drawio-desktop

drawio-desktop is the official offline desktop version of draw.io, a diagramming and flowchart tool. The problem it solves is providing a fully self-contained app for creating diagrams — such as flowcharts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and organizational charts — without needing a browser or an internet connection. While draw.io is normally a web application, some users want a native desktop experience that stores files locally and never transmits diagram data over the internet.

The app is built using Electron, a framework that packages web applications as native desktop software by bundling a Chromium browser engine together with Node.js. In practice this means draw.io's existing web-based editor is wrapped into a standalone application that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The JavaScript and HTML that power the editor are bundled entirely within the app, and the Content Security Policy is explicitly configured to block any external JavaScript from loading or any data from being sent out. Even analytics are disabled.

A deliberate design goal is security through isolation. The only external connection the app ever makes is checking GitHub for software updates at startup. No diagram content, telemetry, or usage data leaves the machine.

You would use drawio-desktop when you need to create professional diagrams in a regulated or air-gapped environment where network-connected tools are not permitted, or simply when you prefer a native app experience over a browser tab. It is free to use under the Apache 2.0 license.

The tech stack is JavaScript on top of Electron, with the core draw.io editor included as a Git submodule. Installation packages are provided for Windows (installer, MSI, and portable versions), macOS, and Linux.