If you're buying for a small team, the price drops significantly (e.g., $99 for 100+ devices). 4. Why You Should Avoid "Free Key" Sites
A text-based tool that is excellent for developers who want to "code" their diagrams.
For personal projects or students who just need to visualize a class diagram, the evaluation version is often sufficient. 2. Use the "Truly Free" Version (StarUML V1) Many users don't realize there are two "StarUMLs."
The software will still run, but it enters an evaluation mode where exported diagrams will include a watermark.
The good news is that you can actually use StarUML for free legally, or get a professional license at a steep discount if you know where to look. 1. The Legal "Free" Way: Evaluation Mode