# OmniGraffle

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/omnigraffle/

6 people recommended OmniGraffle in Hacker News comments, 1 had mixed feelings and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 4 of 12 months, in 7 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Mac diagramming app people keep returning to for complicated diagrams; polished, and hard to find a close alternative.

Summary written by Claude from 9 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Go-to for complicated diagrams (2 comments in the sample): "I still reach for a tool like Omnigraffle if I need to make a really complicated diagram." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49750394)) "I end up going back to manual Omnigraffle." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48827047))
- Hard to match, nothing comes close (2 comments in the sample): "I'm more than ready for something better to come along, but so far nothing's come close." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46066137)) "It’s no Visio desktop or OmniGraffle" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49647975))
- Polished and essential for daily work (2 comments in the sample): "They are valuable, or indeed priceless, because of the polish they have." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49800353)) "OmniGraffle is an essential tool, for me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47487552))
- Long-time favorite of Mac users (2 comments in the sample): "are from the Omni Group, particularly OmniOutliner (which came bundled with my 2006 MacBook) and OmniGraffle" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45999632)) "I’m an Omnigraffle enjoyer too." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49518381))

## Other diagram tools people recommend

- [Mermaid](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mermaid/): 72 recommend, 16 mixed, 42 criticize
- [Excalidraw](https://hackerapproved.com/p/excalidraw/): 41 recommend, 7 mixed, 8 criticize
- [SQL to ER diagram tool](https://hackerapproved.com/p/free-sql-to-er-diagram-tool/): 23 recommend, 4 mixed, 1 criticize
- [Monosketch](https://hackerapproved.com/p/monosketch/): 18 recommend, 5 mixed, 4 criticize

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle)

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "OmniGraffle", https://hackerapproved.com/p/omnigraffle/ (6 recommend, 1 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.