For iPad and Mac · Version 2.0
Design. Model.
Understand.
ArchitectBuddies™ is a modelling app for enterprise, systems and software architects. Work on a canvas made for touch, in four notations, and bring in the Architect Buddies™ when you want help: one Buddy that makes the edits you ask for, or a Team of buddies that works to a plan you approve.
Free to start. No account and no sign-in. Your models stay on your device.
AchitectBuddies™ with Pro features running on MacMini (Designed for iPad)
Four notations. Every canvas keeps its own.
Pick a notation when you add a canvas. Give it a diagram type and the palette and connection rules narrow to what belongs on that kind of diagram. Between two elements, only the relationships the notation allows are offered.
UML® 2.5.1
Software & Systems Design
Free to start
OMG SysML® v2
Systems Engineering
Free to start
ArchiMate® 3.2 Standard
Enterprise Architecture
EA Notation subscription
ArchiMate® 4.0 Standard
Enterprise Architecture
EA Notation subscription
ArchitectBuddies™ running on iPad (iOS)
Two ways to work with your Buddies
One Buddy
One Buddy · no plan
Say what you want changed. One Buddy adds, changes, moves or removes model content straight away and tells you what it did. Keep each change, or undo it.
Team of Buddies
Team · plan first
Describe the outcome. The Planner drafts a plan, you review and approve it, and the specialists work through it task by task. They stop for your decisions and at the end of every stage.
One Buddy & Team of buddies are an ArchitectBuddies™ Pro feature.
You bring the AI: your own provider key, Ollama on your network, or a model on the device.
ArchitectBuddies™ on the iPad, showing several options , to help get you started
A canvas made for your fingers, and for a mouse
Drag one element onto another and pause: the Connector Selector offers only the relationships that fit. Tap to inspect, double-tap to rename, touch and hold for more. On a Mac the same moves are click, double-click and right-click, with a keyboard shortcut for every button.
⌘E
Element Selector
⌘S
Save / Export
⌘T
Architect Buddies™
⌘Z
Undo
⌘R
Voice Builder
⌘?
Help
⌘G
Grid
⌘/
Show every shortcut
You choose where your data goes
Use an AI cloud service provider with your own key, Ollama on your local network, or a model running on the device itself. One switch in Chat Settings, ‘Keep AI processing on device / local network’, takes the cloud providers off the list.
OpenAI · Google · Anthropic · AI/ML API · xAI · Ollama (local network) · On-device
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API keys are kept in the Apple Keychain on your device.
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Nothing is sent to an AI provider unless you use the Buddies or Create Illustration.
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No account and no sign-in. Your models are stored on your device.
From model to decisions
Plans with stage gates
A Team plan is split into stages. Each ends at a gate you accept, and what was accepted is baselined.
Documents written from the model
The Architecture Narrator writes Word documents from what is modelled, aligned with ISO/IEC/IEEE 42010. Every stage produces a gate pack.
Pictures for everyone else
Create Illustration turns a canvas into an image for people who don’t read notation. Save it to Photos or share it.
Keep me updated
New features, new releases and offers. A few emails a year.