Can AI replace Gleek?
Gleek's solo core is compact: build a browser-based keyboard diagramming editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export. A competent builder can reach a useful personal version in one sitting, while the paid product mainly wins on interaction polish, collaboration.
01What it costs
Checked Aug 12, 2026 · source: gleek.io.
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free | 5 files; 40 objects/file; PNG export only; local-browser storage; no AI |
| Premium Monthly | $8.02 | — | Unlimited diagrams and objects; premium export/collaboration features |
| Premium per Activity | $12.68 | — | Unlimited premium access only in months when the account is used |
| Premium Yearly | — | $5.62/mo | Unlimited diagrams and objects; premium export/collaboration features |
| Teams | $8.02 | — | Minimum 2 users; team collaboration and centralized billing |
Hidden costs: The per-activity plan charges €10.99 upfront for each month in which it is used, then freezes unused time. Teams has a 2-user minimum. Students and teachers can request a 50% discount.
02Could AI build it for you?
The core job: Build a browser-based keyboard diagramming editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export.
What a working version needs:
- Node.js 22
- modern browser
- no account required
Strong page because Gleek separates a compact personal workflow from the value of long-term polish.
03What you'd give up
- multiplayer cursors and comments
- large template libraries
- high-fidelity import and export
- presentation and enterprise controls
Gleek: The shapes are easy; customers pay for low-friction editing, reliable exports, collaboration, and a canvas that never fights them.
04Free and cheaper alternatives
Type Mermaid, see the diagram immediately, and export it; narrower than Gleek, but finished, free, and pleasantly uncomplicated.
mermaid.live →A usable browser editor for architecture, sequence, process, and data-model diagrams written as text; the syntax is less forgiving than Gleek's.
editor.plantuml.com →05The build prompt
Paste this into an AI coding tool (such as Claude, ChatGPT, Lovable or Replit) to build your own version.
Build a usable personal replacement for the core loop of Gleek. Use exactly this stack: React + TypeScript + Vite + IndexedDB. Primary job: Build a browser-based keyboard diagramming editor with drag, resize, connect, keyboard shortcuts, autosave, and SVG or PNG export. Start from an empty folder and create the complete working project. Make the default mode single-user and private. Store user data locally unless the core job requires the declared self-hosted database. Do not add analytics, telemetry, ads, or third-party accounts. Put every secret and external credential in .env and provide .env.example. Use realistic sample data that is clearly labelled and easy to delete. Implement the smallest polished interface that completes the core loop end to end. Include clear empty, loading, validation, success, and failure states. Add import and export so the user is not trapped in the app. Use accessible keyboard navigation, labels, focus states, and sensible contrast. Validate untrusted input and never log secrets or private file contents. Deliberately exclude these paid-product advantages: multiplayer cursors and comments; large template libraries; high-fidelity import and export. Do not fake integrations, network effects, proprietary data, model quality, compliance, or security claims. Where an external API is optional, keep the app useful without it and explain the degraded mode. Write focused unit tests for the data model and the most important workflow. Add one end-to-end smoke test that proves the core loop works. Create a README with setup, permissions, architecture, data location, backup, and limitations. Add scripts for install, development, test, build, and a production-style local run. Run the tests and build before finishing, then fix errors rather than merely describing them.
06Open-source starting points
- Mermaid: Text-to-diagram renderer with broad diagram syntax.
App prices, verdicts, alternatives and build prompts are adapted from Can I Vibecode It? (MIT License, © 2026 Rob Hallam). Each price shows the date it was checked and its source. Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you decide.
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