{"slug": "monodraw", "name": "Monodraw", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 3, "warners": 0, "score": 2.518, "rising": -0.98, "first": "2026-01-09", "latest": "2026-02-13", "why": "I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 0, "compare": 0, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams", "icon": true, "domain": "helftone.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://monodraw.helftone.com", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["Monodraw"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 752042288, "item_id": 47002643, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47002643", "by": "frizlab", "date": "2026-02-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Monodraw[0]. Best purchase I ever made.", "excerpt": "I use Monodraw[0]. Best purchase I ever made. [0] https://monodraw.helftone.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "ASCII diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Monosketch"}, {"id": 748881360, "item_id": 46805085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46805085", "by": "jonfw", "date": "2026-01-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams", "excerpt": "I love ASCII diagrams! The fact that I can write a diagram that looks equally wonderful in my terminal via cat as it does rendered on my website is incredible. A good monospaced font and they can look really sharp! I will definitely give this tool a shot. I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams- https://monodraw.helftone.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "ASCII diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Beautiful Mermaid"}, {"id": 744945328, "item_id": 46559083, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46559083", "by": "agavra", "date": "2026-01-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my favorite one-time-purchase software of all time", "excerpt": "Thanks! I use https://monodraw.helftone.com/ which is my favorite one-time-purchase software of all time. I definitely agree the buttons on the top left are unnecessary but ... it's cute and it makes me happy so I can't help it. Maybe I'll come up with a different style for the next blog", "context": "", "use_case": "creating diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sorted string tables (SST) from first principles"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["ascii diagrams", "creating diagrams"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47001871", "title": "Monosketch", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46804828", "title": "Beautiful Mermaid", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46506143", "title": "Sorted string tables (SST) from first principles", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {}, "2026-10": {}}, "quotes": [{"id": 752042288, "item_id": 47002643, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47002643", "by": "frizlab", "date": "2026-02-13", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I use Monodraw[0]. Best purchase I ever made.", "excerpt": "I use Monodraw[0]. Best purchase I ever made. [0] https://monodraw.helftone.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "ASCII diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Monosketch"}, {"id": 748881360, "item_id": 46805085, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46805085", "by": "jonfw", "date": "2026-01-28", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams", "excerpt": "I love ASCII diagrams! The fact that I can write a diagram that looks equally wonderful in my terminal via cat as it does rendered on my website is incredible. A good monospaced font and they can look really sharp! I will definitely give this tool a shot. I will also shout out monodraw as a really nice little application for building generic ASCII diagrams- https://monodraw.helftone.com/", "context": "", "use_case": "ASCII diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Beautiful Mermaid"}, {"id": 744945328, "item_id": 46559083, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46559083", "by": "agavra", "date": "2026-01-09", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "my favorite one-time-purchase software of all time", "excerpt": "Thanks! I use https://monodraw.helftone.com/ which is my favorite one-time-purchase software of all time. I definitely agree the buttons on the top left are unnecessary but ... it's cute and it makes me happy so I can't help it. Maybe I'll come up with a different style for the next blog", "context": "", "use_case": "creating diagrams", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sorted string tables (SST) from first principles"}]}