The verdict
On the data we hold, Gmail comes out ahead. Here is why, point by point.
What the data says
- Both have a free plan, so you can try each before you pay.
- In our Tech stack ranking, Gmail places 22 and Mermaid 15 of 72.
Side by side
Plans and pricing
Gmail
- Free (personal Gmail)Free with a personal Google account.Free
- Google Workspace StarterGmail with your own domain, 30 GB per user; the Workspace business plan.€6.80/mo/seat
- Google Workspace Standard2 TB per user.€13.60/mo/seat
- Google Workspace Plus5 TB per user.€21.10/mo/seat
Mermaid
- BasicFree plan with up to 3 diagrams, limited diagram size and limited AI.Free
- PlusUnlimited diagrams and 300 AI credits a year; 10 per user per month billed annually.$120/yr/seat
- Premium2,000 AI credits a year, free viewer seats and unlimited teams; 20 per user per month billed annually.$240/yr/seat
Prices as the vendors list them. They change often; the final price is on their sites.
Who each is for
Choose Gmail if…
Solo founders and small B2B teams on Google Workspace who want reliable business email on their own domain, sitting next to Calendar, Drive and Docs.
Choose Mermaid if…
Developers, technical writers and operations teams who keep diagrams as text next to their code and docs, so they stay versioned and never turn into stale screenshots.
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