The 8 best database diagram tools in 2026, compared
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A database diagram tool draws your schema as an ER diagram: tables as boxes, columns inside, and relationships as lines. They all do that. Where they differ is how the schema gets in, whether a team can work on it together, what you can take out of it, and what it costs once more than one person is involved. These are the eight worth knowing in 2026, and what each one is best at.
A note on who wrote this: we make DB Planner, which is on the list. We have tried to judge it by the same criteria as everything else, said where other tools are the better choice, and linked our side-by-side comparisons so you can check the detail.
How we compared them
- Building the diagram: text, drag and drop, or generated from a database.
- Getting an existing schema in: which SQL dialects import, and how.
- Working as a team: real-time editing, roles, and what tier it needs.
- Getting things out: SQL, images, code.
- Price: what it costs to start, and for a team of three where it is published.
| Tool | Best for | How you build | Price to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| DB Planner | Teams designing a schema as DBML text | DBML or SQL import | Free; $15/mo for three |
| dbdiagram.io | Solo DBML sketching | DBML or SQL import | Free; Team $100/mo |
| DrawSQL | A polished visual canvas for a small team | Drag and drop, SQL or DBML import | Free public; Growth $59/mo |
| ChartDB | Visualizing an existing database; self-hosting | One query against your database | Free; open source |
| Lucidchart | Organizations already on Lucid | Shapes on a canvas, query import | Free; Individual $9/mo |
| drawDB | Quick free diagrams in the browser | Visual forms | Free; open source |
| MySQL Workbench | MySQL-only modeling on the desktop | Visual editor, live reverse engineering | Free |
| DBeaver | Seeing the diagram of a live database | Generated from a connection | Free Community edition |
1. DB Planner: best for teams designing a schema as text
DB Planner is a free online ER diagram tool where the schema is DBML and the diagram is drawn from it. You can write the DBML, or import SQL from PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server and get the DBML and the diagram together. A large schema can be split across files with references resolving between them, Mermaid class diagrams and flowcharts sit on the same board, and an AI assistant can edit it all over MCP.
Strengths: the diagram cannot drift from the schema; real-time collaboration at $5 per seat, so three people pay $15 a month; exports on Pro to SQL with dialect warnings, DBML, and C# models. Limits: imports only PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server, reads a schema dump rather than connecting to a database, cannot be self-hosted, and assumes you are happy working in text.
2. dbdiagram.io: best for solo DBML sketching
dbdiagram.io created DBML and is still the quickest way for one person to type a schema and see it drawn. Its SQL import covers PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and Snowflake. Limits: one DBML file per diagram, and as of July 2026 the collaborative workspace sits on the Team plan at $100 a month. See DB Planner vs dbdiagram.io.
3. DrawSQL: best for a polished visual canvas
DrawSQL is a drag-and-drop editor for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server schemas, with SQL and DBML import, threaded discussions on tables, and exports to SQL, images, Laravel migrations, and JSON. Limits: the free plan covers public diagrams of up to 15 tables, and real-time editing starts on the Growth plan at $59 a month for up to five users, as of October 2026. See DB Planner vs DrawSQL.
4. ChartDB: best for visualizing an existing database
ChartDB generates a diagram from one query run against your database, and reads a long list of engines: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MariaDB, SQLite, Oracle, ClickHouse, and more. It is open source under the AGPL with a Docker image for self-hosting. Limits: the free cloud plan is two diagrams of up to ten tables, the DBML editor is on the paid plans, and the self-hosted version lacks collaboration. See DB Planner vs ChartDB.
5. Lucidchart: best for organizations already on Lucid
Lucidchart is a general diagramming tool with an ERD shape library, crow’s foot notation, and a database import that runs a query you upload, covering MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and several warehouses. Limits: tables are shapes rather than the schema, a raw SQL script cannot be imported, and Lucid’s generated SQL leaves out the connections between tables. See DB Planner vs Lucidchart.
6. drawDB: best for a quick free diagram
drawDB is a free, open-source editor that runs in the browser. You build tables through forms rather than text and export SQL. Limits: it is aimed at one person making a diagram, not a team keeping one current.
7. MySQL Workbench: best for MySQL-only modeling
MySQL Workbench is Oracle’s free desktop tool for MySQL. Its EER diagrams can be reverse engineered from a live database and forward engineered back into SQL, which makes it thorough for a team that only runs MySQL. Limits: it is MySQL-specific, desktop-only, and built for one person at a time.
8. DBeaver: best for seeing the diagram of a live database
DBeaver is a free, open-source database client that connects to almost any database and can show an ER diagram of what it finds. If you already use it to query, the diagram is one click away. Limits: it is a client, not a design tool; the diagram describes the database as it is rather than a place to plan what it should become.
How to choose
- You want to understand a database that already exists: ChartDB or DBeaver if you can connect to it; a SQL import if you would rather not hand over credentials.
- You only run MySQL and want a desktop modeler: MySQL Workbench.
- You want a quick diagram, alone, for free: dbdiagram.io or drawDB.
- Your team prefers a visual canvas: DrawSQL, or Lucidchart if you already pay for Lucid.
- Your team designs and changes the schema together, and wants it as reviewable text: DB Planner. Start with the database design tool.