KeyLines VS PlantUML

Compare KeyLines VS PlantUML and see what are their differences

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KeyLines

The JavaScript toolkit for graph visualization

PlantUML

PlantUML is an open-source tool that uses simple textual descriptions to draw UML diagrams.

Landing page //
2020-07-01

KeyLines is a powerful graph visualization SDK for JavaScript developers.

From law enforcement to fraud detection and cybersecurity, every day thousands of analysts rely on KeyLines-powered applications to turn their complex graph data into insight.

As an SDK, KeyLines lets you build applications specifically for your users, your data and the questions you need to answer.

It fits with any browser, device, server or database and comes with clear tutorials, demos and API documentation. Combined with our developer support, you’ll be uncovering network insight in no time.

Landing page //
2023-10-22

KeyLines

Website: cambridge-intelligence.com
$ Details: -
Platforms: Windows Android iOS Web Mac OSX JavaScript
Release Date: 2012 May

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PlantUML

Website: plantuml.com
$ Details
Platforms: -
Release Date: -

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KeyLines features and specs

Graph layouts
WebGL rendering
Node combining
Social network analysis
Time-based analysis
Map-mode
Customizable
Graph Database integrations

PlantUML features and specs

Simple Syntax
PlantUML uses a plain text language that is easy to learn, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users.
Quick Diagram Creation
Due to its straightforward text-based syntax, diagrams can be created and modified quickly without the need for a graphical interface.
Version Control Friendly
Diagrams are stored as text files, making them easy to manage with version control systems like Git.
Integrations
PlantUML integrates well with many other tools and platforms including IDEs (e.g., IntelliJ, VSCode), documentation generators (e.g., Doxygen, Sphinx), and project management tools.
Wide Range of Diagrams
PlantUML supports a variety of UML and non-UML diagrams, including sequence diagrams, use case diagrams, class diagrams, and more.
Open Source
PlantUML is an open-source tool, which makes it free to use and allows for community contributions and extensions.

Possible disadvantages of PlantUML

Learning Curve
While the syntax is simple, users unfamiliar with text-based diagramming may need time to become proficient.
No GUI
PlantUML lacks a graphical user interface (GUI), which might be a disadvantage for users who prefer drag-and-drop diagram creation.
Complex Diagrams
For very complex diagrams, the text-based syntax can become cumbersome and hard to manage.
Rendering Limitations
The style and formatting options are less flexible compared to some dedicated graphical diagramming tools.
Performance
For large diagrams, the text-to-diagram rendering process can be slow.
Security Concerns
Using PlantUML with remote server options might raise security issues, particularly when dealing with sensitive information.

Analysis of KeyLines

Overall verdict

KeyLines is generally considered a good choice for developers and organizations that require a robust and customizable graph visualization solution. Its comprehensive set of features and strong performance are frequently praised by users.

Why this product is good

KeyLines is a powerful JavaScript toolkit for building network visualization applications. It offers features such as advanced layout algorithms, dynamic filtering, and the ability to handle large and complex datasets efficiently. Its flexibility and performance make it a suitable choice for developers who need to create custom and interactive graph visualizations for business intelligence, cybersecurity, fraud detection, and other data analysis purposes. The toolkit's compatibility with various platforms and integration with popular technologies further enhances its appeal.

Recommended for

Developers building custom network visualization applications
Organizations dealing with big data and complex datasets
Teams focusing on business intelligence and data analysis
Industries involved in cybersecurity and fraud detection
Users seeking flexible integration with existing technology stacks

Analysis of PlantUML

Overall verdict

Yes, PlantUML is a good tool for developers and teams who need a straightforward and efficient way to create and manage diagrams within their projects. Its text-based approach allows for easy updates and maintenance, which is beneficial in agile and fast-paced development settings.

Why this product is good

PlantUML is appreciated for its simplicity and versatility in creating UML diagrams. It allows users to write diagrams using a concise text-based language, which can be easily integrated into code repositories for version control. This approach facilitates collaboration and documentation among developers. Moreover, it supports various diagram types beyond UML, such as sequence diagrams, class diagrams, and state diagrams, and can be integrated with other tools and editors, enhancing its utility across different environments.

Recommended for

Software developers
Technical architects
Project managers
Teams using agile methodologies
Educators teaching software design

KeyLines videos

+ Add

Introducing KeyLines and ReGraph

PlantUML videos

+ Add

PlantUML - beautiful quick diagrams to explain your models

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to KeyLines and PlantUML)

PlantUML

Diagrams

23 23%

Diagrams

77% 77

Flowcharts

21 21%

Flowcharts

79% 79

Data Visualization

100 100%

Data Visualization

0% 0

Flow Charts And Diagrams

0 0%

Flow Charts And Diagrams

100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using KeyLines and PlantUML. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare KeyLines and PlantUML

KeyLines Reviews

We have no reviews of KeyLines yet.
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PlantUML Reviews

Top 7 diagrams as code tools for software architecture

PlantUML is a tool that allows you to write diagrams such as sequence, object, component, usecase, class diagrams and more.

Source: icepanel.medium.com

5 great diagramming tools for enterprise and software architects

PlantUML is an open source tool and syntax that allows you to make sequence, use case, class, object, and other diagrams from code. It also supports non-UML diagrams like JSON and YAML. In addition, it enjoys support from ArchiMate, ERD, Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), and other common notation styles. Its simple, plain-text definitions make creating, sharing, and...

Source: www.redhat.com

Software Diagrams - Plant UML vs Mermaid

For C4 Models, Mermaid support is still experimental. This shows as you have little control over the way the diagram is rendered, and some parts are unreadable (i.e., arrows over nodes). PlantUML works as you would expect and has support for more advanced setup like sprites. Not even close on this one. Winner: PlantUML

Source: www.dandoescode.com

9 Best UML Software For Mac & PC

PlantUML is another free open source sequence diagram software that uses text input to build UML charts. PlantUML requires using a specific PlantUML Language to construct sequence charts but once learned it’s very flexible.

Source: machow2.com

40 Open Source, Free and Top Unified Modeling Language (UML) Tools

PlantUML is a component that allows users to quickly write sequence diagrams, usecase diagrams, class diagrams, activity diagrams, component diagrams, state diagrams, deployment diagrams, object diagrams and wireframe graphical interfaces. Diagrams are defined using a simple and intuitive language. Images can be generated in PNG, SVG or LaTeX format and it is also possible...

Source: www.predictiveanalyticstoday.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PlantUML seems to be a lot more popular than KeyLines. While we know about 12 links to PlantUML, we've tracked only 1 mention of KeyLines. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

KeyLines mentions (1)

Network / Graph Visualization Libraries
I am looking for a powerful open-source graph visualization library to use in an upcoming project. This article provides a lot of options, however, most of the open source libraries that I found were no longer being maintained and / or lacked the full set of features offered in a commercial product such as Keylines, ReGraph, or Ogma. Source: almost 4 years ago

PlantUML mentions (12)

Owning my own data, part 1: Integrating a self-hosted calendar solution
That particular diagram seems to have been generated by https://plantuml.com according to the image's metadata. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
Common Mistakes in Architecture Diagrams (2020)
I have to confess I am guilty of this — I used to just draw some unstructured circles and arrows on a whiteboard and call it enough. Lately I've been trying to work my way through lots of different diagram types from https://plantuml.com/, and it does help to wrap my mind around the existing options. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
LLM + Mermaid: How Modern Teams Create UML Diagrams Without Lucidchart
Today, tools like Mermaid and PlantUML have taken center stage, thanks to their ability to generate diagrams with text-based commands. Even better, AI-powered assistants like Claude, ChatGPT, and GitHub Copilot have made generating diagrams even easier. These tools work directly within a developer's environment, creating diagrams that are version-controlled and integrated seamlessly into workflows. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
Blockdiag – simple diagram images generator – blockdiag 1.0 documentation
While inactive blockdiag was small and nice for automatically annotating documentation. As you can see it hasn't been maintained for a few years. https://github.com/blockdiag/blockdiag With complex diagrams, I find good old PlantUML diagrams more useful if not as initially pretty as mermaid. Plus it will output archimate without having to touch that UI https://plantuml.com/ But really it is horses for courses.... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
Introduction to Haskell Diagrams
Use a high-level language like Plant UML, D2, Graphviz which are good for the purpose they are designed for, but not for generic purpose diagramming. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing KeyLines and PlantUML, you can also consider the following products

Gephi - Gephi is an open-source software for visualizing and analyzing large networks graphs.

draw.io - Online diagramming application

UMLGraph - UMLGraph is a professional automated drawing tool that allows the designers the declarative specification and drawing of UML class and sequence diagram.

yEd - yEd is a free desktop application to quickly create, import, edit, and automatically arrange diagrams. It runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Unix/Linux.

LucidChart - LucidChart is the missing link in online productivity suites. LucidChart allows users to create, collaborate on, and publish attractive flowcharts and other diagrams from a web browser.

Dia - Dia is a GTK+ based diagram creation program for GNU/Linux, MacOS X, Unix, and Windows, and is released under the GPL license.

LucidChart vs KeyLines

LucidChart vs PlantUML

Dia vs KeyLines