I tried to migrate to Mermaid, but despite all the disadvantages, I found that PlantUML + IDE Extension are superior in terms of syntax, diagram variation and visual customisation.
The lack of control on the layout can sometimes be a feature. If something starts to look bad, I often use it as a sign that my architecture is wrong. I’ve found that many times it’s helped point me in a better direction. If it’s easy for the graph layout engine, it’s probably a better architecture.
