Mermaid Chart: The Evolution of Mermaid

30 January 2025 • 3 mins

An introduction to Mermaid
Mermaid enables you to create diagrams with text using a markdown-style syntax. The open-source project, started 10 years ago by Knut Sveidqvist, today is used by millions of people annually around the world. It is the diagramming tool preferred by most software engineers, developers, and technical teams (75k+ Github Stars) for its fast, flexible, and portable format. The key components of Mermaid’s open source project are:

• Mermaid.js Library: The JavaScript library that renders diagrams from text.
• Mermaid Live Editor: A browser-based editor for writing, previewing, and editing diagrams in real time.

While the markdown style text based format popularized by Mermaid’s project is widely loved, there are some limitations due to its limited professional resources as a public project. Some of these limitations include:

• A limited editing experience: Mermaid’s live editor only renders Mermaid’s code, but has no GUI that allows a user to add nodes or drag them without writing code.
• Limited design and interactivity capabilities: Mermaid.js does not offer a high level of design or interactivity capabilities. This limits the use cases, where how it is used. 
• Limited support: The project’s APIs have no professional support from a support organization.

Introducing Mermaid Chart

In 2022, Mermaid Chart, a venture backed startup from the creators of Mermaid and CEO of Gitlab’s Open Core Ventures, built and expanded on Mermaid’s text based format, introduced advanced features that make it possible for everyone to experience the power of text based diagramming. With features using AI, visual editing (GUI), enhanced design, enhanced APIs, team collaboration, and full customer support, Mermaid Chart has built a next generation diagramming platform for modern organization. 

Mermaid Chart’s value add
Mermaid Chart builds on the flexibility of Mermaid with powerful tools designed for modern work. These features make it the ideal solution for individuals and teams looking to create, manage, and share diagrams effortlessly.

• AI-Powered Diagrams: Quickly transform text and data into polished visuals, saving time and effort.
• Visual Editing: Design and refine diagrams with precision using tools like Mermaid Whiteboard on an infinite digital canvas.
• Live Collaboration: Invite team members to projects, share diagrams, and co-edit in real time.
• Enhanced Design Tools: Make your diagrams beautiful and in a perfect layout with a few clicks.
• Advanced APIs (Beta): Seamlessly embed Mermaid Pro’s advanced functionality into your product with full support. 
• Plugins: Create and edit diagrams directly within preferred platforms such as Confluence, VS Code, Google docs, and more.

In addition to building advanced business features, Mermaid Chart is spending significant resources improving and expanding Mermaid’s open source project. 

Try Mermaid Chart Today
Try Mermaid Chart today to experience faster, smarter diagramming—designed to help you achieve more, together. Much more to come!

---