FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Design Beaver — what it does, how validation works, and how to get access.
What is Design Beaver?
Design Beaver is a web-based AWS architecture diagramming tool that validates your design as you draw it. Unlike a generic diagram editor that just renders boxes and lines, it understands AWS services and flags problems — missing queues, invalid connections, and security anti-patterns — before you ship. It runs in the browser with nothing to install.
How does Design Beaver validate my AWS architecture as I draw?
Design Beaver checks your diagram against a built-in knowledge base of AWS services and their real-world connection rules, in real time. As you connect services it confirms the connections are valid, warns when a common pattern is missing a component like a queue, and highlights security anti-patterns. The checks run against modeled AWS knowledge — not your live cloud — so feedback is instant. Read more in why we built a validation engine.
What kinds of problems does Design Beaver catch?
Design Beaver catches three main classes of issue: missing queues (no buffer between a producer and consumer), invalid connections (services wired together in ways AWS doesn't support), and security anti-patterns (risky configurations). It surfaces them as you draw, so problems are caught at design time instead of in review or production.
How is Design Beaver different from draw.io, Lucidchart, or the official AWS icons?
Most diagramming tools — draw.io, Lucidchart, the AWS Architecture Icons — are drawing surfaces: they render boxes and lines but don't understand what you're drawing. Design Beaver understands AWS. It validates connections, flags missing components, and warns about security anti-patterns as you work, turning a static picture into a checked design. You still get a clean, production-grade diagram — it just tells you when the architecture is wrong.
What will the paid Design Beaver plan include?
The Pro tier is in development and will add four things on top of the free plan: unlimited diagrams, Terraform export, AWS CDK export, and detailed AWS cost forecasting — per-service monthly cost for a diagram at current regional rates, with 6-month and 12-month projections. Pricing is not announced yet. Everything the free tier does today, including the full validation engine, stays free.
Does Design Beaver work on a phone or tablet?
Yes — Design Beaver runs in any modern mobile browser, with the same canvas and the same live validation as on desktop. You can pan and pinch around an architecture, add services, connect them with a tap, read every validation finding, and leave comments on specific blocks. There is no app to install and nothing is read-only. A large screen is still the most comfortable place to build a big diagram from scratch, but reviewing one, catching a mistake and flagging it works in your hand.
Which AWS services does Design Beaver support?
Design Beaver supports AWS services across compute, database, networking, and storage, each with modeled connection rules for validation. You can browse the full supported list on the services page.
Do I need an AWS account or to connect my cloud?
No. Design Beaver is a standalone tool — you don't need an AWS account, credentials, or any cloud connection to use it. Validation runs against a built-in knowledge base of AWS services, so nothing touches your live infrastructure and there's no setup beyond opening the app.
Is Design Beaver free?
Yes — the free tier is free forever, not a trial. It gives you up to 5 saved diagrams with the complete validation engine: every rule, every modelled service, plus PNG, SVG and YAML export. A Pro tier is in development that adds unlimited diagrams, Terraform and AWS CDK export, and detailed AWS cost forecasting; pricing will be announced at launch. The core diagramming and validation experience stays free. See the pricing page for the full breakdown.
Who is Design Beaver for?
Design Beaver is built for engineers and solutions architects who design AWS systems — anyone who wants diagrams that are correct, not just presentable. It's aimed at people who care about production-grade architecture and want missing queues, invalid connections, and security issues caught before review or production.
Can I export or share my diagrams?
Yes. You can export your diagrams as images in PNG and SVG format, so they drop cleanly into docs, design reviews, slides, or pull requests.
How do I start using Design Beaver?
Design Beaver is live in beta — head to app.designbeaver.app and sign in with Google or GitHub. It's free, there's nothing to install, and your diagrams are saved to your account so you can pick up where you left off on any device. Want to hear about new features? Drop your email on the homepage.