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Archi is the gold-standard open-source tool for drawing ArchiMate models — and it stops there. Archiet is the code generation layer: your ArchiMate model compiles to production-ready backend, frontend, migrations, and compliance documentation.
| Feature | Archiet | Archi |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Production-ready code — backend, frontend, DB migrations, CI/CD, compliance docs | ArchiMate diagrams and reports (HTML, CSV, PDF) |
| Code generation | 9 web stacks (Flask, FastAPI, Django, NestJS, Laravel, Go, Java, Rails, .NET) + Tauri+Rust | None — diagrams only |
| Compliance output | HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA, EU AI Act, ISO 27001 controls generated alongside code | None — compliance documentation must be written manually |
| ArchiMate support | ArchiMate 3.2 — all 5 layers map to genome IR (Business, App, Tech, Motivation, Implementation) | Full ArchiMate 3.2 reference implementation — gold standard for modeling |
| Import/export | Accepts ArchiMate Exchange Format exports from Archi, Sparx EA, Visual Paradigm, BiZZdesign | Exports to ArchiMate Exchange Format, HTML, CSV, PNG/SVG, Jasper reports |
| Pricing | Free tier + from $149/mo (Builder) — fully self-serve | Free, open source (Eclipse-based) |
| Scripting / automation | REST API + MCP server at https://archiet.com/api/mcp — callable from Claude Desktop, Cursor | jArchi (JavaScript scripting plugin) for report automation and model transforms |
| Multi-tenant cloud | Cloud-native SaaS — team workspaces, blueprint sharing, audit log | Desktop application — model files shared via git or network drive |
| AI input | Upload ArchiMate export OR describe your architecture in plain English — Archiet produces the Genome | No AI — manual drawing interface |
The most powerful workflow for enterprise architecture teams is not to replace Archi with Archiet — it is to use both. Archi excels at what it was designed for: full-fidelity ArchiMate 3.2 modeling, viewpoint creation, relationship navigation, and The Open Group-aligned documentation. Those strengths are real and aren't replicated by Archiet.
The gap Archi leaves — intentionally — is code generation. Archi's job is to accurately model the architecture. What happens next (translation to running software) has always been a manual handoff. Archiet closes that gap: export your Archi model in ArchiMate Exchange Format, upload it to Archiet, review the generated Architectural Genome, and generate the production application across your chosen stack.
The two tools operate at different layers of the architecture workflow: Archi at the modeling layer, Archiet at the code-generation layer. Teams that already invest in ArchiMate modeling get the most from Archiet because their formal models encode the architectural decisions precisely — the genome is higher fidelity than a plain-English description.
Archi is the reference open-source implementation of ArchiMate, the enterprise architecture modeling language published by The Open Group. It is an Eclipse-based desktop application that lets architects draw ArchiMate models across Business, Application, and Technology layers, export them in ArchiMate Exchange Format, and generate HTML reports. Archi has 300,000+ downloads and is widely used in enterprise architecture teams globally. It does not generate application code.
Archi creates the architecture diagram. Archiet takes that diagram — or a plain-English description — and generates the production application: backend API, database schema and migrations, Next.js frontend, Docker configuration, CI/CD pipeline, and compliance documentation (HIPAA, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA, EU AI Act, ISO 27001). Archiet is the code generation layer that bridges the gap between the ArchiMate model and working software.
Yes, and this is the recommended workflow for teams that already model in Archi. Export your Archi model in ArchiMate Exchange Format (.archimate or Open Exchange XML), upload it to Archiet, review the generated Architectural Genome (the intermediate representation), and generate the production application. Archi remains your modeling tool; Archiet becomes your code generation layer.
No. Archiet accepts ArchiMate Exchange Format exports from Archi, Sparx EA, Visual Paradigm, BiZZdesign Horizzon, BOC ADOIT, and any tool that supports the Open Exchange standard. You can also describe your architecture in plain English and Archiet's extraction pipeline produces the Genome — no diagram tool required.
Yes. Archi and Archiet serve different audiences and different parts of the architecture workflow. Enterprise architecture teams that need detailed modeling, viewpoint creation, and The Open Group certification alignment benefit from Archi's full ArchiMate implementation. Archiet benefits teams that want to translate that architecture into running software — the two tools complement each other. Archi is the modeling tool; Archiet is the code generation layer.
The Architectural Genome is Archiet's intermediate representation — a YAML spec derived from your ArchiMate model or plain-English description that encodes entities, services, compliance requirements, and technology choices in a form the code generator can process deterministically. It is the formal model between your architecture diagram and the generated code. You review and version-control it in git.
Export your Archi model in ArchiMate Exchange Format. Upload to Archiet. Review the Genome. Generate the full production application. Free plan — no credit card.
Related: ArchiMate to code · vs Sparx EA · vs BiZZdesign · vs Lucidchart