beautiful-mermaid vs Mermaid
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Renders Mermaid text diagrams as SVG or terminal ASCII, with themes, no DOM needed.
Open source · MIT
Generate diagrams from Markdown-like text, for docs and code.
The short answer
Choose beautiful-mermaid if you need…
- Web developers who want Mermaid diagrams rendered synchronously inside React or other UI code
- Developers building CLI or terminal tools that need text-based diagram output
- Teams who want Mermaid diagrams to match an existing color theme such as Tokyo Night or Dracula
- Developers building AI coding assistant interfaces that display diagrams
Choose Mermaid if you need…
- Developers who want diagrams stored as text alongside their code and docs
- Teams whose documentation is written in Markdown and needs diagrams
- Non-programmers who want to make diagrams using the Live Editor
- Projects that generate documentation as part of a build or production script
Side-by-side
| beautiful-mermaid | Mermaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 11.3k | 91k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 6 months ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
beautiful-mermaid
beautiful-mermaid is a TypeScript library that turns Mermaid diagram text (flowcharts, sequence, class, state, ER, and XY charts) into SVG images or ASCII/Unicode art. It is meant for showing diagrams inside web apps, chat interfaces, or plain terminals, and it has a theming system for matching diagram colors to an app's look.
Mermaid
Mermaid is a JavaScript tool that turns short text descriptions into diagrams such as flowcharts and sequence diagrams. You write the diagram in a Markdown-inspired syntax and the renderer draws it, so the diagram can be edited as plain text. Its stated purpose is to keep documentation up to date with development.
Best for
beautiful-mermaid
- Web developers who want Mermaid diagrams rendered synchronously inside React or other UI code
- Developers building CLI or terminal tools that need text-based diagram output
- Teams who want Mermaid diagrams to match an existing color theme such as Tokyo Night or Dracula
- Developers building AI coding assistant interfaces that display diagrams
Mermaid
- Developers who want diagrams stored as text alongside their code and docs
- Teams whose documentation is written in Markdown and needs diagrams
- Non-programmers who want to make diagrams using the Live Editor
- Projects that generate documentation as part of a build or production script
Strengths
beautiful-mermaid
- Synchronous rendering works with React useMemo() without a loading flash, according to the README
- Supports both SVG output for UIs and ASCII/Unicode output for terminals
- Themeable with just two colors (background and foreground), with 15 built-in themes
Mermaid
- Diagrams are plain text, so they are easy to edit, diff, and version-control
- Works inside tools such as GitHub, according to the README
- Large, active open-source project with a published documentation site
Not ideal for
beautiful-mermaid
- Users who only need diagrams in a finished document and do not write code; the README describes a library with no standalone app
- Projects needing every Mermaid diagram type; the README lists 6 supported types, so check whether yours is included
- Non-JavaScript stacks, since the README shows only TypeScript and npm/bun/pnpm installs
Mermaid
- People who need pixel-precise, freeform illustration; the README describes it as text-defined diagrams rendered by a renderer
- Users who need a visual drag-and-drop editor as their main workflow, since the README centers on text input via the Live Editor
Trade-offs
beautiful-mermaid
- The README is truncated and does not show full API options or every supported syntax detail
- The ASCII engine is a port of a Go project, so some diagram features may behave differently from the official Mermaid renderer (not stated explicitly; treat with caution)
- No description or homepage metadata, and the latest release has no binaries, so it is used purely as a package
Mermaid
- Layout and styling are controlled by the renderer, so fine visual control is limited by what the syntax supports
- Requires learning the Mermaid syntax for each diagram type
Getting started
beautiful-mermaid
Install with npm
npm install beautiful-mermaidInstall with bun
bun add beautiful-mermaidFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between beautiful-mermaid and Mermaid?
beautiful-mermaid: Renders Mermaid text diagrams as SVG or terminal ASCII, with themes, no DOM needed. Mermaid: Generate diagrams from Markdown-like text, for docs and code. beautiful-mermaid suits web developers who want mermaid diagrams rendered synchronously inside react or other ui code, while Mermaid suits developers who want diagrams stored as text alongside their code and docs.
Are beautiful-mermaid and Mermaid free?
beautiful-mermaid: Free and open source. Mermaid: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, beautiful-mermaid or Mermaid?
Mermaid is easier to get started with (rated beginner); beautiful-mermaid is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is beautiful-mermaid or Mermaid more popular?
Mermaid has more GitHub stars (91k) than beautiful-mermaid (11.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.