compare keys, cardinality, scope, and tradeoffs.
Use Mermaid for service and resource maps, and PlantUML for component contracts, deployment views, C4 baselines, and formal architecture documentation.
