Live data without an add-on
Eraser draws from AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, CMDBs, codebases and any other data source. Lucid’s cloud import is a separately sold Enterprise add-on.
The AI-native Lucidchart alternative
Generate any diagram in seconds, from AI or your live systems, and bring your Lucidchart diagrams with you.
Eraser vs Lucidchart
How Eraser compares to Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a general-purpose diagramming app. Eraser uses frontier AI models to create any diagram from a prompt, following your team’s standards, and can also diagram your real systems from your live cloud accounts, CMDB, codebase and any other data source, with views you can drill into and animate.
| Compare | Eraser | Lucidchart  |
|---|---|---|
| AI diagramming | Supported: Yes Powered by frontier models: architecture, network, cloud, process and more | Supported: Yes Lucid AI drafts flowcharts, ERDs, org charts and more |
| Edit with AI | Supported: Yes Describe the change; the diagram updates | Supported: Yes Select a diagram and describe the change |
| AI follows your standards | Supported: Yes Presets of rules, templates, reference architectures and brand styles | Partially supported: Partial Reusable objects and context frames; no style rules for the AI |
| MCP server for AI agents | Supported: Yes AI assistants and coding agents, like Claude, Copilot and others, can create, read and update diagrams | Supported: Yes Official server creates and edits diagrams; admins enable it on Team and Enterprise |
| Generate diagrams from live cloud environments |
| Partially supported: Enterprise add-on Imports through Cloud Accelerator, a separately sold Enterprise add-on |
| Generate diagrams from CMDBs and EA tools |
| Partially supported: Manual imports One-off imports of ServiceNow application data and LeanIX or Ardoq records, on Enterprise; no live connection |
| Generate diagrams from codebases |
| Not supported: No No repository import |
| Expandable views | Supported: Yes Click into any box to open its own view, then move from a system overview down through layers of detail | Partially supported: Partial Collapsible containers, layers and linked pages; no drill-down into a box’s own view |
| Animations | Supported: Yes Animated flows show how a request or data moves step by step, so processes are easier to follow | Not supported: No Presentations reveal layers; no animated flows |
| Real-time collaboration | Supported: Yes On every plan, in the browser, with comments and unlimited free guests | Supported: Yes Live co-editing, cursors and comments on every plan |
| Docs and diagrams in one file | Supported: Yes A note editor with embedded diagrams and wikilinks | Not supported: No Diagrams only; docs live in Confluence or Notion |
| Diagram as code | Supported: Yes Edit as text, or drag on the canvas | Partially supported: Mermaid import One way into shapes; edit the code to update |
| Deployment options |
| Partially supported: SaaS only Data residency and a FedRAMP GovSuite; no private cloud or air-gapped option |
The difference
Why teams choose Eraser over Lucidchart
Drill down and animate
Click into any box to open the layer beneath it, and play animated flows step by step. Lucidchart presentations reveal layers, without animated flows.
Docs and diagrams in one file
Write the design doc next to the diagram, with embedded figures and wikilinks. With Lucidchart, docs live in another tool.
Switching
Bring your Lucidchart diagrams with you
Moving off Lucidchart does not mean redrawing years of diagrams by hand.
Export a Lucidchart diagram as an image, or take a screenshot, drop it into AI chat, and Eraser redraws it as a native, editable diagram, here as an AWS architecture.
Frequently asked questions
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Can I import my Lucidchart diagrams into Eraser?
Yes. Export the diagram as an image from Lucidchart, or take a screenshot, then upload it to Eraser’s AI sidebar. Image import redraws it as a native, editable Eraser diagram you can keep editing by prompt, as code or on the canvas.
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Can I drill into diagrams and animate them in Eraser?
Yes. Click into any box to open its own view, step between states, and play animated flows end to end. See map examples for diagrams you can walk through.
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Can Eraser generate diagrams with AI?
Yes. Eraser AI runs on frontier models. Describe a system, paste code or upload a file, and it drafts an architecture diagram, flowchart, ERD, sequence diagram, BPMN process or almost any other diagram, and you can keep editing it by prompt, as code or on the canvas.
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Can Eraser draw diagrams from my live infrastructure?
Yes. Connect AWS, Azure or Google Cloud, a CMDB such as ServiceNow, VMware, Cisco networks, a Git repository and other data sources, and Eraser draws architecture diagrams from what you actually run. Live data sources are available on paid plans.
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Does Eraser provide an MCP server?
Yes. The Eraser MCP server lets an agent create, search, read, update and export diagrams from clients like Claude, Cursor, VS Code and ChatGPT. It is free to use, subject to the AI credit limits of your plan. See the MCP client catalog for setup instructions.
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Can I trust my data with Eraser?
Eraser is committed to enterprise-grade security. We are SOC II type 2 certified and annually penetration tested. Security documentation is available on our trust portal, or reach out to hello@eraser.io. Additionally Eraser will never use user data for training models. Nor will our LLM API providers.
Diagram in seconds with Eraser
Stop dragging boxes. Import a Lucidchart diagram or generate your first diagram for free.