Comparison

System Designer vs ArchFlowy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • UML-based system modeling
  • Code skeleton generation
  • Graphical component creation
  • MSON format for model definition
  • Dynamic type checking
  • Cross-device synchronization via GitHub
Features
Read full description

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.

About

ArchFlowy

Features
Read full description

Design ERDs Anywhere — Fast, Offline, and Effortless ArchFlowy is the smoothest way to create database diagrams on the go. Built mobile‑first, it gives you the power of a desktop‑class ERD tool right in your pocket — no internet required. Offline ERD Creation Work fully offline, anytime No accounts, no syncing, no waiting Your diagrams stay private and on your device Fast & Fluid Diagramming Instant node creation and linking Zero lag, even in large diagrams Smart snapping and clean auto‑layout Mobile‑First Experience Designed for touch from the ground up Natural gestures for pan, zoom, and edit Optimized UI for small and large screens Smooth Workflow Effortless editing with intuitive controls Quick access to tables, fields, and relationships Clean, minimal interface that stays out of your way Perfect For Designing schemas on the go Brainstorming system architecture Students, developers, and anyone mapping data models EULA: This app is governed by Apple’s Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

System Designer3 screens
ArchFlowy3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: System Designer at none against ArchFlowy's 1. System Designer also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.2). ArchFlowy's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ArchFlowy sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. System Designer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

System Designer ships an update monthly, ArchFlowy every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
System Designer versus ArchFlowy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSystem DesignerArchFlowy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (17 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings17 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErwan CarriouTimmy Nguyen

In-app purchases

None

System Designer

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ArchFlowy

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$1.991 Month

Questions

Is System Designer free?
System Designer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArchFlowy free?
ArchFlowy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do System Designer or ArchFlowy have ads?
Neither System Designer nor ArchFlowy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, System Designer or ArchFlowy?
System Designer ships an update monthly, and ArchFlowy every 2 weeks. Most recently, System Designer was updated on September 18, 2026 and ArchFlowy on September 10, 2026.

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