Gleek

Text-to-diagram editor for software architecture and process models

YES · focused build
price variesestimated build time one sittingreplaced by 0 people

Gleek's solo core is compact: build a browser-based keyboard diagramming editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on interaction polish, collaboration.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • multiplayer cursors and comments
  • large template libraries
  • high-fidelity import and export
  • presentation and enterprise controls

Why people still pay

Gleek: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Runtime and tools: TypeScript, React, SVG or Canvas and IndexedDB with a versioned JSON project format.
  • Before starting: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size.
01
TypeScript, React, SVG or Canvas and IndexedDB with a versioned JSON project format
02
Data design: Store DiagramText, ParsedNode, Edge and LayoutOverride; parse failures leave the last valid preview visible and stable node IDs keep manual layout overrides attached.
03
Setup: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1

Pin the working slice and create its example input: Type a small documented graph DSL in a split editor, display syntax errors with line numbers, lay out nodes and export a clean SVG. Confirm setup: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size.

2

Phase 2

Implement persistence and write-time invariants before decorating the UI: Store DiagramText, ParsedNode, Edge and LayoutOverride; parse failures leave the last valid preview visible and stable node IDs keep manual layout overrides attached.

3

Phase 3

Connect the working view to real saved state. Maintain one document model for preview, undo and export. Use stable element IDs; save after completed gestures, handle storage quota errors and provide explicit file backups.

4

Phase 4

Expose the app-specific limits and recovery path in context: Support one flowchart grammar before sequence/ER variants. Do not pretend DSL translation between Mermaid and PlantUML is lossless; labels must be escaped in SVG.

5

Phase 5

Walk through this concrete acceptance case and preserve its exported evidence: Rename a node label, introduce an incomplete edge and undo; the node's position survives, the error points at the right line and export uses only the valid document. Finish the README and backup/restore instructions; report unfinished capabilities explicitly.

the pro prompt
download AGENTS.md
Build the following focused alternative to Gleek. Implement the focused workflow below first; the verdict is not evidence of a completed or production-certified build.

WORKING SLICE
Type a small documented graph DSL in a split editor, display syntax errors with line numbers, lay out nodes and export a clean SVG.

SETUP AND ARCHITECTURE
Use TypeScript, React, SVG or Canvas and IndexedDB with a versioned JSON project format. Prerequisites: A browser with IndexedDB, licensed example assets and fonts, and an agreed output size. Before integrating anything, record actual versions and permissions, plus model files or provider limits only where used, in the README; make unavailable dependencies visible rather than simulating success.

DOMAIN MODEL AND INVARIANTS
Store DiagramText, ParsedNode, Edge and LayoutOverride; parse failures leave the last valid preview visible and stable node IDs keep manual layout overrides attached.

IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACT
Maintain one document model for preview, undo and export. Use stable element IDs; save after completed gestures, handle storage quota errors and provide explicit file backups. Provide an input/setup view, the main work view, and a review/export view appropriate to this workflow. Preserve the last saved state if a job or save fails. Include empty, loading, permission-denied, partial and retryable-error states. Log identifiers and error categories without secret values or unnecessary private content.

APP-SPECIFIC BOUNDARY AND RECOVERY
Support one flowchart grammar before sequence/ER variants. Do not pretend DSL translation between Mermaid and PlantUML is lossless; labels must be escaped in SVG.

ACCEPTANCE SCENARIO
Rename a node label, introduce an incomplete edge and undo; the node's position survives, the error points at the right line and export uses only the valid document. Also reopen the app after an interrupted operation, confirm the saved record/export remains inspectable, and document the recovery action. These are implementation acceptance requirements, not a claim that this guide has been tested.

DELIVERY
Deliver a runnable repository with migrations or project-format versioning, a non-sensitive example, environment/permission setup, the exact manual acceptance steps, and a backup/export-and-restore walkthrough. Implement the working slice before optional integrations; list any deferred paid-product capabilities honestly. Do not add capabilities outside the working slice just to resemble the original product.

PROJECT RULES FOR AGENTS.md
Keep the domain invariants above executable at the write boundary. Propose scope changes before adding providers or permissions. Never fabricate source evidence, publish results, identity matches or successful delivery. Preserve user originals and require an explicit confirmation for destructive changes or external publication.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy or download AGENTS.md

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Alternatives to building your own

Mermaid Live EditorType Mermaid, see the diagram immediately, and export it; narrower than Gleek, but finished, free, and pleasantly uncomplicated.6.7kaug 2026open source↗PlantUML ServerA usable browser editor for architecture, sequence, process, and data-model diagrams written as text; the syntax is less forgiving than Gleek's.2.2kjun 2026open source↗

no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Gleek pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0$05 files; 40 objects/file; PNG export only; local-browser storage; no AIFree plan includes ads.
premium monthly$8.02—Unlimited diagrams and objects; premium export/collaboration featuresVendor price €6.95/month; converted at ECB 2026-08-11 reference rate EUR 1 = USD 1.1540.
premium per activity$12.68—Unlimited premium access only in months when the account is usedVendor price €10.99 per active month; converted at ECB 2026-08-11 reference rate EUR 1 = USD 1.1540. Unused subscription time freezes until the next active month.
premium yearly—$5.62Unlimited diagrams and objects; premium export/collaboration featuresVendor price €58.40/year (€4.87/month equivalent); converted at ECB 2026-08-11 reference rate EUR 1 = USD 1.1540.
teams$8.02/user—Minimum 2 users; team collaboration and centralized billingVendor price €6.95/user/month; converted at ECB 2026-08-11 reference rate EUR 1 = USD 1.1540.

free tier5 files; 40 objects/file; PNG only; local-browser storage; no AI

billingmonthly + per-active-month + annual; Teams monthly with 2-seat minimum

hidden costsThe per-activity plan charges €10.99 upfront for each month in which it is used, then freezes unused time. Teams has a 2-user minimum. Students and teachers can request a 50% discount.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-12 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Gleek

Can you build your own Gleek with AI?

The verdict is yes for the scoped workflow. Gleek's solo core is compact: build a browser-based keyboard diagramming editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on interaction polish, collaboration.

What does the Gleek build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Type a small documented graph DSL in a split editor, display syntax errors with line numbers, lay out nodes and export a clean SVG. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: multiplayer cursors and comments; large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Gleek prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Gleek project take?

The catalogue estimate is one sitting for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Gleek?

multiplayer cursors and comments; large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export; presentation and enterprise controls. Gleek: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.

What can I use instead of building Gleek?

Mermaid Live Editor: Type Mermaid, see the diagram immediately, and export it; narrower than Gleek, but finished, free, and pleasantly uncomplicated. PlantUML Server: A usable browser editor for architecture, sequence, process, and data-model diagrams written as text; the syntax is less forgiving than Gleek's. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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