Jul 13, 2025
10 Best ERD Tools for Better Visualizing Your Data via Diagram in 2025
10 Best ERD Tools for Better Visualizing Your Data via Diagram in 2025
10 Best ERD Tools for Better Visualizing Your Data via Diagram in 2025
In this read, we have picked the best tools for ER diagrams. I have considered each on 5 parameters and rated them.
In this read, we have picked the best tools for ER diagrams. I have considered each on 5 parameters and rated them.
In this read, we have picked the best tools for ER diagrams. I have considered each on 5 parameters and rated them.
Jonathan Fishner
8 minutes read
Hi, I'm Jonathan, an experienced database designer and software engineer. Over the years, I’ve used a variety of ERD (Entity-Relationship Diagram) and database modelling tools, ranging from heavy-duty enterprise applications to quick online editors. After facing limitations again and again, I built ChartDB to solve real problems in database visualization and schema design.
In this post, I’ll share my honest picks for the top 10 ERD diagram tools you should try in 2025. Each tool includes real pros, cons, and current pricing. These are tools I’ve personally tested or used, and I’ve picked them based on what actually matters:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, modern UI
• Programmatic updates
• Affordable
• Open source (where possible)
Let’s get into it.
Top 10 Free ERD Database Diagram Tools for 2025
ChartDB
ChartDB is an open-source tool I created to make database visualization fast and flexible. You can import your schema with a single SQL query, then drag and drop to adjust. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MariaDB, and more. There's also an AI-powered export that generates DDL scripts in the SQL dialect of your choice. You can self-host it or use the cloud version, and the diagrams stay local in your browser.
Pros:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, fast UI
• Supports programmatic updates
• Free cloud plan and fully open-source
• Supports many SQL dialects
Cons:
• Still new, some advanced features are in progress
• AI export requires OpenAI API key
Pricing: Free to use and open-source. The cloud plan starts from $12.5/ month for one person, Check out detailed pricing here!
dbdiagram.io
dbdiagram lets you define tables using a DSL (domain-specific language). You write the schema on the left, and the ER diagram renders on the right. It's great for developers who prefer working in text.
Pros:
• Code-based workflow
• Fast editing and iteration
• Import/export support (SQL, image)
• Collaboration and version control
Cons:
• Requires learning the DSL
• Free plan has diagram limits
• No live DB sync
Pricing: Free for up to 10 diagrams. Pro starts at $9/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Self Hosted Alternative To dbdiagram
Draw.io / Diagrams.net
Draw.io is a general-purpose diagramming tool with ERD support. It’s open-source, browser-based, and works offline too. You can start diagramming without signing up.
Pros:
• 100% free and open source
• Easy to use
• Saves locally or to cloud services
• Works offline
Cons:
• Not tailored for databases
• No SQL import/export
• Limited collaboration
Pricing: Completely free. Paid add-ons available for Atlassian integrations.
ERDPlus
ERDPlus is minimal, academic-focused ERD tool. Good for students or quick one-off diagrams. It supports ER diagrams, relational schemas, and star schemas.
Pros:
• Free
• No sign-up needed
• Exports SQL and PNG
• Simple and focused
Cons:
• Very basic visuals
• No real collaboration
• Not ideal for large schemas
Pricing: Free.
QuickDBD
QuickDBD lets you type your schema and see the ERD instantly. It’s very fast for quick sketches and brainstorming.
Pros:
• Text-based schema creation
• Live preview
• Export to SQL, PNG, PDF
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 1 diagram with 10 tables
• No collaboration
• Must create account to save
Pricing: Free for 1 diagram. Pro starts at $14/month.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a full-featured diagramming tool with strong collaboration features. It’s polished and supports templates for ERDs.
Pros:
• Beautiful interface
• Great team collaboration
• Lots of templates
• Integration with Google, Microsoft, etc.
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 3 diagrams and 60 objects
• Paid plans can be pricey
• Not database-specific
Pricing: Free for 3 diagrams. Paid plans from $8/month.
DrawSQL
DrawSQL is built specifically for database diagrams. You can import a SQL script, design schemas visually, and export DDL scripts.
Pros:
• Focused on ERDs
• Clean interface
• Real-time collaboration
• Large template library
Cons:
• Free plan limited to public diagrams with 15 tables
• No offline mode
Pricing: Free for 1 user and public diagrams. Paid plans from $15/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Alternative To DrawSQL
DbSchema
DbSchema is a desktop tool with support for 70+ databases. You can reverse-engineer schemas or design offline. Very powerful.
Pros:
• Works offline
• Supports many databases
• Reverse engineering
• Schema documentation
Cons:
• Desktop only
• UI is a bit dated
• Not open source
Pricing: Community Edition is free. Pro is $19/month or $98 one-time.
SqlDBM
SqlDBM is a modern, cloud-based visual database modeler. Clean UI with multi-dialect support. Aimed at teams and enterprises.
Pros:
• Fully visual, no code required
• Modern interface
• Multi-database support
Cons:
• Free version is limited and time-bound
• Paid plans are pricey
• No self-hosted option
Pricing: Free trial. Paid plans start at $25/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better OpenSouce & Lightweight Over SqlDBM
Vertabelo
Vertabelo is an enterprise-focused web-based modeler. Supports logical and physical modeling. Lots of features for pros.
Pros:
• Comprehensive modeling
• Versioning and validation
• Team collaboration
• Clean diagrams
Cons:
• No permanent free plan
• Learning curve
• Cloud-only
Pricing: Free trial. Individual plan starts at $24/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main limitations of free ERD diagram software?
Most free plans limit the number of diagrams, tables, or collaborators. They’re great for small projects, but larger teams or complex databases usually require a paid upgrade.
Can free ERD tools export diagrams to SQL or image formats?
Yes. Most tools on this list support exporting diagrams to PNG, PDF, or SQL scripts. ChartDB, DrawSQL, dbdiagram, and QuickDBD all support SQL export.
Do free ERD tools support all types of databases?
Most tools support popular databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and SQLite. Some, like DbSchema, also support NoSQL options like MongoDB.
Conclusion
There’s no single best ERD tool. Your choice depends on how you work: text-first, drag-and-drop, collaboration, or automation. Try a few and see which one fits the best in for your use case.
If you want a free, open-source, modern tool designed for developers, give ChartDB a try. It’s fast, clean, and built by someone who needed better tooling.
Also, I am one of the co-founders of ChartDB. In case, you would need my help to visualize your database, I am here to help 🙂
If you have any questions, hit us on the chat!
Let me know your thoughts or suggestions below.
Hi, I'm Jonathan, an experienced database designer and software engineer. Over the years, I’ve used a variety of ERD (Entity-Relationship Diagram) and database modelling tools, ranging from heavy-duty enterprise applications to quick online editors. After facing limitations again and again, I built ChartDB to solve real problems in database visualization and schema design.
In this post, I’ll share my honest picks for the top 10 ERD diagram tools you should try in 2025. Each tool includes real pros, cons, and current pricing. These are tools I’ve personally tested or used, and I’ve picked them based on what actually matters:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, modern UI
• Programmatic updates
• Affordable
• Open source (where possible)
Let’s get into it.
Top 10 Free ERD Database Diagram Tools for 2025
ChartDB
ChartDB is an open-source tool I created to make database visualization fast and flexible. You can import your schema with a single SQL query, then drag and drop to adjust. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MariaDB, and more. There's also an AI-powered export that generates DDL scripts in the SQL dialect of your choice. You can self-host it or use the cloud version, and the diagrams stay local in your browser.
Pros:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, fast UI
• Supports programmatic updates
• Free cloud plan and fully open-source
• Supports many SQL dialects
Cons:
• Still new, some advanced features are in progress
• AI export requires OpenAI API key
Pricing: Free to use and open-source. The cloud plan starts from $12.5/ month for one person, Check out detailed pricing here!
dbdiagram.io
dbdiagram lets you define tables using a DSL (domain-specific language). You write the schema on the left, and the ER diagram renders on the right. It's great for developers who prefer working in text.
Pros:
• Code-based workflow
• Fast editing and iteration
• Import/export support (SQL, image)
• Collaboration and version control
Cons:
• Requires learning the DSL
• Free plan has diagram limits
• No live DB sync
Pricing: Free for up to 10 diagrams. Pro starts at $9/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Self Hosted Alternative To dbdiagram
Draw.io / Diagrams.net
Draw.io is a general-purpose diagramming tool with ERD support. It’s open-source, browser-based, and works offline too. You can start diagramming without signing up.
Pros:
• 100% free and open source
• Easy to use
• Saves locally or to cloud services
• Works offline
Cons:
• Not tailored for databases
• No SQL import/export
• Limited collaboration
Pricing: Completely free. Paid add-ons available for Atlassian integrations.
ERDPlus
ERDPlus is minimal, academic-focused ERD tool. Good for students or quick one-off diagrams. It supports ER diagrams, relational schemas, and star schemas.
Pros:
• Free
• No sign-up needed
• Exports SQL and PNG
• Simple and focused
Cons:
• Very basic visuals
• No real collaboration
• Not ideal for large schemas
Pricing: Free.
QuickDBD
QuickDBD lets you type your schema and see the ERD instantly. It’s very fast for quick sketches and brainstorming.
Pros:
• Text-based schema creation
• Live preview
• Export to SQL, PNG, PDF
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 1 diagram with 10 tables
• No collaboration
• Must create account to save
Pricing: Free for 1 diagram. Pro starts at $14/month.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a full-featured diagramming tool with strong collaboration features. It’s polished and supports templates for ERDs.
Pros:
• Beautiful interface
• Great team collaboration
• Lots of templates
• Integration with Google, Microsoft, etc.
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 3 diagrams and 60 objects
• Paid plans can be pricey
• Not database-specific
Pricing: Free for 3 diagrams. Paid plans from $8/month.
DrawSQL
DrawSQL is built specifically for database diagrams. You can import a SQL script, design schemas visually, and export DDL scripts.
Pros:
• Focused on ERDs
• Clean interface
• Real-time collaboration
• Large template library
Cons:
• Free plan limited to public diagrams with 15 tables
• No offline mode
Pricing: Free for 1 user and public diagrams. Paid plans from $15/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Alternative To DrawSQL
DbSchema
DbSchema is a desktop tool with support for 70+ databases. You can reverse-engineer schemas or design offline. Very powerful.
Pros:
• Works offline
• Supports many databases
• Reverse engineering
• Schema documentation
Cons:
• Desktop only
• UI is a bit dated
• Not open source
Pricing: Community Edition is free. Pro is $19/month or $98 one-time.
SqlDBM
SqlDBM is a modern, cloud-based visual database modeler. Clean UI with multi-dialect support. Aimed at teams and enterprises.
Pros:
• Fully visual, no code required
• Modern interface
• Multi-database support
Cons:
• Free version is limited and time-bound
• Paid plans are pricey
• No self-hosted option
Pricing: Free trial. Paid plans start at $25/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better OpenSouce & Lightweight Over SqlDBM
Vertabelo
Vertabelo is an enterprise-focused web-based modeler. Supports logical and physical modeling. Lots of features for pros.
Pros:
• Comprehensive modeling
• Versioning and validation
• Team collaboration
• Clean diagrams
Cons:
• No permanent free plan
• Learning curve
• Cloud-only
Pricing: Free trial. Individual plan starts at $24/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main limitations of free ERD diagram software?
Most free plans limit the number of diagrams, tables, or collaborators. They’re great for small projects, but larger teams or complex databases usually require a paid upgrade.
Can free ERD tools export diagrams to SQL or image formats?
Yes. Most tools on this list support exporting diagrams to PNG, PDF, or SQL scripts. ChartDB, DrawSQL, dbdiagram, and QuickDBD all support SQL export.
Do free ERD tools support all types of databases?
Most tools support popular databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and SQLite. Some, like DbSchema, also support NoSQL options like MongoDB.
Conclusion
There’s no single best ERD tool. Your choice depends on how you work: text-first, drag-and-drop, collaboration, or automation. Try a few and see which one fits the best in for your use case.
If you want a free, open-source, modern tool designed for developers, give ChartDB a try. It’s fast, clean, and built by someone who needed better tooling.
Also, I am one of the co-founders of ChartDB. In case, you would need my help to visualize your database, I am here to help 🙂
If you have any questions, hit us on the chat!
Let me know your thoughts or suggestions below.
Hi, I'm Jonathan, an experienced database designer and software engineer. Over the years, I’ve used a variety of ERD (Entity-Relationship Diagram) and database modelling tools, ranging from heavy-duty enterprise applications to quick online editors. After facing limitations again and again, I built ChartDB to solve real problems in database visualization and schema design.
In this post, I’ll share my honest picks for the top 10 ERD diagram tools you should try in 2025. Each tool includes real pros, cons, and current pricing. These are tools I’ve personally tested or used, and I’ve picked them based on what actually matters:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, modern UI
• Programmatic updates
• Affordable
• Open source (where possible)
Let’s get into it.
Top 10 Free ERD Database Diagram Tools for 2025
ChartDB
ChartDB is an open-source tool I created to make database visualization fast and flexible. You can import your schema with a single SQL query, then drag and drop to adjust. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, MariaDB, and more. There's also an AI-powered export that generates DDL scripts in the SQL dialect of your choice. You can self-host it or use the cloud version, and the diagrams stay local in your browser.
Pros:
• Developer-friendly
• Clean, fast UI
• Supports programmatic updates
• Free cloud plan and fully open-source
• Supports many SQL dialects
Cons:
• Still new, some advanced features are in progress
• AI export requires OpenAI API key
Pricing: Free to use and open-source. The cloud plan starts from $12.5/ month for one person, Check out detailed pricing here!
dbdiagram.io
dbdiagram lets you define tables using a DSL (domain-specific language). You write the schema on the left, and the ER diagram renders on the right. It's great for developers who prefer working in text.
Pros:
• Code-based workflow
• Fast editing and iteration
• Import/export support (SQL, image)
• Collaboration and version control
Cons:
• Requires learning the DSL
• Free plan has diagram limits
• No live DB sync
Pricing: Free for up to 10 diagrams. Pro starts at $9/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Self Hosted Alternative To dbdiagram
Draw.io / Diagrams.net
Draw.io is a general-purpose diagramming tool with ERD support. It’s open-source, browser-based, and works offline too. You can start diagramming without signing up.
Pros:
• 100% free and open source
• Easy to use
• Saves locally or to cloud services
• Works offline
Cons:
• Not tailored for databases
• No SQL import/export
• Limited collaboration
Pricing: Completely free. Paid add-ons available for Atlassian integrations.
ERDPlus
ERDPlus is minimal, academic-focused ERD tool. Good for students or quick one-off diagrams. It supports ER diagrams, relational schemas, and star schemas.
Pros:
• Free
• No sign-up needed
• Exports SQL and PNG
• Simple and focused
Cons:
• Very basic visuals
• No real collaboration
• Not ideal for large schemas
Pricing: Free.
QuickDBD
QuickDBD lets you type your schema and see the ERD instantly. It’s very fast for quick sketches and brainstorming.
Pros:
• Text-based schema creation
• Live preview
• Export to SQL, PNG, PDF
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 1 diagram with 10 tables
• No collaboration
• Must create account to save
Pricing: Free for 1 diagram. Pro starts at $14/month.
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a full-featured diagramming tool with strong collaboration features. It’s polished and supports templates for ERDs.
Pros:
• Beautiful interface
• Great team collaboration
• Lots of templates
• Integration with Google, Microsoft, etc.
Cons:
• Free plan limited to 3 diagrams and 60 objects
• Paid plans can be pricey
• Not database-specific
Pricing: Free for 3 diagrams. Paid plans from $8/month.
DrawSQL
DrawSQL is built specifically for database diagrams. You can import a SQL script, design schemas visually, and export DDL scripts.
Pros:
• Focused on ERDs
• Clean interface
• Real-time collaboration
• Large template library
Cons:
• Free plan limited to public diagrams with 15 tables
• No offline mode
Pricing: Free for 1 user and public diagrams. Paid plans from $15/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better Alternative To DrawSQL
DbSchema
DbSchema is a desktop tool with support for 70+ databases. You can reverse-engineer schemas or design offline. Very powerful.
Pros:
• Works offline
• Supports many databases
• Reverse engineering
• Schema documentation
Cons:
• Desktop only
• UI is a bit dated
• Not open source
Pricing: Community Edition is free. Pro is $19/month or $98 one-time.
SqlDBM
SqlDBM is a modern, cloud-based visual database modeler. Clean UI with multi-dialect support. Aimed at teams and enterprises.
Pros:
• Fully visual, no code required
• Modern interface
• Multi-database support
Cons:
• Free version is limited and time-bound
• Paid plans are pricey
• No self-hosted option
Pricing: Free trial. Paid plans start at $25/month.
Know how: ChartDB is A Better OpenSouce & Lightweight Over SqlDBM
Vertabelo
Vertabelo is an enterprise-focused web-based modeler. Supports logical and physical modeling. Lots of features for pros.
Pros:
• Comprehensive modeling
• Versioning and validation
• Team collaboration
• Clean diagrams
Cons:
• No permanent free plan
• Learning curve
• Cloud-only
Pricing: Free trial. Individual plan starts at $24/month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main limitations of free ERD diagram software?
Most free plans limit the number of diagrams, tables, or collaborators. They’re great for small projects, but larger teams or complex databases usually require a paid upgrade.
Can free ERD tools export diagrams to SQL or image formats?
Yes. Most tools on this list support exporting diagrams to PNG, PDF, or SQL scripts. ChartDB, DrawSQL, dbdiagram, and QuickDBD all support SQL export.
Do free ERD tools support all types of databases?
Most tools support popular databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and SQLite. Some, like DbSchema, also support NoSQL options like MongoDB.
Conclusion
There’s no single best ERD tool. Your choice depends on how you work: text-first, drag-and-drop, collaboration, or automation. Try a few and see which one fits the best in for your use case.
If you want a free, open-source, modern tool designed for developers, give ChartDB a try. It’s fast, clean, and built by someone who needed better tooling.
Also, I am one of the co-founders of ChartDB. In case, you would need my help to visualize your database, I am here to help 🙂
If you have any questions, hit us on the chat!
Let me know your thoughts or suggestions below.
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