Close the loop between system design and implementation

Make your software system design enforceable

Define your system design in a collaborative diagram that syncs with your codebase, and enforces architectural rules in CI.

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For architects, CTOs & engineering teams

Supported architecture patterns

Modular Monolith Microservices Event-Driven Hexagonal (Ports & Adapters) Layered Shards Pipeline (Pipe & Filter) Plugins / Microkernel Backend for Frontends (BFF) MVC ..and more
The problem

Architecture stops being the source of truth the moment implementation begins.

Most teams design good systems. Few have a way to keep that design accurate, enforceable, and alive in the codebase.

01

System design drifts from implementation

Teams design the architecture, then rely on meetings, memory, and code review to keep implementation aligned.

02

Markdown does not scale as architecture governance

Markdown is useful for documenting architecture, but it becomes hard to manage as rules spread across files, overlap, and conflict. It also does not close the loop. The docs can describe the rules, but they cannot prove the code follows them. Enforcement still falls back to manual review.

03

Architecture decisions get lost

Key decisions, assumptions, and tradeoffs often disappear after meetings or implementation begins. Teams start relying on memory and tribal knowledge, which makes architecture harder to understand, explain, and evolve.

The solution

Architecture you can prove, not just draw.

Overarc turns your system design into a model your code answers to. Synced, enforced, and always up to date.

01

Enforceable architecture

Define your architecture in a visual multi-level diagram. The diagram schema is synced to your codebase and enforced through deterministic tests that can run in CI/CD. The schema provides context to agents about architecture changes.

02

Architecture diagrams that are always up to date, guaranteed

When the code drifts from the design, tests fail. Your diagram stops being stale documentation and becomes the source of truth.

03

Modularity by default

Move beyond drawing boxes. Define real module boundaries, interfaces, encapsulation, and architecture rules. And keep the model aligned with reality by mapping to your code.

04

Collaborate, decide, record

Collaborate on architecture in real time. Branch, review, and merge changes like code, and keep a clear commit history of decisions as the system evolves.

Features

Everything your team needs to leverage architecture.

Modular design
Enforced rules
Codebase sync
Architecture diffs
Collaboration
Decision history

Whole-system modular diagram

Model the full system. Services, modules, subsystems, and boundaries. In one multi-level, structured, navigable view. Always current, always complete.

Enforced encapsulation & rules

Define explicit interfaces, module boundaries, and custom architectural rules that are validated, not just illustrated on a whiteboard.

Bidirectional codebase sync

Pull your existing code structure into the diagram, and push diagram changes back as enforceable schema and tests. The architecture and the codebase stay in lockstep.

Architecture diffs & reviews

Branch the architecture, propose changes, and review the diff before it lands. Treat your system design as a first-class artifact in your change review process.

Real-time collaboration

Work on architecture together with live updates, threaded comments, and a full decision history. Design is a team sport, not a solo effort.

Decision history

Every architectural change is recorded with context. Review the full history of decisions, understand why the system is the way it is, and trace changes back to their origin.

Whole-system modular diagram

Model the full system. Services, modules, subsystems, and boundaries. In one multi-level, structured, navigable view. Always current, always complete.

Enforced encapsulation & rules

Define explicit interfaces, module boundaries, and custom architectural rules that are validated, not just illustrated on a whiteboard.

Bidirectional codebase sync

Pull your existing code structure into the diagram, and push diagram changes back as enforceable schema and tests. The architecture and the codebase stay in lockstep.

Architecture diffs & reviews

Branch the architecture, propose changes, and review the diff before it lands. Treat your system design as a first-class artifact in your change review process.

Real-time collaboration

Work on architecture together with live updates, threaded comments, and a full decision history. Design is a team sport, not a solo effort.

Decision history

Every architectural change is recorded with context. Review the full history of decisions, understand why the system is the way it is, and trace changes back to their origin.

How it works

From architecture model to enforced implementation.

1

Define

Generate architecture models from your existing code, or model the system directly in Overarc. Define modules, components, interfaces, dependencies, and scoped architecture rules in one structured workspace.

2

Collaborate and iterate

Work on architecture changes in real time. Create branches, review updates, merge decisions, and maintain a clear history of how the system evolved.

3

Sync to your codebase

Sync the diagram schema into your codebase to give AI agents architectural context and enforce the design through generated tests.

4

Sync from your codebase

Push architecture changes from the codebase back into Overarc, visualize the diff, and review updates before merging.

Overarc multi-level architecture demo
Impact

When architecture is enforceable, everything gets faster.

Measurable impact for engineering teams and leadership. Not just better documentation.

Increased development velocity

Better architectural clarity improves team alignment and gives developers the context they need to move faster. It also reduces one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI-assisted development: review time. With explicit architectural scope and boundaries, AI-generated code is more modular, more predictable, and easier to validate.

Faster onboarding for new developers

Help new team members understand the system faster with a navigable architecture model that shows how modules, dependencies, and boundaries fit together.

More maintainable systems

Enforced modularity makes the codebase easier to change over time. Better boundaries mean less architectural drift, fewer unintended dependencies, and less friction with agents working in parallel.

Get started

Close the loop on your architecture.

Generate your architecture diagram and start enforcing your system design in under 10 minutes.

Book a demo Get early access