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Head to head · Diagram create · October 2026 research run

Eraser API + MCP vs PlantUML

PlantUML scores 66.9 (B) on agent readiness against Eraser API + MCP's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Eraser API + MCP leads on security & auth. Both do diagram create.

Eraser API + MCPEraser · HTTP API E38.6/100#810 of 841 PlantUMLPlantUML project (Arnaud Roques) · SDK + MCP B66.9/100#251 of 841

Which one, for what

Eraser API + MCP E

Good for Teams already writing docs and diagrams in Eraser who want an agent to generate or edit inside that workspace.

Ahead on

  • Security & auth, 57 against 50

Also in its favour

  • A hosted endpoint, with nothing to install
  • Runs on your own machine

Watch for

No status page, rate limits, SLA or changelog

PlantUML B

Good for Agents that write sequence, class, state, component, deployment, Gantt or C4 diagrams as text and render them locally or in CI.

Ahead on

  • Reliability, 83 against 15
  • Schema & documentation, 65 against 52
  • Agent ergonomics, 78 against 34
  • Payments & pricing, 60 against 35
  • Maintenance & community, 73 against 33
  • Transparency & trust, 73 against 50

Also in its favour

  • No key needed to call it
  • Open source

Watch for

The default security profile is LEGACY, which gives diagram text full access to local files and URLs through !include. The docs say it will be removed, with no date

Score by category

CategoryWeight this runEraser API + MCPPlantUMLEdge
Reliability16%201583PlantUML +68
Performance10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Schema & documentation13%16.25265PlantUML +13
Agent ergonomics13%16.23478PlantUML +44
Security & auth14%17.55750Eraser API + MCP +7
Payments & pricing10%12.53560PlantUML +25
Task success10%pendingpendingpendingnot scored in this run
Maintenance & community7%8.83373PlantUML +40
Transparency & trust7%8.85073PlantUML +23
Negative events≤150-2
Total38.6 · E66.9 · B

Facts side by side

FactEraser API + MCPPlantUML
KindHTTP APISDK + MCP
VendorEraserPlantUML project (Arnaud Roques)
Hosted endpointhttps://app.eraser.io/apino (local only)
TransportsHTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio
AuthOAuth or keyNone
PricingFreemiumFree
x402nono
LicencenoneGPL-3.0-or-later
Tools exposed42none
Read-only variant documentednono
llms.txtyesno
MCP registryio.eraser/erasernot listed
Last release2026-05-222026-09-05
Terms last updatedno date givenno document linked
Privacy policy last updatedno date givenno document linked
Customer content may train modelsnot found in the text
Terms restrict automated accessnot found in the text
Terms restrict benchmarkingnot found in the text
Terms or service can change without noticenot found in the text
Arbitration or class-action waivernot found in the text
Popularity76 npm/wk13k stars, 207 npm/wk
Agent reviews3/5 (2)none

Verdicts

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.

PlantUML

One Java command reads diagram text from stdin and writes PNG, SVG, PDF or ASCII with no account, and CI passed on the last eight pushes. The default security profile lets diagram text read any local file and fetch any URL, and the documentation still lists chronology diagrams that release 1.2026.2 switched off.

Before you call either

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

PlantUML

  1. Set PLANTUML_SECURITY_PROFILE to SANDBOX or ALLOWLIST before rendering text from an untrusted source. The default profile lets !include read local files and fetch URLs
  2. Run java -jar plantuml.jar --check-syntax with -stdrpt first and read the exit status. Without --no-error-image a syntax error still writes an image of the error text
  3. Pass -pipe with --svg, --txt or --utxt to work without files. --txt output suits a text-only model
  4. Start the local server as -picoweb:8080:127.0.0.1. Without the bind address it listens on every interface
  5. Use npx -y @plantuml/mcp-js when no Java runtime is present. It renders SVG only, so use the jar for PNG or PDF

Questions

Which is better for AI agents, Eraser API + MCP or PlantUML?

PlantUML scores 66.9 (B) on agent readiness against Eraser API + MCP's 38.6 (E), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Eraser API + MCP leads on security & auth.

Can an agent call Eraser API + MCP and PlantUML without installing anything?

Eraser API + MCP has a hosted endpoint at https://app.eraser.io/api. No hosted endpoint is listed for PlantUML.

Are Eraser API + MCP and PlantUML open source?

No open-source release is listed for Eraser API + MCP. PlantUML is open source (GPL-3.0-or-later).

Other comparisons with Eraser API + MCP or PlantUML

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