Learn UML modeling with the best UML free tools (both online and desktop freeware)

Instead of writing hundreds of pages of documentation, it would be convenient to draw a few diagrams to show how it all works. UML diagrams keep the conversation focused, facilitate communication, allow less time to be wasted on explanations, and give more clarity to the problem. Thus, UML gives a standard approach to writing a system model that covers conceptual ideas. Through the understanding of modeling, the use and application of UML can make the software development process more effective.

• It can be used to model systems independent of the platform language.
• It is a graphical language for visualizing, specifying, building, and documenting information about software-intensive systems.
• Some UML tools generate programming language code from UML.

Visual Paradigm for Desktop Edition (Free Version Available)

1. Web or cloud platform for diagramming may initially seem attractive because they have zero configuration, but are not as good as desktop applications in terms of performance or enterprise-scale functionality when modeling complex diagrams.
2. Models already created in diagrams (e.g. classes) cannot be referenced from one diagram to another diagram elsewhere as views (referenced shapes), and there is no mention of sharing model elements across projects, which makes them unsuitable for enterprise-scale modeling. As a result, all diagrams work independently and there is no traceability between them.
3. There is no powerful set of support tools to unleash the full power of UML for the different activities that need to be performed in software development, such as team work, agile development, user experience modeling, code engineering, enterprise project management, etc.
4. Charting tools like Visio are only good for drawing simple diagram or charts and lack good editing capabilities for complex chart layouts and modifications. What you get is a standard set of individual diagrams that are not powerful enough to fit in with the entire software development process.

Visual Paradigm – The Best Award-Winning UML Modeling Tool

Download Visual Paradigm FREE Community Desktop Edition   ———-   ( or FREE Online Tool for UML)

1. Excellent visual modeling toolset

• Unlike other UML diagramming tools with very limited support for UML notation, Visual Paradigm supports the latest UML 2.x standard with 14 different types of diagrams.
• Support for related visual modeling standards such as BPMN, mind mapping, text analysis, project management toolsets (ArchiMate, Fishbone, Pert, Gantt, WBS, Radar Chart, etc.).

2. Integrating UML with Agile/Scrum processes

• Seamlessly integrate use case modeling with agile development by integrating use cases and story maps into backlog management, release planning
• Send visual models (requirements) from multiple sources to the agile product backlog, such as identifying requirements from use cases, activities in UML activity diagrams, tasks or activities in BPMN, or nodes in mind maps.
• Identify large requirements, such as use cases, and transform them into a manageable set of user stories or epics, of your choice, and incorporate them into a manageable story map structure.
• Once you have transformed the use cases into relevant user stories, they can be further decomposed into tasks that can subsequently be automatically managed by the task manager.

3. Code Engineering Toolset

• Generate code from class and state diagrams of popular programming languages
• Generate databases from ERD and subsequently use the Hibernate framework to seamlessly map objects to relational databases (the most popular databases on the market are supported)
• Integrate Visual Paradigm with leading IDEs, including Visual Studio, IntelliJ, NetBeans, Eclipse, and Android Studio

4. Inter-model and traceability

• Support model traceability through model references (multiple views of a model), sub diagram model elaboration, reference visual models across multiple projects, annotations and reference attachments
  Generate sequence or activity diagrams from use case scenarios
• Detail use case scenarios with wireframe tools
• Identify classes from sequence diagrams and move related models from one to the other with the Model Converter feature

5. On-demand Report Designer

• Simply drag and drop the created model elements or diagrams to write your own reports and export them to an ideal format such as Word, PDF or HTML.
• Alternatively, you can embed model elements or diagrams from Visual Paradigm projects into the content of your corporate reports or documents by filling in the document editor.

6. Team Collaboration

• Your team can edit UML projects simultaneously with automatic version control, revision merging and conflict resolution.
• In addition, you can share, discuss and comment on diagrams or models online in the cloud through the PostMania feature.
• Attach and sort references and documents into a convenient, visual filing cabinet

7. Online network diagrams and samples

• With the first phase of Network Diagram Online functionality in place (including BPMN, Business Process Diagram, ArchiMate® Diagram, Class Diagram, Use Case Diagram, Sequence Diagram, Process Diagram PERT, ITIL, AWS, and Microsoft Azure Diagram), all existing Visual Paradigm users can now take advantage of Network Diagram Online at no additional cost.
• Now you can try sample diagrams online in the Visual Paradigm community circle, import them directly into your applications for learning and experimentation, or adopt ready-made templates to solve your problems.

Visual Paradigm is used by over one million active registrants around the world, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, universities and government entities.

Visual Paradigm FREE community Edition 2020 Feature List:

	Community EditionFREE for non-commercial use	Modeler Edition$6 / Month for ANY purposes
Use Case Diagram	Include
Class Diagram	Include
Sequence Diagram	Include
Communication Diagram	Include
State Machine Diagram	Include
Activity Diagram	Include
Component Diagram	Include
Deployment Diagram	Include
Package Diagram	Include
Object Diagram	Include
Composite Structure Diagram	Include
Timing Diagram	Include
Interaction Overview Diagram	Include
Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD)	Include
SysML Requirement Diagram	Include
SysML Block Definition Diagram	Include
SysML Internal Block Diagram	Include
SysML Parametric Diagram	Include
Business Concept Diagram	Include
Printing	* (Partial)
Image exporting (PNG, JPG)	* (Partial)
Business Process Modeling (BPMN)	Paid Edition
Data Flow Diagram (DFD)	Paid Edition
Flowchart maker	Paid Edition
Team collaboration (Cloud / On-Premises)	Paid Edition
Diagram review and commenting	Paid Edition
Task management	Paid Edition
Project glossary management	Paid Edition
Textual Analysis	Paid Edition
EPC diagram	Paid Edition
Process Overview	Paid Edition
Organization chart	Paid Edition
Network diagram	Paid Edition
Rack diagram	Paid Edition
Venn diagram	Paid Edition
Floor plan maker	Paid Edition
	FREE Download	FREE Trial

* A single-lined watermark will appear in printout and images produced by the Community Edition

References

Best UML Tool for Visual Modeling

UML Resources

• UML Learning Guides
• What is UML?
• Why UML Modeling?
• Overview of the 14 UML Diagram Types