DB Planner vs DrawSQL
Both tools draw ER diagrams for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server schemas, and both are built for teams. The difference is where the schema lives: DrawSQL is a visual canvas you draw on, and DB Planner keeps the schema as DBML text and draws the diagram from it. Here is the feature-by-feature picture as of October 2026, including where DrawSQL is the better fit.
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| Feature | DB Planner | DrawSQL |
|---|---|---|
| How you build the diagram | Write DBML; the ER diagram is drawn from the text, and layout stays draggable | Drag-and-drop visual editor; SQL and DBML can be imported |
| SQL import | PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server | PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQL Server, plus Rails schema.rb |
| Export | SQL for three dialects with compatibility warnings, DBML, C# models, Mermaid, image | SQL for three dialects, images, Laravel migrations, JSON |
| Free plan | One private project with ten documents; exports are on Pro | Unlimited public diagrams up to 15 tables each, no private diagrams |
| Real-time collaboration | An organization, $5 per seat | Growth plan and above |
| Price for a team of three | $15 per month | $59 per month (Growth, up to five users) |
| Design discussion | Table and column notes in the DBML, sticky notes on the board | Threaded discussions on tables, groups, and notes |
| Notes and grouping | Sticky notes, labelled groups, and Mermaid class diagrams and flowcharts on the same board | Sticky notes and named, colored table groups |
| AI assistants | Hosted MCP server; with write access, the assistant edits the schema directly | Hosted MCP server that proposes changes for a person to apply; AI generation on paid plans |
When DrawSQL is the better choice
DrawSQL is a polished visual editor. If your team would rather place and connect tables by hand than write them, if you want design review to happen in threaded discussions pinned to tables, or if you build with Laravel and want migrations exported straight from the diagram, DrawSQL does those things and DB Planner does not.
When DB Planner fits better
DB Planner suits teams who treat the schema as code. The source of truth is DBML, so a change is an edited line that can be reviewed and diffed, the diagram can never drift from it, and a large schema can be split across files by domain. The exports reach further into the application, with C# model classes alongside SQL and DBML, and Mermaid class diagrams and flowcharts sit on the same board as the tables. See the DBML editor and the ER diagram tool for how that works day to day.
What the two cost
As of October 2026, DrawSQL is free for public diagrams of up to 15 tables, $19 a month for one user with ten private diagrams, and $59 a month on the Growth plan for up to five users with real-time editing. DB Planner is free for one private project with ten documents, $5 a month for Pro, and $5 for each added organization seat, so a team of three pays $15 a month. The full breakdown is on the pricing page.
Questions about switching
Is DB Planner a good DrawSQL alternative?
It is if you would rather write the schema than draw it. DB Planner keeps the schema as DBML text and draws the ER diagram from it, imports and exports the same three SQL dialects as DrawSQL, and costs $15 a month for a team of three against DrawSQL’s $59 Growth plan.
Can I move a schema from DrawSQL to DB Planner?
Yes. Export it from DrawSQL as SQL for PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQL Server and import that SQL into DB Planner, which converts it to DBML and lays out the diagram.
Which is cheaper for a small team?
DB Planner. A team of three pays $15 a month: three organization seats at $5 each. On DrawSQL, real-time collaboration starts with the Growth plan at $59 a month for up to five users, as of October 2026.
When is DrawSQL the better choice?
When the team prefers a drag-and-drop canvas to writing schema text, wants threaded design discussions on the diagram, or builds with Laravel and wants migrations exported directly.
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