How to Install Draw.io Desktop on Ubuntu

Draw.io (also known as diagrams.net) helps you create flowcharts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and organizational charts directly on your desktop. Whether you need to document software architecture, map business processes, or design database schemas, Draw.io provides an extensive shape library and also integrates with Google Drive, OneDrive, and local storage. By the end of this guide, you will have Draw.io installed and running on Ubuntu, ready to create professional diagrams.

Choose Your Draw.io Installation Method

Draw.io can be installed on Ubuntu through three different methods. In particular, each approach offers different trade-offs between update frequency, system integration, and sandboxing.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
.deb Package	GitHub Releases	Latest stable	Manual	Users who want direct system integration
Snap	Snapcraft	Latest stable	Automatic	Most Ubuntu users who prefer automatic updates
Flatpak	Flathub	Latest stable	Automatic	Users who prefer sandboxed applications

For most users, the Snap method is recommended because Ubuntu includes Snap support by default and updates happen automatically. Alternatively, choose Flatpak if you already use Flatpak for other applications or prefer its sandboxing model. On the other hand, the .deb package gives you direct system integration but requires manual updates.

These steps cover Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 24.04 LTS, and 26.04 LTS. All three installation methods work identically across supported LTS releases, and draw.io bundles its own dependencies so version-specific issues are rare.

Method 1: Install Draw.io via .deb Package

The official .deb package from GitHub provides a self-contained Electron-based application. Since Draw.io Desktop bundles all required libraries within the package, the apt install command handles any remaining system dependencies automatically. This method gives you direct integration with Ubuntu’s package manager while avoiding containerization overhead.

Update Ubuntu System Packages

First, ensure your system packages are up to date before installing new software:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

As a result, this refreshes your package lists and upgrades installed packages to their latest versions.

Install Required Dependencies

Next, install wget and curl to download files from the internet:

sudo apt install wget curl -y

Download the Draw.io Package

With the dependencies in place, download the latest Draw.io desktop package for Ubuntu:

curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/jgraph/drawio-desktop/releases/latest | grep -oP '"browser_download_url": "\K[^"]*amd64[^"]*\.deb' | wget -i -

To understand what happens, here is a breakdown of how this command functions:

• First, curl -s: Silently fetches the latest release data from the Draw.io desktop repository (see our curl command guide for more options).
• Then, grep -oP: Uses Perl-compatible regex to extract only the download URL for the amd64 .deb package.
• Finally, wget -i -: Reads the URL from standard input and downloads the file (see our wget command examples for more download options).

Install the Draw.io Package

Now, install the downloaded .deb package using apt:

sudo apt install ./drawio-amd64-*.deb

Because the apt install command automatically resolves dependencies, installing local .deb files is straightforward.

After the installation completes, verify it by checking the version:

drawio --version

2X.X.X

Additionally, you can clean up the downloaded .deb file after installation:

rm drawio-amd64-*.deb

Method 2: Install Draw.io via Snap

Because Ubuntu includes Snap support by default, this is the simplest installation method. The Snap package is maintained by the official Draw.io team (indicated by the verified checkmark), runs in a sandboxed environment, and receives automatic updates.

Install Draw.io from Snap Store

Install Draw.io directly from the Snap Store with a single command:

sudo snap install drawio

Once installed, Snap handles updates automatically in the background. By default, Snap checks for updates four times daily and applies them when the application is not running.

Verify Snap Installation

To confirm the installation succeeded, list the installed Snap package:

snap list drawio

Name    Version  Rev  Tracking       Publisher  Notes
drawio  2X.X.X   XXX  latest/stable  jgraph✓    -

Importantly, the jgraph✓ publisher name confirms this is the official package from the Draw.io developers.

Method 3: Install Draw.io via Flatpak

Flatpak provides sandboxed applications with automatic updates. The Flatpak version runs in an isolated environment with controlled access to your system, which some users prefer for security. Since Ubuntu does not include Flatpak by default, you need to install it first. See How to Install Flatpak on Ubuntu if you have not set it up yet.

Enable the Flathub Repository

Once Flatpak is installed, add Flathub as a remote repository if you have not already:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Notably, the --if-not-exists flag prevents errors if Flathub is already configured.

Install Draw.io from Flathub

With Flathub enabled, install Draw.io using Flatpak:

sudo flatpak install flathub com.jgraph.drawio.desktop -y

During this process, Flatpak downloads the application and any required runtime dependencies. Furthermore, the first Flatpak installation may take longer as it downloads shared runtimes that other Flatpak applications can reuse.

Verify Flatpak Installation

After installation completes, verify Draw.io appears in your installed Flatpak applications:

flatpak list | grep -i drawio

Draw.io    com.jgraph.drawio.desktop    2X.X.X    stable    system

Subsequently, Flatpak applications update when you run flatpak update, either manually or through your system’s update manager.

Launch Draw.io

Launch Draw.io from Terminal

Now that Draw.io is installed, you can launch it from the terminal. For .deb and Snap installations, run:

drawio

In contrast, for Flatpak installations, use the full application ID:

flatpak run com.jgraph.drawio.desktop

Launch Draw.io from Applications Menu

Alternatively, for desktop users who prefer a graphical approach, Draw.io is accessible via the application icon. Simply navigate through:

Activities > Show Applications > Draw.io

Manage Draw.io

Update Draw.io

Snap and Flatpak installations update automatically in the background, so you typically do not need to do anything. However, if you want to manually trigger an update, use these commands:

Snap:

sudo snap refresh drawio

Flatpak:

flatpak update com.jgraph.drawio.desktop

Update .deb Installation

For .deb installations, you need to download and install the latest package manually. The following command fetches the newest release from GitHub and installs it over your existing installation:

cd /tmp && rm -f drawio-amd64-*.deb && curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/jgraph/drawio-desktop/releases/latest | grep -oP '"browser_download_url": "\K[^"]*amd64[^"]*\.deb' | wget -i - && sudo apt install ./drawio-amd64-*.deb

This command removes any previously downloaded .deb files from /tmp, downloads the latest version, and installs it. Since the package replaces the existing installation, your diagrams and settings remain unchanged.

Remove Draw.io

If you decide to remove Draw.io later, use the command matching your installation method:

.deb package:

sudo apt remove draw.io

Snap:

sudo snap remove drawio

However, Snap retains application data in ~/snap/drawio/ after removal. To completely remove this data as well, run:

rm -rf ~/snap/drawio/

Flatpak:

sudo flatpak remove --delete-data com.jgraph.drawio.desktop -y

In this case, the --delete-data flag removes application data stored in the Flatpak sandbox. After removal, you can optionally clean up unused runtimes with flatpak uninstall --unused.

Remove User Configuration Data

The following commands permanently delete your Draw.io settings, recent files list, and cached data. Export any important diagrams before proceeding, as this action cannot be undone.

For .deb installations, residual configuration and cache directories remain after uninstallation. To remove them completely:

rm -rf ~/.config/draw.io ~/.cache/draw.io

Troubleshoot Common Draw.io Issues

Draw.io Fails to Launch

If Draw.io fails to start or closes immediately, launch it from the terminal to see error messages. For .deb and Snap installations:

drawio 2>&1 | head -20

For Flatpak, use:

flatpak run com.jgraph.drawio.desktop 2>&1 | head -20

Common causes include missing display server connections (especially on Wayland) or GPU driver issues. If you see GPU-related errors, try launching with GPU acceleration disabled:

drawio --disable-gpu

File Dialog Issues with Flatpak

Flatpak applications use portals to access files outside their sandbox. If file open/save dialogs do not work correctly, ensure the portal packages are installed:

sudo apt install xdg-desktop-portal xdg-desktop-portal-gtk

Afterward, log out and log back in for the portal services to start properly.

Snap Cannot Access External Files

By default, Snap applications have limited file system access. If Draw.io cannot open files from certain directories, you may need to grant additional permissions. Check current connections with:

snap connections drawio

For example, to allow access to removable media (USB drives), run:

sudo snap connect drawio:removable-media

HiDPI Scaling Issues

On high-resolution displays, Draw.io may appear too small or blurry. For the .deb installation, you can force a specific scaling factor by setting an environment variable before launching:

GDK_SCALE=2 drawio

Alternatively, for Electron-based applications like Draw.io, you can also try the --force-device-scale-factor flag:

drawio --force-device-scale-factor=1.5

Conclusion

At this point, you have Draw.io installed on Ubuntu, ready to create flowcharts, network diagrams, UML diagrams, and organizational charts. In summary, the Snap method provides the simplest experience with automatic updates, while Flatpak offers enhanced sandboxing, and the .deb package gives direct system integration for users who prefer traditional package management. For related graphics and productivity tools, see how to install Inkscape on Ubuntu for vector graphics editing, install GIMP on Ubuntu for image manipulation, or install LibreOffice on Ubuntu for a complete office suite.