Mermaid vs SmartDraw:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, SmartDraw had more branded searches than Mermaid among diagramming software worldwide. SmartDraw had about 92,900 branded searches, while Mermaid had 55,300. SmartDraw made up 1.5% of all diagramming software searches we track, and Mermaid accounted for 0.91%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about diagramming software, Mermaid appeared in three of the five answers and SmartDraw in one. Mermaid was mentioned before SmartDraw in three out of four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
SmartDraw, about 68% more searches than Mermaid
Who does AI mention more?
Mermaid, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, SmartDraw in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Mermaid, named ahead of SmartDraw in 3 of 4 answers
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Top diagramming software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mermaid was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. SmartDraw was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Mermaid was listed before SmartDraw in three out of four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
draw.io1st
Lucidchart2nd
Miro3rd- Mermaid4th
Whimsical5th
Excalidraw6th
Microsoft Visio7th- SmartDraw8th
Creately–
Gliffy–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- draw.io5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Miro5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Lucidchart5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Excalidraw3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mermaid3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Whimsical3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Microsoft Visio2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SmartDraw1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Creately0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Gliffy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about diagramming software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which diagramming tool should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best diagramming tools?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best diagramming tool for flowcharts?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“diagramming software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“flowchart software”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Mermaid or SmartDraw more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Mermaid and SmartDraw by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten diagramming software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for SmartDraw, Mermaid. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | draw.io | Miro | Excalidraw | Lucidchart | Microsoft Visio | SmartDraw | Mermaid | Creately | Gliffy | Whimsical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.1% | 33.3% | 8.2% | 12.4% | 8% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.61% | 0.17% | 0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.3% | 29.8% | 9% | 11.2% | 8.2% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 0.67% | 0.15% | 0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.3% | 30.1% | 11% | 9.2% | 8.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.55% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.5% | 29.3% | 10.7% | 9% | 9.9% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 0.44% | 0.19% | 0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.6% | 28.5% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 9.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.53% | 0.18% | 0.02% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.7% | 29.3% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 8.1% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.54% | 0.16% | 0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 36.9% | 29.5% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 8.1% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.44% | 0.13% | 0.01% |
| May 2026 | 40.5% | 26.6% | 12% | 10.2% | 7.3% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 0.4% | 0.12% | 0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.6% | 29.5% | 13.2% | 9.4% | 8.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 0.3% | 0.11% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.3% | 28.2% | 15.6% | 9.4% | 8.3% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.28% | 0.13% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.5% | 28.2% | 15.6% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 0.28% | 0.13% | 0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.6% | 30% | 13.5% | 9.3% | 6.8% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.3% | 0.09% | <0.01% |
How has the Mermaid and SmartDraw comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Mermaid took it in November 2025, SmartDraw took it in February 2026, Mermaid took it in May 2026, SmartDraw took it in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mermaid’s share of searches among diagramming software worldwide moved from 1.6% to 0.91%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 107K to 55.3K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SmartDraw’s share of searches among diagramming software worldwide moved from 1.7% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 112K to 92.9K.
How did search popularity change for diagramming software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Mermaid’s share of searches among diagramming software worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.6% to 0.91% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for SmartDraw worldwide fell 17.3% over 12 measured months, from 112K to 92.9K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
6 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mermaid’s and SmartDraw’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among diagramming software
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