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How Arcobay compares to architecture doc tools.

Arcobay is the only affordable product that keeps architecture accurate from code, captures why decisions were made, and helps humans onboard, audit, and explain — in one place.

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Where Arcobay wins.

Honest positioning against the tools teams evaluate alongside us.

vs. Swimm

Doc sync to code

We own visual architecture and decisions on the diagram — not just inline code documentation.

  • Architecture diagrams generated from your repo, not hand-maintained doc snippets
  • Decision notes attached to diagram nodes with history and tags
  • Living doc sync commits ARCHITECTURE.md and PNG when architecture drifts
  • Presentation video, Q&A, and onboarding built on the same living diagram
Full comparison

vs. Structurizr / IcePanel

C4 modeling

Code-first architecture — zero DSL maintenance.

  • Diagrams stay accurate from repository scans and webhooks
  • No C4 DSL or manual model upkeep between sprints
  • Prompt-first path when code does not exist yet
  • Stakeholder view, handoff packs, and video exports from one board
Full comparison

vs. gjalla

Living docs from repo

Living docs plus why, onboarding, stakeholder views, audit, and prompt path.

  • Captures architectural decisions on components, not just structure
  • Onboarding tours and knowledge checks for new hires
  • Structural code audit and PR architecture gate for undocumented changes
  • README bundles, embeds, and doc sync for solo dev workflows
Full comparison

vs. Zindex

Agent-maintained scenes

Full product loop — team, billing, Q&A, video, and handoff.

  • End-to-end workspace with roles, comments, and presence
  • Human onboarding and stakeholder layers alongside agent context
  • Monetized presentation exports with plan limits and notifications
  • MCP server and agent context packs for Cursor / Claude
Full comparison

vs. Lucidchart / Miro

Manual diagrams

Auto-living architecture with institutional memory.

  • Diagrams regenerate when your codebase changes
  • Drift alerts and decision-gap nudges keep docs honest
  • Version history and time machine across architecture changes
  • No manual redraw after every refactor or new service
Full comparison

vs. CodeBoarding / ArchiLens

AI diagram from repo

Presentation video and decisions moat on top of repo scans.

  • Narrated presentation and recap videos for standups and investors
  • Decision capture, Q&A, and audit workflows on the same diagram
  • Handoff packs for agencies and client delivery
  • Doc sync, README export, and embeds for distribution
Full comparison

Capability matrix

Side-by-side checklist.

The full feature comparison from our product strategy — updated as we ship.

CapabilitySwimmIcePanel / Structurizrgjalla / Zindex / CodeBoardingArcobay
Auto diagrams from repo
Partial
Manual
Yes
YesScan + webhooks
Diagrams before code exists
No
Manual
No
YesPrompt path → merge with repo
Why on the diagram (not separate ADRs)
No
Manual
No
YesDecision notes on nodes
Drift + undocumented-change alerts
Partial
No
Partial
YesDrift + decision-gap nudges
Q&A grounded in code + decisions
No
No
No
Yes
AI structural code audit
No
No
No
Yes
Stakeholder auto-simplified view
No
Manual
No
Yes
Onboarding tour for new hires
No
No
No
Yes
Comments on architecture components
No
No
No
Yes
Multi-repo unified architecture
No
Manual
Partial
Yes
Animated video export
No
No
No
YesMP4 / WebM / GIF
Living doc sync to GitHub
Yes
No
Partial
YesARCHITECTURE.md + PNG on drift
Team + billing + notifications E2E
Partial
Partial
Partial
Yes

Try the full product loop

Connect a repo or start with a prompt. Export README bundles, sync living docs, and share stakeholder views — without enterprise pricing or manual diagram upkeep.

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