Mermaid (software)

Last updated
Mermaid
Developers Knut Sveidqvist and contributors
Initial release2014;12 years ago (2014)
Repository
Written in TypeScript, JavaScript
Operating system Cross-platform
Type Diagramming and charting
License MIT
Website mermaid.js.org OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Mermaid is an open-source JavaScript-based diagramming and charting software that generates diagrams from text-based descriptions. [1] Created by Knut Sveidqvist in 2014, the project originated from a need to simplify diagram creation in documentation workflows after experiencing issues with proprietary software file formats. [2] [3]

Contents

Features

Mermaid allows users to create various types of diagrams using a Markdown-like syntax, including: [4]

The software provides both text-based and visual editing interfaces, allowing users to switch between the two modes. [2] Users can create diagrams through the Mermaid Live Editor, a web-based tool that provides real-time preview capabilities without requiring local installation. [5]

History

Mermaid.js was created in 2014 by Swedish software architect Knut Sveidqvist to keep diagrams aligned with software documentation. Sveidqvist stated that the idea emerged after losing a Microsoft Visio file, which led him to pursue a text-based, Markdown-centric approach. The project name was inspired by The Little Mermaid , which his children were watching at the time. [6] [7] [8]

The project's goal is to describe diagrams in plain text kept in version control, helping documentation keep pace with development and addressing "doc-rot." [9] A guidebook on Mermaid, The Official Guide to Mermaid.js, was published in 2021. [10]

In 2022, Sveidqvist co-founded Mermaid Chart Inc. (referred to as Mermaid), which offers hosted editing tools and enterprise features distinct from the open-source library. The company's hosted and enterprise offerings are proprietary open-core extensions. [6] [7] The company's hosted and enterprise offerings are proprietary open-core extensions, focusing on text-to-diagram workflows that support versioning, automation, and code review processes. [11] [12]

Integration

Mermaid is supported natively by several platforms and services: [13] [14]

Development

As of 2024, the project is developed under both open-source and commercial models. The core functionality remains open-source under the MIT License, while a commercial offering called Mermaid Chart provides additional features and hosted services. [2] The open-source project has garnered significant community engagement, with over 74,000 GitHub stars and 6,800 forks as of early 2025. [1]

In March 2024, the commercial entity raised $7.5 million in seed funding from investors including Open Core Ventures, Sequoia, and Microsoft's M12 fund. [2]

Recognition

The project received the JS Open Source Award in 2019 for "The Most Exciting Use of Technology." [25]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Mermaid GitHub Repository". GitHub .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Frederic Lardinois (March 20, 2024). "Mermaid Chart, a Markdown-like tool for creating diagrams, raises $7.5M". TechCrunch.
  3. ↑ Amit Chowdhry (Aug 26, 2024). "Mermaid Chart: How This Company Creates Complex Diagrams From Markdown-Style Code". Pulse 2.0.
  4. ↑ Kerry Doyle (December 12, 2023). "A review of software architecture visualization tools". TechTarget.
  5. ↑ "Mermaid Live Editor".
  6. 1 2 Chowdhry, Amit (26 August 2024). "Mermaid Chart: How This Company Creates Complex Diagrams From Markdown-Style Code". Pulse 2.0. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  7. 1 2 Lardinois, Frederic (20 March 2024). "Mermaid Chart, a Markdown-like tool for creating diagrams, raises $7.5M". TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  8. ↑ Lindberg, Erica (10 October 2022). "Why we invested in Mermaid Chart". Open Core Ventures. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  9. ↑ Buchta, Brian (2024-06-03). "Mermaid: Helping Documentation Catch Up with Development". Keyhole Software. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  10. ↑ Sveidqvist, Knut; Jain, Ashish (2021). The Official Guide to Mermaid.js. Packt.
  11. ↑ "Mermaid Chart (Ecosystem)". Mermaid.js documentation. mermaid-js. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Joshua Meiri. "Visual Thinking Meets Code: How Mermaid.js Is Transforming Process Design". Origami Precision — Insights. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  13. ↑ Justin Pot (November 13, 2024). "Use Mermaid to Create Charts and Diagrams Without Image Editing Tools". LifeHacker.
  14. ↑ "Mermaid Integrations".
  15. ↑ "Markdown Guidance for Wikis – Azure DevOps". 6 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "Include diagrams in Markdown files with Mermaid on GitHub". 14 February 2022.
  17. ↑ Ian Elliot (February 15, 2022). "GitHub Supports Mermaid For Creating Diagrams". I Programmer.
  18. ↑ "Gitea - Compared to other Git hosting".
  19. ↑ "Gitlab Handbook".
  20. ↑ "Joplin - Markdown Guide".
  21. ↑ "Tuleap 12.7".
  22. ↑ "Notion – Release Notes 2021-12-23".
  23. ↑ "Obsidian Changelog 0.7.6".
  24. ↑ "Quarto – Diagram Authoring".
  25. ↑ "Winners for 2019". JavaScript Open Source Awards. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
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