We are considering using C4 for our architecture diagrams. Many diagramming tools (including Structurizr which was developed specifically for it) support C4. I wonder if there are others that use it and I would like to hear your experiences.

My initial assessment is as follows:

Pros

• Diagram as code is a great way to keep things open to change.
• It allows for better versioning
• It enforces semantics into the diagrams. Instead of just thinking in terms of boxes and arrows, one need to dig deeper

Cons

• It has a relative steep learning curve (one needs to study the DSL even though the end result is just boxes and arrows)
• The tooling is not perfect. One needs to run a docker container to be able to navigate within the diagram (solution: there is also a SaaS offering)
• Its view of architecture is somewhat limiting. It doesn’t seem to be catered for augmenting the diagrams with other forms of diagrams (flowcharts, etc.) or text.