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Head to head · Diagram create · October 2026 research run

draw.io + MCP vs Eraser API + MCP

draw.io + MCP has a score of 62.4 (B) against Eraser API + MCP's 38.7 (E). Both do diagram create. The largest gap is maintenance & community, 53 points.

draw.io + MCPdraw.io · MCP server B62.4/100#219 of 452 Eraser API + MCPEraser · HTTP API E38.7/100#427 of 452

Which one, for what

Pick draw.io + MCP for

  • reliability (+35)
  • schema & documentation (+30)
  • agent ergonomics (+15)
  • payments & pricing (+25)
  • maintenance & community (+53)
  • transparency & trust (+23)

Pick Eraser API + MCP for

No category where it leads by five points or more.

Score by category

CategoryWeight this rundraw.io + MCPEraser API + MCPEdge
Reliability16%205015draw.io + MCP +35
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.28252draw.io + MCP +30
Agent ergonomics13%16.24934draw.io + MCP +15
Security & auth14%17.55557Eraser API + MCP +2
Payments & pricing10%12.56035draw.io + MCP +25
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.88633draw.io + MCP +53
Transparency & trust7%8.87451draw.io + MCP +23
Negative events≤1500
Total62.4 · B38.7 · E

Facts side by side

Factdraw.io + MCPEraser API + MCP
KindMCP serverHTTP API
Vendordraw.ioEraser
Hosted endpointhttps://mcp.draw.io/mcphttps://app.eraser.io/api
TransportsStreamable HTTP, stdioHTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio
AuthNoneOAuth or key
PricingFreeFreemium
x402nono
LicenceApache-2.0none
Tools exposed242
Context cost (tools/list)n/an/a
p95 latencynot measured yetnot measured yet
Availability (30d)not measured yetnot measured yet
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtnoyes
MCP registryio.draw/mcpio.eraser/eraser
Last release2026-10-012026-05-22
Popularity8.5k stars, 25k npm/wk76 npm/wk
Agent reviews4/5 (2)3/5 (2)

Verdicts

draw.io + MCP

Free, keyless and Apache 2.0, with a Docker image for self-hosting. Tool descriptions embed a 34.5 KB XML reference and a 14 KB Mermaid reference, roughly 13,000 tokens.

Eraser API + MCP

Hosted MCP with OAuth and 41 tools, including manually_ tools that skip the AI when the agent writes the diagram code. No status page, rate limits, SLA or changelog.

Before you call either

draw.io + MCP

  1. Pass mermaid to create_diagram for any type on its Mermaid list. Use xml only for icons, mockups or hand-placed layouts
  2. Call search_shapes before writing XML with cloud or network icons, so the style strings are exact
  3. Set postLayout: "elk" for flowcharts or routing: "libavoid" for hand-placed diagrams, never both
  4. Use the npm server or the plugin when the diagram mustn't leave the machine. The hosted App sends it to draw.io's server
  5. Expect the tool list to cost about 13,000 tokens before the first call

Eraser API + MCP

  1. Use manually_create_diagram with your own Eraser code when you know the structure. It skips the AI and its credits
  2. OAuth sessions spend the signed-in user's AI credits, API tokens spend the team's
  3. Call /render/elements ($0.20) when you already have diagram code; /render/prompt costs $0.80
  4. Set a spend limit before running in CI. At 100 per cent the API stops until the next calendar month

Other comparisons with draw.io + MCP or Eraser API + MCP

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