Can Lucidchart diagrams in Confluence move to an open-source alternative?
Yes, in most cases the diagramming part can move. draw.io, licensed under the Apache License 2.0, can replace Lucidchart for diagrams embedded in Confluence pages, and it can run either as a self-hosted Docker image on your own server or as draw.io Desktop on individual machines. draw.io imports Lucidchart diagrams, with the documented route being to copy everything in Lucidchart with the keyboard shortcut and paste it into the draw.io online editor. Whether Confluence itself changes is a separate decision. draw.io has a Confluence app sold through the Atlassian Marketplace, so you can keep Confluence and change only the diagramming tool, or you can move the pages to a self-hosted wiki as well. Treat those as two decisions with two cost bases.
The main gap is that Lucidchart's data linking and its Enterprise admin features do not map one to one onto draw.io. Diagram shapes linked to external data sources, centralized license management, SSO and SCIM provisioning, and data residency controls are features you administer in Lucid, and each has to be replaced by something you configure yourself, such as your own storage integration, your identity provider, and your own hosting location. Before you plan the migration, list the Lucidchart features your Confluence pages actually use. Check which diagrams contain linked data, which rely on shape data or comments, and which are maintained by people who need Lucid-level admin controls. Those answers decide how much of the migration is a copy-and-paste exercise and how much needs redesign.
Which Lucidchart capabilities draw.io covers inside Confluence
This table maps the Lucidchart capabilities a Confluence team typically relies on to what draw.io offers, including where coverage is partial or unverified. Read each row as a question to answer in your own Confluence edition before you commit to a migration. The main takeaway is that diagramming and export are well covered, while Visio fidelity, interactive behavior and Lucid's Enterprise admin and data linking features need hands-on testing.
| Capability | Lucidchart in Confluence | draw.io in Confluence | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagram editing | Lucidchart diagrams embedded in Confluence pages | draw.io diagrams embedded through the draw.io app for Confluence sold on the Atlassian Marketplace | Check the listing and your Confluence edition for compatibility |
| Export to PDF, PNG, JPEG, SVG | Per-document export on every plan | Export options available in the editor; PDF export uses the browser print dialog unless an export server is configured | Test PDF output on your own diagram set |
| Export to Visio and JSON | VSDX, VDX and JSON export per document | Visio import is supported, but Visio exports and imports may differ from the original | Compare key diagrams after round-trip conversion |
| Import into the editor | Not applicable as a source | Lucidchart diagrams are copied with the keyboard shortcut and pasted into the online editor; Visio .vsdx, .vsd and .vst files are imported | Confirm whether your Confluence app version offers the same import path |
| Interactive behavior | Lucidchart shapes and links can carry interactive behavior | Visio imports may lose interactive behavior and do not import embedded EMF images | Plan manual rework for any diagram that relies on links or interactive shapes |
| Data storage location | Stored in Lucid's cloud; regional residency is Enterprise only | Diagrams are saved where the user chooses, on the device or a connected storage service, not on draw.io servers | Confirm where Confluence-embedded diagrams are stored in your setup |
| Single sign-on and admin controls | SSO, SCIM and admin controls depend on the Lucid plan | Access follows Confluence and your identity provider settings | Verify SSO and user provisioning with your Confluence admin, not from this table |
| Data linking and shape data | Lucidchart supports linking diagram data to external sources | No direct equivalent confirmed for all data linking features | Test any data-linked diagram before planning its migration |
Which draw.io deployment fits a Confluence team
Four routes put draw.io in front of a Confluence team, from an Atlassian Marketplace app to a self-hosted editor, offline desktop use and self-hosted wikis. Each route differs in where diagram files are saved and who keeps the software current. Choose one only after you confirm storage, export and update responsibilities in writing.
Marketplace app inside Confluence
The draw.io apps for Confluence and Jira are sold through the Atlassian Marketplace, so authors insert and edit diagrams from the page editor without a separate server. This route suits teams that want no additional infrastructure to run. Before you buy, ask the vendor where diagram files are stored, whether as Confluence attachments within your Atlassian site or in external storage, and which Atlassian hosting models the app supports. Confirm where the diagram files are stored before the first page is migrated.
Self-hosted draw.io editor
Run the official jgraph/drawio Docker image on your own server so the editor is served from your network. The image is based on Tomcat and is kept up to date with the production app at app.diagrams.net, which helps your patching plan. The image has no export server, so PDF export uses the browser's print dialog unless you configure one. No diagram data leaves the server for an export in that default setup. Confirm with your Confluence app version how it is pointed at a custom editor URL before you commit.
draw.io Desktop for offline authors
draw.io Desktop runs on the author's computer, so drafting works without a network connection. Diagram files are saved to the device or to a folder the author chooses, which suits architects who work on restricted or segregated networks. The trade-off is that files live on endpoints, so you need rules for where drafts are kept, how they are backed up and how they reach Confluence, usually by exporting and uploading them. Confirm who updates the app on each machine, since no central server does it for you.
Self-hosted wiki integrations
If Confluence is also being replaced, draw.io lists integrations with XWiki, Wiki.js and BookStack, so authors keep the same diagram editor after the wiki moves. Each integration works differently, so check its current version and its support status with the wiki team before you choose. Confirm whether each diagram is stored as a wiki attachment or in an external storage service. Test attachment restore on a copy of your content before cutover.
Running draw.io beside Confluence during the transition
Teams rarely convert every space on the same day. The approach below keeps Lucidchart running for pages not yet converted while draw.io takes new diagrams, and each Confluence space moves over only after its checks pass. Confirm how the Confluence app and wiki integrations behave in your own environment before switching any space.
Dual-running Lucidchart and draw.io
Lucidchart stays live for existing pages, and draw.io handles new diagrams in the spaces you switch first. Lucidchart stays live until each page is converted. Before switching a space, test whether a page can hold both Lucidchart embeds and draw.io diagrams without breaking rendering, and confirm who can still edit the old Lucidchart content. Record which spaces are on which tool so support staff know where to look.
Editor access control
Access to draw.io diagrams in Confluence should follow the permissions already set on each space. Space permissions should be the only switch. Test that viewers can open a diagram without editing it, that restricted pages stay restricted, and that removing a user from a space removes their editing rights. Ask the app vendor how licenses are counted for your user base, since the Confluence app is sold through the Atlassian Marketplace.
Storage ownership
draw.io's privacy statement says diagrams are saved where the user chooses, on a device or in a connected storage service, and not on draw.io's servers. Confirm where the Confluence app stores diagram data. Also check that hosted export and real-time collaboration, which the privacy statement says use servers run by Cloudflare, are switched off or approved for your data. Document the answer before the first space changes over.
Link and attachment handling
Existing pages often link to Lucidchart documents or hold exported files as attachments, and those links break when a page is converted. Inventory links and attachments before switching a space. Lucidchart's copy-and-paste route into draw.io is the documented import method, and individual documents can be exported as SVG, PNG or Visio files. Decide whether old attachments stay as archived copies or are replaced, and update links in the same change window.
User training and fallback
Authors need to know which tool to open for which page, and where converted diagrams are saved. Train authors on the import route and the save location before their space changes. Lucid's bulk .LAF backup restores only into Lucid, so keep individual exports as the fallback copy. Expect some rendering differences in Visio-origin diagrams, and name a contact who can review pages that look wrong after conversion.
How to move Lucidchart diagrams out of Confluence
This sequence moves Lucidchart diagrams embedded in Confluence pages into draw.io files that your organization stores, with each page checked for rendering and behavior changes. It produces an inventory register, verified diagrams and a signed-off archive that stays usable if Confluence is replaced later.
Inventory Confluence pages with Lucidchart embeds
Confluence admins and space owners find every page that contains a Lucidchart embed and record the page, space, diagram name and owner in a shared register. Confirm with your Lucid integration how embeds are stored, because that determines whether each diagram can be exported directly or must be rebuilt. The step is done when every affected page has one row per diagram.
Export or copy each diagram
Diagram owners move each Lucidchart diagram by one of two documented routes. The first is to select everything in Lucidchart, copy it with the keyboard shortcut and paste it into the draw.io online editor. The second is to export the document as Visio (VSDX) from Lucidchart and open it through draw.io's Visio import. Owners note the route used for each diagram in the register. The step is done when every row has a diagram open in draw.io.
Convert and review each diagram
Owners compare each converted diagram in draw.io with the Lucidchart original. draw.io's documentation warns that Visio imports may look different, may lose interactive behavior and do not import embedded EMF images, so check fonts, connector routing, shape alignment and any embedded pictures. Rebuild missing images by hand. Each diagram is marked as matching, adjusted or rebuilt, with an owner sign-off.
Store converted files in chosen storage
Save each reviewed diagram to storage your organization controls. draw.io saves files where the user chooses, on a device or in a connected service such as Nextcloud, ownCloud, SharePoint, GitLab or Google Drive. If you run the official jgraph/drawio Docker image, the storage sits on your own server. draw.io's privacy policy says hosted export and real-time collaboration process diagrams temporarily on Cloudflare servers, so confirm which features your deployment uses. The step is done when each file has a stored path in the register.
Re-embed diagrams in Confluence pages
Editors replace each Lucidchart embed with the stored draw.io diagram. The draw.io app for Confluence is sold through the Atlassian Marketplace, so confirm its licence terms and cost with Atlassian before rollout. Keep each diagram's original name so cross-references and page text still make sense. The step is done when every register row points to a working diagram on its page.
Test interactive behavior and links
Reviewers open each updated page as a reader and check it against the original. Visio conversion can drop interactive behavior, so click links, check layers and confirm any text that depended on Lucid shape data still appears. A second reviewer repeats the check on a set of pages. Pages with issues return to the review step. The step is done when the register shows a pass for every page.
Archive outputs and retire Lucid copies
Keep the converted files, the VSDX or SVG exports and the register in storage you control. Lucid's bulk export produces a .LAF file that restores only into Lucid, so it cannot serve as a draw.io migration path or a portable backup. Check retention duties and contract terms with Lucid and your legal team before removing any Lucid documents. The step is done when the archive is verified and the register is signed off.
What changes in diagrams after conversion to draw.io
Authors should expect visible differences in diagrams that started life in Visio, and the cutover plan should assume some manual cleanup. draw.io warns that Visio imports may look different from the original, may lose interactive behavior and do not import embedded EMF images. For Confluence pages, that means any picture pasted into a Visio file as an EMF will arrive as a missing or blank element and must be re-inserted as PNG or SVG. Shape positions, connector routing and text wrapping can also shift, so a diagram that looked tidy in Lucidchart may need a second pass in draw.io before reviewers accept it.
The import limits matter for any archive that predates Visio 2013. draw.io imports .vsdx files and converts .vsd and .vst files in the browser, but it does not import Visio 2003 to 2010 XML or LibreOffice Draw files. Check the file extensions and formats in your Confluence attachments before you promise a full migration. Fonts and stencils need the same attention: confirm that the fonts used in critical diagrams are available on the machines and browsers your staff use, and check that custom Visio stencils imported as .vssx or .vss libraries still resolve to the shapes authors expect.
Before you set a cutover date, convert a representative sample of pages, not only the simple ones. Include the most-viewed diagrams, the ones with embedded images, those with links or data fields, and those built from custom stencils. Ask two or three authors to compare the converted output with the original side by side and log every difference. Use that log to decide which diagrams are rebuilt, which are accepted as converted and which are archived in their original form. Confirm the outcome with the Confluence owners before the date is fixed, because the sample tells you how much manual work the full estate will need.
Which self-hosted wiki works with draw.io if Confluence is also replaced
XWiki is the option with the most direct path for teams leaving Confluence, because it is licensed under the LGPL 2.1 and XWiki SAS offers a Confluence migration tool. Its official Docker images run on Tomcat and come in MySQL, PostgreSQL and MariaDB variants, so the database choice is made at deployment rather than later.
- Images and lines: The official images are maintained by the XWiki Core Dev Team and are published as stable, LTS and intermediate LTS tags. Pick the line that matches your upgrade policy and confirm the current tag before you build.
- Diagrams: XWiki Pro lists a Diagram application among its paid extensions. Confirm whether draw.io is embedded through that application or through a macro you configure yourself.
- Migration: Confluence Migrator Pro from XWiki SAS moves spaces, pages, users, groups, permissions, attachments and metadata, and keeps page history but not attachment history. Its trial is limited to 30 pages per migration.
- Commercial services: XWiki SAS states that consulting is priced at 1200 EUR per day and requires a Business or Enterprise support plan, and that training is 1500 EUR per day. These are XWiki's published rates, and the migrator is listed from 2000 EUR.
- Operations: The team hosts the database, Tomcat, backups and upgrades, and must confirm the license terms of any Pro application it adds.
Before you commit, confirm with XWiki which Pro applications your user count requires and whether the migrator's license covers your environment.
BookStack is a MIT-licensed wiki organized as books, chapters and pages on shelves. It suits teams that want a simple documentation structure and that already run PHP and MySQL or MariaDB. Diagrams are built in through diagrams.net, so draw.io is part of the editor rather than an add-on.
- Requirements: BookStack needs PHP 8.2 or later with MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6 or later, as stated in its installation documentation.
- Diagrams: The editor includes built-in diagrams.net diagrams, which is the closest match to draw.io among the three wikis.
- Deployment: Official installation scripts exist for Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04. BookStack does not publish official Docker images, so the team uses a community setup such as LinuxServer.io or builds its own container.
- Access control: It supports OIDC, SAML2 and LDAP sign-in, multi-factor authentication that can be enforced per role, and a full role and permission system.
- Support: BookStack offers paid support plans and sponsorship from its developers. Confirm the support terms directly with the project and check whether a community Docker image is maintained at the version you need.
Confirm your Confluence export format and whether your team needs page history carried over, because BookStack migrations are handled by your own import process.
Wiki.js is a Node.js wiki under the AGPL-3.0 license, and draw.io lists it among its integrations. The stable line is the 2.x series, which lives in a separate repository from the 3.0 beta, so the version you deploy matters.
- Stable line: The stable 2.x line is maintained in the requarks/wiki-v2 repository, where v2.5.316 was published on October 2, 2026. Confirm the latest release on that repository before you deploy.
- Not for production: The main requarks/wiki repository holds a 3.0 beta marked not for production use, so avoid it for a Confluence replacement.
- Diagrams: draw.io's integration list includes Wiki.js. Confirm the exact editor setup and the diagram storage location with the current draw.io integration documentation.
- Licensing: The AGPL-3.0 license has network-use obligations if you modify the software and offer it to users. Have legal review how that applies to any customizations you make.
- Migration: No Confluence migration tool from the project is named in the supplied sources, so plan the content move and attachment handling yourself.
Before choosing Wiki.js, confirm your AGPL review, the 2.x release you will run, and who will maintain the Node.js runtime and database.
What buyers ask before moving Lucidchart out of Confluence
What does it cost to move Lucidchart diagrams out of Confluence?
The cost is mainly labor, and it depends on how many diagrams you have, how complex they are and how many were originally Visio files. draw.io itself carries no license fee under Apache License 2.0, but you pay for hosting, storage integration, conversion and testing. If you use the draw.io app for Confluence, it is sold through the Atlassian Marketplace, so check its current price there. Ask for a written scope that counts diagrams per space, lists Visio-origin files separately and states who pays for hosting and support after go-live.
How long does a Lucidchart to draw.io move take?
Duration depends on the number of spaces and pages that embed diagrams, how many diagrams need manual cleanup, and whether you also change the wiki. Lucidchart diagrams move by copying from Lucidchart and pasting into the draw.io online editor, so each diagram needs a check. Visio-origin files add review time because draw.io warns that imports can look different and may lose interactive behavior. No duration has been fixed here, so ask for a timeline in the written scope that ties each phase to a count of spaces and diagrams.
What does the team need to provide for a diagram migration?
You need four groups of people: an administrator who can install draw.io or its Confluence app, Confluence space owners who approve their content, authors who check their diagrams after the move, and a test space where the process runs first. Admins handle hosting and access, owners decide what is in scope, and authors confirm that labels, links and layouts still read correctly. A test space lets you measure effort before committing to a full plan. Put these roles and their time commitments into the written scope.
Can our own team migrate Lucidchart diagrams without a partner?
Yes, a small team can migrate a limited set of diagrams with the documented copy and paste route and the draw.io editor. The work becomes harder when you have many spaces, Visio-origin stencils, a need for repeatable hosting, or a compliance requirement to document the process. An implementation partner can be engaged for the self-hosted deployment, storage integration, testing and documentation, under a fixed scope agreed in writing before work starts. Decide based on diagram count, internal capacity and how much evidence you need to keep.
Are draw.io diagrams stored on our own servers?
Diagrams are saved where you choose, either on a device or in a connected storage service, and draw.io's privacy policy says they are never saved on draw.io's servers. When you self-host draw.io from the official Docker image, the storage you connect is under your control. Features such as hosted export and real-time collaboration process diagrams temporarily on servers run by Cloudflare, so confirm whether those features are enabled in your environment. The official Docker image has no export server, so PDF export uses the browser print dialog.
What does Confluence Migrator Pro cost if we move the wiki too?
XWiki SAS prices Confluence Migrator Pro from 2000 EUR, and its trial is limited to 30 pages per migration. The tool moves spaces, pages, users, groups, permissions, attachments and metadata, and keeps page history but not attachment history. Your total cost also includes XWiki hosting or your own servers, and any consulting or training from XWiki SAS at the rates it lists. Ask the vendor to confirm the current license tier that matches your user count and page volume before you commit.
Can we keep draw.io if Confluence is replaced later?
Yes, draw.io supports integrations beyond Confluence, including XWiki, Wiki.js, BookStack, Nextcloud and GitLab. Diagrams saved as files remain usable outside any single wiki, which reduces lock-in to one platform. Before you change wiki, check how each target stores embedded diagrams, whether links to draw.io survive the move, and which integration needs a separate configuration. Ask for a written list of integrations to test so that each target wiki has a verified path.
How DeployOpen scopes and delivers a Confluence diagram migration
DeployOpen plans, implements, integrates, hardens, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure. For a Lucidchart to draw.io move inside Confluence, we start from a written scope covering which diagrams, spaces and storage locations are in play, then build and hand over the working setup.
How we scope
- We inventory the Lucidchart diagrams embedded in Confluence spaces, pages and attachments before any work starts.
- The written scope states which spaces move, which diagrams are converted, and which are left as exports or archives.
- Engagements are fixed-scope, with deliverables and timelines agreed in writing before work begins.
How we build
- We deploy the official jgraph/drawio Docker image or draw.io Desktop in your environment, with no diagram data sent to external servers.
- We connect draw.io to your chosen storage and Confluence, then test conversion of representative diagrams and check rendering differences.
- We configure access controls and document the hardening steps applied to the draw.io server and its integrations.
How we hand over
- You receive installation and configuration documentation, a record of converted diagrams, and a list of known rendering differences.
- We walk your administrators and editors through creating, editing and storing diagrams in the new setup.
- Ask us to confirm in the written scope exactly which artifacts and evidence are delivered at handover.
How we support
- Ongoing support, upgrades and testing are available as a retainer after handover, covering draw.io version updates.
- Retainers can include periodic checks that the Confluence integration still renders diagrams correctly after upgrades.
- If you later move from Confluence to a self-hosted wiki, the same scoping and build process applies to that integration.
