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Self-host FossFLOW

v1.0.5

Open-source isometric diagramming PWA for infrastructure

ReleaseOpen SourceMIT
Updated3 weeks ago
LanguageTypescript
Setup difficultyEasy
MobilePWA
Stars
226
Ports
80 (nginx frontend serving the PWA), 3001 (Node.js backend API for persistent storage)
Docker
abrar74774/fossflow
Install with Docker
Multiplexed connectors demoCopy pasting items demo

What is FossFLOW?

FossFLOW is a browser-based isometric diagramming tool for creating infrastructure and network diagrams. Built as a Progressive Web App with React, it runs entirely in the browser with offline support and can be self-hosted via Docker. The app provides a drag-and-drop canvas with a library of isometric icons, connector tools with click and drag modes, multiple label support on connectors, lasso and freehand selection tools, auto-save to session storage, and JSON import/export for permanent backups. A Node.js/Express backend can be enabled in Docker for persistent server-side storage with optional Git versioning. The UI supports English and Chinese, configurable hotkey profiles (QWERTY/SMNRCT), and pan/zoom settings. HTTP Basic Authentication is available via nginx. The project is a continuation of the original stan-smith/FossFLOW (itself a fork of markmanx/isoflow).

Should you self-host FossFLOW?

FossFLOW scores 47/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #9 of 12 in Diagramming. It has 226 GitHub stars.

It shipped 6 stable releases in the past year. The latest, v1.0.5, came out on 7 October 2026. New versions land roughly every 5 weeks.

Setup is easy: most people get it running in one sitting. An official Docker image is available. It is MIT-licensed and written mostly in Typescript.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is drawdb (80/100, 40 154 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See FossFLOW vs drawdb side by side.

Features

  • Auto-save
  • Configurable hotkeys
  • Connector routing
  • Custom icon import
  • Diagram export to PNG
  • Git backupDisabled by default; enable with ENABLE_GIT_BACKUP=true
  • HTTP Basic AuthenticationBoth HTTP_AUTH_USER and HTTP_AUTH_PASSWORD must be set
  • Isometric diagramming
  • JSON Import/Export
  • Lasso selection
  • Multi-language Support
  • Multiple connector labels
  • Progressive Web App
  • Server-side persistent storageEnabled by default in Docker; can be disabled with ENABLE_SERVER_STORAGE=false
  • Undo/RedoImplemented but has known issues under investigation

FossFLOW README

How to install FossFLOW

Install FossFLOW with Docker

Docker installed
Environment variables
ENABLE_SERVER_STORAGE, STORAGE_PATH, ENABLE_GIT_BACKUP, HTTP_AUTH_USER, HTTP_AUTH_PASSWORD, PUID, PGID

docker run -p 80:80 -v $(pwd)/diagrams:/data/diagrams abrar74774/fossflow:latest

Maps host ./diagrams to container /data/diagrams for persistence

How to configure FossFLOW

  • BACKEND_HOST0.0.0.0Host interface for backend server

    Host interface for backend server

    values: 0.0.0.0|127.0.0.1

  • BACKEND_PORT3001Port for the Node.js backend server

    Port for the Node.js backend server

    values: any valid port

  • ENABLE_GIT_BACKUPfalseEnable automatic Git commits for diagram version history

    Enable automatic Git commits for diagram version history

    values: true|false

  • ENABLE_SERVER_STORAGEtrueEnable server-side persistent diagram storage

    Enable server-side persistent diagram storage

    values: true|false

  • HTTP_AUTH_PASSWORDPassword for HTTP Basic Auth (both user and password required to enable)

    Password for HTTP Basic Auth (both user and password required to enable)

    values: any string

  • HTTP_AUTH_USERUsername for HTTP Basic Auth (both user and password required to enable)

    Username for HTTP Basic Auth (both user and password required to enable)

    values: any string

  • PGIDGroup ID for file ownership in persistent storage

    Group ID for file ownership in persistent storage

    values: numeric GID

  • PUIDUser ID for file ownership in persistent storage

    User ID for file ownership in persistent storage

    values: numeric UID

  • STORAGE_PATH/data/diagramsDirectory inside container for diagram files

    Directory inside container for diagram files

    values: any valid path

FossFLOW releases & version history

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