Rendering

Unlike most modelling tools, and because of the open JSON data format, Structurizr is rendering tool independent. For example, here are a number of visualisations of the same model/views.

Structurizr cloud service, on-premises installation, and Lite - diagram with manual layout Structurizr - diagram with manual layout
Structurizr cloud service, on-premises installation, and Lite - diagram with automatic layout Structurizr - diagram with automatic layout
Structurizr cloud service, on-premises installation, and Lite - graph (interactive layout) Structurizr - graph
PlantUML via the Structurizr CLI (automatic layout only) PlantUML via the Structurizr CLI
C4-PlantUML via the Structurizr CLI (automatic layout only) C4-PlantUML via the Structurizr CLI
Mermaid via the Structurizr CLI (automatic layout only) Mermaid via the Structurizr CLI
Ilograph via the Structurizr CLI (interactive layout) Ilograph via the Structurizr CLI

Tooling

There are three basic categories of rendering tools:

  • Structurizr Lite/on-premises installation/cloud service: These are the “original” browser-based rendering tools and support the largest feature set. See Products for an overview of the different intended use cases and features.
  • PlantUML, Mermaid, D2, WebSequenceDiagrams, Ilograph, etc via the Structurizr CLI: These “export” formats provide a wide range of compatability with existing tools. See Exporters - Comparison for a comparison of the formats and features.
  • Community tools: These embed the browser-based UI from Structurizr Lite, etc or the export formats to provide a different tooling experience. See Community tooling - Rendering tools for a full list.

If you have Docker or Java installed, the easiest tool to get started with is Structurizr Lite, which is designed to be used primarily for a quick roundtrip experience when authoring workspaces via the Structurizr DSL. See Structurizr Lite - Quickstart for more details.