Mermaid (software)

Mermaid
Mermaid
Developer(s)	Knut Sveidqvist and contributors
Initial release	2014; 11 years ago
Repository	github.com/mermaid-js/mermaid ;
Written in	JavaScript
Operating system	Cross-platform
Type	Diagramming and charting
License	MIT
Website	mermaid.js.org

Mermaid is an open-source JavaScript-based diagramming and charting tool 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]

Features

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

Flowcharts
Sequence diagrams
Class diagrams
State diagrams
Gantt charts
Entity–relationship diagrams

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]

Integration

Mermaid is supported natively by several platforms and services:^[6]^[7]

Azure DevOps (in project wikis)^[8]
GitHub (in Markdown files)^[9]^[10]
Gitea^[11]
GitLab^[12]
Joplin^[13]
Tuleap^[14]
Notion^[15]
Obsidian^[16]
Quarto ^[17]

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]