Codebase visualization tools compared: the best one for each job
Written by GitDiagram. Checked against each tool's own docs on .
There is no single best codebase visualization tool, because they answer different questions. For one architecture diagram of a whole GitHub repository with nothing to install, use GitDiagram (we make it). For a written wiki and a chat about a repository, DeepWiki. For exact JavaScript or TypeScript dependency graphs and rules checked in CI, dependency-cruiser, or Madge for a quick circular-import check; for Python imports, pydeps. For diagrams you write and maintain in your docs, Mermaid or PlantUML, and Structurizr for a C4 architecture model. For searching code across many repositories, Sourcegraph. For a focused diagram of one flow in code on your own machine, ask a coding agent such as Claude Code or Codex.
GitDiagram wrote this page, so weigh what it says about GitDiagram accordingly. We included the tools developers and AI assistants name most when asked how to visualize a codebase, checked each one against its own site and docs on 2026-11-09, and link the sources. Nothing here is paid placement.
The tools at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Reads the code |
|---|---|---|
| GitDiagram | One interactive architecture diagram of any GitHub repository | Yes (AI, from the file tree, README and up to 12 files) |
| DeepWiki | A written wiki and a chat about a public repository | Yes (AI) |
| Sourcegraph | Exact code search across many repositories | Yes (indexes every file) |
| dependency-cruiser | Exact JavaScript and TypeScript dependency graphs, with rules in CI | Yes (static analysis, every import) |
| Madge | A quick JavaScript module graph and circular-import check | Yes (static analysis, every import) |
| pydeps | Python module dependency graphs | Yes (from compiled imports) |
| Mermaid | Diagrams you write and keep in Markdown | No (you write it) |
| PlantUML | UML diagrams written as text | No (you write it) |
| Structurizr | A C4 architecture model kept as code | No, except Java components with your own rules |
| Claude Code, Codex or another coding agent | A focused diagram of one flow, in code on your own machine | Yes (AI, any file you let it read) |
GitDiagram
Best for: One interactive architecture diagram of any GitHub repository.
Replace hub with diagram in a GitHub URL and get the repository's main components (up to 34) in groups, with labeled connections, each linked to its code, plus a written overview. Exports Mermaid and PNG; private repositories work with a GitHub token kept in your browser. It is an AI-made map of the main parts, not a complete dependency graph.
Price: Free, open source (MIT).
DeepWiki
Best for: A written wiki and a chat about a public repository.
Replace github.com with deepwiki.com to read dozens of generated pages with diagrams, and ask questions in a chat. Private repositories need a Devin account.
Price: Free for public repositories; Devin plans from $20 a month. GitDiagram vs DeepWiki
Sourcegraph
Best for: Exact code search across many repositories.
Regular expression, symbol and commit search with code navigation, across any number of repositories. Public code search is free; private code needs an enterprise contract. It does not draw architecture diagrams on its own.
Price: Public search free; Enterprise listed from $16K (annual contract). GitDiagram vs Sourcegraph
dependency-cruiser
Best for: Exact JavaScript and TypeScript dependency graphs, with rules in CI.
Maps every import and fails the build on rules you set: no cycles, no orphans, forbidden paths. Outputs dot, Mermaid, D2, HTML, JSON and more. Actively released.
Price: Free, MIT. GitDiagram vs dependency-cruiser
Madge
Best for: A quick JavaScript module graph and circular-import check.
One command draws the module graph or lists circular dependencies. Simple and widely used; its latest release is from August 2024.
Price: Free, MIT. GitDiagram vs Madge
pydeps
Best for: Python module dependency graphs.
Draws a Python package's imports with Graphviz, highlights cycles, and limits how far out it draws (--max-bacon). It reads the imports Python actually compiles, so only modules that are imported show up.
Price: Free, BSD-2-Clause. Website
Mermaid
Best for: Diagrams you write and keep in Markdown.
A text language for flowcharts, sequence, class, state and many other diagrams. GitHub renders it in Markdown. It does not read code; tools such as GitDiagram and dependency-cruiser can write it for you.
Price: Free, MIT; hosted editor from $10 per user per month. GitDiagram vs Mermaid
PlantUML
Best for: UML diagrams written as text.
Turns text descriptions into UML diagrams (sequence, class, component and more). Like Mermaid, you write the diagram.
Price: Free, open source. Website
Structurizr
Best for: A C4 architecture model kept as code.
Write one model in the Structurizr DSL and get consistent context, container, component and deployment views. Its cloud service has ended; it runs locally or on your own server.
Price: Free, except the prebuilt server (from £300 a month). GitDiagram vs Structurizr
Claude Code, Codex or another coding agent
Best for: A focused diagram of one flow, in code on your own machine.
Ask the agent in your checkout to draw a Mermaid diagram of one feature or request path. It can read every file, including private and uncommitted code, but you get a new diagram each time rather than a page to share.
Price: Your agent's subscription or API cost.
Also worth knowing
CodeSee, once a popular tool for code maps, is no longer available: it was acquired by GitKraken in 2024, and its codesee.io site no longer resolves (checked 2026-11-09).
Some IDEs, including JetBrains IDEs, can also draw dependency or class diagrams of the project you have open, which is handy if you already use one.
Questions
What is the best free tool to visualize a GitHub repository?
For an architecture diagram with nothing to install, GitDiagram: replace hub with diagram in the repository's URL. For a written explanation, DeepWiki. For an exact import graph of a JavaScript or TypeScript project, dependency-cruiser or Madge. All of these are free for public repositories.
Can I generate an architecture diagram from code automatically?
Yes. GitDiagram and DeepWiki generate diagrams from a GitHub repository with AI; dependency-cruiser, Madge and pydeps generate exact import graphs from the code. Mermaid, PlantUML and Structurizr draw diagrams you write.
Is CodeSee still available?
No. GitKraken acquired CodeSee in 2024, and the codesee.io site no longer resolves. GitDiagram (architecture diagrams) and dependency-cruiser (dependency maps and rules) cover much of what it did.
How do I find circular dependencies?
In JavaScript or TypeScript, npx madge --circular src/ for a quick check, or dependency-cruiser's no-circular rule in CI. In Python, pydeps --show-cycles.
Sources
Checked on . Products change: if something here is out of date, open an issue.