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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Architecture diagrams go stale when they live apart from the code they describe. Writing them as code and keeping them in the repository makes changes reviewable alongside software changes—but the authoring tools differ in how they keep multiple views consistent. In a comparison using the same file-storage example, Efrain Garay found that Structurizr DSL with its CLI centralizes the model and validates references, while C4-PlantUML offered a simpler rendering path in his setup but repeated information across diagrams.
What does “architecture diagrams as code” change?
Instead of drawing each diagram in a separate editor, you describe architecture in text files, commit them to version control, and render views from those files. That lets a team review diagram changes in Git alongside related code changes. Structurizr describes version control and text diffs as benefits of this approach, while noting a learning curve and that code-based authoring can be harder for non-technical collaborators (Structurizr: Why “as code”?).
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The choice between Structurizr DSL and C4-PlantUML is not simply about which produces a picture faster. It is about whether multiple diagrams share one architecture model or repeat descriptions that people must keep aligned.
What did the comparison test?
In an August 15, 2026 article, solutions architect Efrain Garay described using his Agatha file-storage system to create context, container, and component views with both approaches. His figures are observations from that example, not an independently replicated benchmark or a prediction of performance on other machines.
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| Measure in Garay’s example | Structurizr DSL and CLI | C4-PlantUML |
|---|---|---|
| Files and model | One 66-line DSL model declaring shared architecture and views | Three files totaling 68 lines across the three diagram levels |
| Reported operation | Garay reported 1.3 seconds to validate the model and 1.0 second to export every view, on a machine with Java 21 | Garay rendered the files against a public PlantUML server without installing the library locally; no comparable render time was reported |
| Consistency approach | Views draw on a shared model; the CLI validation caught references to nonexistent elements in his workflow | Information is repeated between files, so a rename or other change can leave diagrams inconsistent unless each is updated |
Similar line counts do not imply equivalent maintenance effort: the central trade-off is reuse versus duplication. The reported seconds measure one run on one example, not universal speed, memory use, or scaling. Garay’s account is here: “Your architecture diagram is lying: I tested both ways of writing it as code”.
How Structurizr DSL and CLI handle multiple views
Structurizr treats the architecture model and its presentation as distinct: define the model in the DSL, then define views that show different parts or levels of it. That is useful when a system has several diagrams that should describe the same elements. Structurizr’s documentation also describes validation and CI/CD integration as part of this workflow (Why “as code”?).
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In Garay’s example, one model supported the context, container, and component views, and the CLI validated it before export. The practical benefit is not that validation guarantees every diagram is conceptually correct; it can catch broken references, while people still need to decide whether the architecture description accurately reflects the system.
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Garay’s setup could render C4-PlantUML files through a public PlantUML server without a local library installation. That can be an attractive starting point for an individual project where getting a diagram rendered quickly matters.
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The trade-off in his example was repeated architecture information across three separate files. If a system element is renamed or its relationship changes, each affected diagram needs to be checked and updated. This is manageable for a small set of views, but creates a manual consistency task as the same facts appear in more places.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should a team choose?
- Choose C4-PlantUML when straightforward rendering and a low-install path matter most, and the number of diagrams is small enough that manually keeping them synchronized is acceptable.
- Choose Structurizr DSL with the CLI when several views should derive from one shared model, validation of references matters, or the diagrams need to fit a Git and CI workflow.
- Consider who will edit the diagrams. Text-based authoring is easier to review and diff in code-centric teams, but can be less approachable for collaborators who do not work comfortably in code.
- Do not decide from the reported timings alone. Garay’s timings describe one example; they do not establish a general performance winner.
Garay’s own recommendation is conditional: he favors C4-PlantUML for a personal project prioritizing immediate setup, and Structurizr DSL and CLI for a company or team repository where one model should support multiple views and validation is valuable. He also advises against running a web server solely to generate images, based on his test; that is his workflow conclusion, not an official product requirement.
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What happens when diagrams need to be embedded elsewhere?
Structurizr’s export workflow can produce PlantUML and Mermaid output for existing documentation workflows (Create with DSL, export to PlantUML/Mermaid). Exporting does not preserve every capability of the Structurizr viewer: the official guidance says exported diagrams are static, do not include interactive features such as zoom and tooltips, and cannot have their layout modified through that export path.
Mermaid also has an architecture diagram syntax aimed at showing relationships among services and resources, including those commonly found in cloud and CI/CD deployments (Mermaid Architecture Diagrams Documentation). That is useful context for documentation choices, but it is not part of Garay’s direct Structurizr-versus-C4-PlantUML comparison.
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