DB Planner vs ChartDB
ChartDB and DB Planner both draw ER diagrams in the browser, but they start from opposite ends. ChartDB is built to visualize a database that already exists, from a single query. DB Planner is built to design a schema as a team, with DBML as the source of truth. Here is the feature-by-feature picture as of October 2026, including where ChartDB is the better fit.
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| Feature | DB Planner | ChartDB |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | Write DBML, import a SQL dump, or copy a template | Run one query against your database and paste the result; SQL and DBML import too |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MariaDB, SQLite, CockroachDB, ClickHouse, Oracle, and more |
| DBML editor | Included on every plan, the source of truth for the diagram | On the Pro plan and above in the cloud version |
| Export | SQL for three dialects with compatibility warnings, DBML, C# models, Mermaid, image | SQL for five dialects, DBML on paid cloud plans, images, JSON |
| Free plan | One project with ten documents; exports are on Pro | Two private diagrams with up to ten tables, one user |
| Real-time collaboration | An organization, $5 per seat ($15 for three people) | Teams plans, from $59 for up to three users |
| Notes and grouping | Sticky notes, markdown table and column notes in the DBML, labelled groups that can also hold Mermaid diagrams | Markdown sticky notes and areas |
| Open source and self-hosting | Hosted only | Open source (AGPL-3.0) with a Docker image; self-hosted lacks collaboration and sync |
When ChartDB is the better choice
ChartDB is open source and self-hostable, which matters if your schema cannot leave your network. It also reads far more databases than DB Planner does, from SQLite and MariaDB to Oracle and ClickHouse, and its one-query import is a very quick way to see an existing database. If either of those is the deciding factor, ChartDB is the right tool.
When DB Planner fits better
DB Planner is for the design work that comes before, and after, the database exists. The schema is DBML on every plan, so it can be reviewed, diffed, and split across files by domain; notes explaining a column live in the schema beside it; and Mermaid class diagrams and flowcharts sit on the same board as the tables. Collaboration is $5 a seat, and the design leaves as SQL, DBML, or C# models. Start with the database design tool, or turn an existing SQL schema into an ER diagram.
What the two cost
As of October 2026, ChartDB is free for one user with two private diagrams of up to ten tables, $25 a month on Pro for 100 tables and the DBML editor, and lists Teams Basic at $59 for up to three users. Self-hosting is free under the AGPL. DB Planner is free for one project with ten documents, $5 a month for Pro after a 7-day trial, and $5 per organization seat, so a team of three pays $15 a month. See the full pricing breakdown.
Questions about switching
Is DB Planner a good ChartDB alternative?
For designing a schema as a team, yes. ChartDB is strongest at visualizing a database that already exists; DB Planner is built around designing one, with DBML as the source of truth, real-time collaboration at $5 a seat, and exports to SQL, DBML, and C# models.
Can I bring a ChartDB diagram into DB Planner?
Yes. Export it from ChartDB as SQL for PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server, or as DBML on a paid ChartDB plan, and import it into DB Planner. DBML pastes straight in; SQL is converted to DBML automatically.
Which one is open source?
ChartDB, under the AGPL-3.0 license, with a Docker image for self-hosting. DB Planner is a hosted service and cannot be self-hosted.
When is ChartDB the better choice?
When you need to self-host, when your database is one DB Planner does not import, such as SQLite, Oracle, or ClickHouse, or when the job is a quick look at an existing database rather than designing a new schema.
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