System Designer vs PlantUML App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
System Designer
Design complex systems using a low-code platform that leverages UML standards. Generate code skeletons and manage components graphically. Run and test your system with dynamic type checking.
- UML-based system modeling
- Code skeleton generation
- Graphical component creation
- MSON format for model definition
- Dynamic type checking
- Cross-device synchronization via GitHub
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System Designer is a low-code development platform for creating systems. No matter the frameworks you use and the code you write, the most important is the model that you define to create your system. System Designer helps you to design this model and to generate the classes and components to build your system. DESIGN YOUR SYSTEM WITH EASE If you look at the different JavaScript frameworks on the market, you will notice that they all have their own way to define a model, generally only with code. System Designer uses UML, a standard, to define your model. So you probably already know how to design in System Designer even if you have never run it. The definition of the model is stored on a JSON format called MSON. With MSON you can define types, classes, one to one / one to many relationships and multi inheritance between classes. CODE THE BEHAVIOR OF YOUR SYSTEM Once you have created your model, System Designer generates the skeletons of all your methods. You only have then to add your code to implement them. System Designer provides you helpers to manage your components. You can easily navigate threw your components to create your application. CREATE COMPONENTS GRAPHICALLY There is no need to code to instantiate a component. Create a component in System Designer is like creating a document in a NoSQL Database. In fact, System Designer acts as an ODM (Object-Document Mapper) to manage your components as NoSQL Documents. RUN YOUR SYSTEM You can run your system directly from System Designer. Because you have defined a model for your application, a Dynamic Type Check is done on every action of your system. All warnings are send and shown in System Designer. DESIGN ON THE GO System Designer can be used on macOS, iPad or any browsers. System Designer has a Github module to synchronize your work between all these apps. You can begin your design on your Mac and then continue it on your iPad.
PlantUML App
This native iPad app allows you to create and edit PlantUML diagrams efficiently. It offers AI assistance for drawing and script generation, along with a robust text editor and diagram preview. Requires an OpenAI API key for AI features.
- Create, update, and delete PlantUML documents
- AI-powered diagram generation from sketches or text prompts
- Syntax highlighting and auto-completion in text editor
- Auto-save functionality
- Diagram preview with caching
- Share diagrams via AirDrop, iCloud, and other apps
- iCloud document sharing
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This is a native PlantUML editor app for iPad. It allows using iPad to draw diagrams in effective way. It includes use of AI to helping drawing process. take note that to enable AI features you MUST HAVE a valid "OpenAI API key" i.e. OpenAI Paid Account Features ======= 1. Create,Update,Delete plantUML Documents 2. Share Documents with iCLoud 3. OpenAI integration > **You MUST HAVE a valid [OpenAI] API KEY (i.e. Paid Account)** to use this feature. Such secrets will be stored in device's keychain * Drawing * Draw Diagram using either Pencil or Fingers. * Processing hand drawn diagram through [OpenAI Vision API] (_gpt-4o_) to automatically genearte plantUML script. * PlantUML script will include alse a legend with detailed description of drawing. * Prompt * Prompt your diagram request in natural language * Undo Prompt * Prompt's History * choose AI Model (_gpt-3.5-turbo or gpt-4_) 4. Text Editor * Auto save over modification * Provide **syntax highlighting** and auto completion **diagram snippets** through [ace] editor 5. Diagram Preview > Preview relies on [PlantUML online server] so it requires internet connection * Built in cache management * Scale to fit * Share Image (AirDrop, iCloud, Other App, ...)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: System Designer at Free against PlantUML App's $0.99. System Designer also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
System Designer is free to download; PlantUML App costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
System Designer holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of System Designer's written reviews are positive against 60% of PlantUML App's.
System Designer ships an update monthly, PlantUML App every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | System Designer | PlantUML App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $0.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (17 ratings) — better | 3.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Monthly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.7 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 7 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Erwan Carriou | Bartolomeo Sorrentino |
Customer experience
System Designer
PlantUML App
In-app purchases
System Designer
No in-app purchases
PlantUML App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is System Designer free?
Is PlantUML App free?
Which has better reviews, System Designer or PlantUML App?
Do System Designer or PlantUML App have ads?
Which is updated more often, System Designer or PlantUML App?
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