{"slug": "d2", "name": "D2", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 4, "commenters": 6, "warners": 0, "score": 4.138, "rising": 1.35, "first": "2026-01-18", "latest": "2026-10-18", "why": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 4, "neutral": 1, "compare": 1, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI.", "icon": true, "domain": "d2lang.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://d2lang.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["D2"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 802260560, "item_id": 50141285, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50141285", "by": "burgeonlab", "date": "2026-10-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI.", "excerpt": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI. Appreciate it, Kepano, for making Mermaid a bit more palatable! [1]: https://d2lang.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams", "switched_from": "Mermaid", "story": "Pele \u2013 Mermaid diagrams as themeable SVG"}, {"id": 788286944, "item_id": 49267934, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49267934", "by": "horacemorace", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019ve switched to D2 from mermaid after they removed ELK from the base.", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve switched to D2 from mermaid after they removed ELK from the base. Dagre just doesn\u2019t work for me. I wish there were better options.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams", "switched_from": "Mermaid", "story": "Show HN: Line9 - a Mermaid rendering engine with its own layout"}, {"id": 764490656, "item_id": 47780666, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47780666", "by": "Myrmornis", "date": "2026-04-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The language is richer and all diagram types are implemented consistently in the same language", "excerpt": "Take a look at https://d2lang.com/examples/dagre/ and https://d2lang.com/tour/intro/ The language is richer and all diagram types are implemented consistently in the same language in a way that can be composed, as opposed to being a collection of unrelated DSLs. The improved visual appearance is clear from inspecting example diagrams, I believe.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pretty Fish: A better mermaid diagram editor"}, {"id": 746672000, "item_id": 46667000, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46667000", "by": "primaprashant", "date": "2026-01-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love making (architecture) diagrams in D2 [1]", "excerpt": "They also have an API which you can use to get the icon SVG. I love making (architecture) diagrams in D2 [1], and love using the vast library of icons from Iconify in my diagrams where it makes sense. A sample diagram with SVG from Iconfiy would look like this: docker: Docker { icon: https://api.iconify.design/logos/docker-icon.svg } kubernetes: Kubernetes { icon: https://api.iconify.design/logos/kubernetes.svg } doc", "context": "", "use_case": "architecture diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Iconify: Library of Open Source Icons"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["diagrams", "diagram as code", "diagramming", "architecture diagrams"], "compared": [{"slug": "mermaid", "name": "Mermaid", "co": 5, "switched_from": 2, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50132193", "title": "Pele \u2013 Mermaid diagrams as themeable SVG", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49858513", "title": "Show HN: Reladraw \u2013 A diagram language where you decide where to place things", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49196657", "title": "Show HN: Line9 - a Mermaid rendering engine with its own layout", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48880170", "title": "Old and new apps, via modern coding agents by Terry Tao", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47708627", "title": "Pretty Fish: A better mermaid diagram editor", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46665411", "title": "Iconify: Library of Open Source Icons", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {"compare": 1}, "2026-08": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-09": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-10": {"recommend": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 802260560, "item_id": 50141285, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50141285", "by": "burgeonlab", "date": "2026-10-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI.", "excerpt": "I've switched to D2Lang for its easier syntax and the fact Mermaid is hard pushing AI. Appreciate it, Kepano, for making Mermaid a bit more palatable! [1]: https://d2lang.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams", "switched_from": "Mermaid", "story": "Pele \u2013 Mermaid diagrams as themeable SVG"}, {"id": 797770592, "item_id": 49860662, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49860662", "by": "Footprint0521", "date": "2026-09-26", "stance": "neutral", "quote": "That\u2019s what I have been using", "excerpt": "That\u2019s what I have been using, but from glancing through this repository, it looks like the win here is that you can define where you want things and yet still have diagram as code", "context": "", "use_case": "diagram as code", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Reladraw \u2013 A diagram language where you decide where to place things"}, {"id": 788286944, "item_id": 49267934, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49267934", "by": "horacemorace", "date": "2026-08-11", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I\u2019ve switched to D2 from mermaid after they removed ELK from the base.", "excerpt": "I\u2019ve switched to D2 from mermaid after they removed ELK from the base. Dagre just doesn\u2019t work for me. I wish there were better options.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams", "switched_from": "Mermaid", "story": "Show HN: Line9 - a Mermaid rendering engine with its own layout"}, {"id": 782275792, "item_id": 48892237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48892237", "by": "the__alchemist", "date": "2026-07-13", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I just yoloed one using D2 after brief research.", "excerpt": "Ty v much! I gill give those a shot. I just yoloed one using D2 after brief research. Will keep exploring those. What is your thought on D2 compared to those? GIven the WebGL mention (The one I'm familiar with), I suspect this is a matter of interactive vs static/diagrams. I assume the latter due to my own project which falls in that category!", "context": "", "use_case": "diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Old and new apps, via modern coding agents by Terry Tao"}, {"id": 764490656, "item_id": 47780666, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47780666", "by": "Myrmornis", "date": "2026-04-15", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "The language is richer and all diagram types are implemented consistently in the same language", "excerpt": "Take a look at https://d2lang.com/examples/dagre/ and https://d2lang.com/tour/intro/ The language is richer and all diagram types are implemented consistently in the same language in a way that can be composed, as opposed to being a collection of unrelated DSLs. The improved visual appearance is clear from inspecting example diagrams, I believe.", "context": "", "use_case": "diagramming", "switched_from": "", "story": "Pretty Fish: A better mermaid diagram editor"}, {"id": 746672000, "item_id": 46667000, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46667000", "by": "primaprashant", "date": "2026-01-18", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I love making (architecture) diagrams in D2 [1]", "excerpt": "They also have an API which you can use to get the icon SVG. I love making (architecture) diagrams in D2 [1], and love using the vast library of icons from Iconify in my diagrams where it makes sense. A sample diagram with SVG from Iconfiy would look like this: docker: Docker { icon: https://api.iconify.design/logos/docker-icon.svg } kubernetes: Kubernetes { icon: https://api.iconify.design/logos/kubernetes.svg } doc", "context": "", "use_case": "architecture diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Iconify: Library of Open Source Icons"}]}