Cloudviz API vs Whimsical MCP

Cloudviz API

Diagrams come from the live AWS account through a read-only cross-account role with a per-customer external ID. AWS only, and API access starts at the $49 a month Team plan.

Whimsical MCP

OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and separate read and write scopes. No API keys, so it can't run headless or in CI.

Cloudviz API

1. Call GET /aws/accounts/ first to get the Cloudviz account ID, then request /aws/accounts/{account-id}/{region}/{format}
2. On a 202, wait and repeat the same GET until the diagram is ready
3. Ask for jsonSnapshot or jsonDiagram (there is no plain json format) when the agent has to reason over resources
4. Use a read-only key unless the agent has to add, change or delete AWS accounts

Whimsical MCP

1. Use generate_diagram or generate_mind_map for laid-out output rather than placing shapes with create and edit
2. Call how_to for Whimsical's syntax before writing a large diagram
3. Use fetch when you need a PNG snapshot of a board
4. delete removes files or objects without asking. Confirm with the person first