dbdiagram.io vs Eraser (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dbdiagram.io and Eraser share a 2.4 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about value for money and the free plan, where dbdiagram.io grades higher, or features, where Eraser does.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
dbdiagram.io
Draw database ER diagrams by writing DBML code
Eraser
AI diagramming and docs canvas for engineering teams
Which one is for you
Pick dbdiagram.io if
- Fits if you keep your database schema as text in version control
- Works for developers who want ER diagrams from SQL they already have
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a whiteboard with sticky notes or freehand drawing
- Tight if you stay free: 10 diagrams, one editor and no version history
- Pricey if you work in a team: $75 a month for 3 editors, then $5 for each extra one
- Watch out: the Team trial is 7 days, and annual prices were not shown on the page we read
Pick Eraser if
- Fits if you're an engineer who'd rather type a diagram than drag boxes around
- Works for teams whose diagrams have to follow the code, since it reads a connected Git repo
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you just want a team whiteboard, at $45 a member a month billed annually or $60 monthly
- Tight if you're staying free, with 3 files, 3 AI credits, 7 days of history, no private files and no GitHub integration
- Watch out: AI past your monthly credits is $60 per 100, and API calls are billed on top of the plan
- Skip it if you need SAML SSO for a small team, as it's on Business Plus, $42 a member a month and sold from 10 seats
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, as Eraser only runs in a browser
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAdbdiagram.ioFair | 2.4GPAEraserFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPersonal Pro is $8 a month billed monthly, close to the $8.25 middle for whiteboard tools. Team is $75 a month for 3 editors, and extra editors are $5 each. | DNew teams now start on Business at $45 a member a month billed annually, or $60 monthly, over five times this category's $8.33 middle. Only the repo and AI features rivals don't list keep it off an F. AI past 100 credits is $60 per 100, API calls are extra, and SAML SSO needs Business Plus. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree covers 10 diagrams and doc projects, SQL import and export, and PDF, PNG and SVG export. One editor only, though, and version history is paid. | CFree forever, with diagram-as-code, Markdown notes, unlimited guests and the Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. The caps are the problem: 3 files, 3 AI credits, 7 days of version history, no private files and no GitHub. |
| Features | CDoes the one job of database diagrams fully: DBML, SQL in and out, published docs, a CLI. It is a smaller job than a whiteboard, and the listing says it has no sticky notes or freehand drawing. | APast what rivals offer: diagrams by hand, as code or from a prompt, covering architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN, drawn from a connected Git repo, with Eraserbot commenting on pull requests when the code moves. There's a REST API and an MCP server as well. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you have to learn DBML before you get a diagram. | CNo rating on record. A prompt gets you a first diagram, but this is an engineer's tool: diagram-as-code has its own syntax per diagram type, and the repo features mean connecting a repo and setting up Eraserbot. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with dbdocs, a CLI and CI/CD hooks, plus Holistics. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb only, with no desktop or mobile app on the vendor's pages. It connects to GitHub, Notion, Confluence, VS Code, AWS, Azure and Google Cloud, has a REST API, and runs an MCP server so Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT can make and update diagrams. |
| Best for | database diagrams written as code | architecture diagrams written as code or by AI |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: dbdiagram.io and Eraser. How we grade
Price against what you get
dbdiagram.io starts at $8 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Eraser starts at $45 a month for each person and scores 3.0.
Eraser scores higher, and starts $37 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 14 score higher than dbdiagram.io for less, and 4 score higher than Eraser for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Eraser also covers Markdown and documents.
At a glance
| dbdiagram.io | Eraser | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%) | $45 per member / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, a single editor, SQL import and export, and PDF, PNG and SVG export. | 3 files, 3 AI credits and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code, Markdown notes and the Notion, Confluence and VS Code integrations. No private files and no GitHub integration. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the Team plan | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Holistics Software | Eraser Labs, Inc. |
| Price read from | dbdiagram.io | eraser.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
dbdiagram.io
- This is a database diagramming tool, not a general whiteboard with sticky notes or freehand drawing.
- The free plan allows a single editor and 10 diagrams; version history needs a paid plan.
- The Team plan includes 3 editors, and each extra editor costs $5 a month.
- Annual prices were not shown in the page text; the figures here are the monthly-billing ones.
Eraser
- The Free plan stops at 3 files and 3 AI credits, keeps 7 days of version history and has no private files or GitHub integration.
- AI use beyond a plan's monthly credits costs $60 per 100 credits, and only on paid plans with usage-based pricing switched on.
- API calls are billed by usage on top of a paid plan: $80 per 100 prompt-to-diagram calls and $20 per 100 code-to-diagram calls.
- The vendor's site lists no desktop or mobile app; Eraser runs in a browser, and SAML SSO needs Business Plus, sold from 10 seats.
Key features
dbdiagram.io
- Diagrams from DBML
- Typing DBML produces an ER diagram as you write, so a schema is kept as text that can live in version control.
- SQL import and export
- A schema can be imported from a database or SQL script and exported as SQL, PDF, PNG or SVG.
- Published documentation
- dbdocs publishes a schema as a browsable web reference, with a schema changelog of 14 days on the free plan.
- Data lineage
- Pipelines can be declared in DBML to show how one table is built from another, at table or column level.
- AI assistant (beta)
- Prompts generate and edit diagrams; usage is capped on Personal Pro and Team, and the plan table shows it as unlimited on Custom.
- CLI and CI/CD
- A command-line tool lets a diagram or doc project be updated from a CI/CD pipeline.
Eraser
- AI diagram generation
- A prompt, an image or a file such as Terraform or a database schema is turned into an editable diagram, which can then be refined through AI chat or by hand in the visual editor.
- Diagram-as-code
- Architecture, sequence, flowchart, ERD and BPMN diagrams each have a text syntax, so a diagram can be read, compared and edited as code. It is included on every plan.
- Canvas with Markdown notes
- A file holds one infinite canvas and a note editor with Markdown support. Figures from the canvas can be embedded in the document, and files export to PDF, PNG, SVG or Markdown.
- Codebase diagrams and Eraserbot
- Diagrams can be generated from a connected Git repository. Eraserbot watches chosen files and comments on pull requests with updated diagrams when they change.
- REST API and MCP server
- The API renders a diagram from a prompt or from Eraser's diagram code. The MCP server lets Claude, Cursor or ChatGPT create, search, update and export diagrams.
- Real-time collaboration and guests
- Members edit together in real time and leave comments and mentions. Guests are free on every plan and can edit or comment only on files they are invited to.
Plans
dbdiagram.io
Free$0
Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, unlimited viewers, one editor, public sharing and embeds.
Personal Pro$8
per month for 1 editor, billed monthly
Unlimited diagrams, version history, private and password-protected sharing, limited collaboration.
Team$75
per month for 3 editors, billed monthly
Everything in Personal Pro plus a collaborative workspace and unified billing; extra editors are $5 a month.
Custom PlanCustom
10 editors, SAML SSO, procurement review and custom payment terms; sold through sales.
Eraser
Free$0
3 files, 3 AI credits and 7-day version history, with unlimited guests, diagram-as-code and Markdown notes.
Business$45
per member / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Unlimited files, 100 AI credits a month, unlimited version history, private files, 100 custom icons, 1 Git repo and 1 data source.
Business Plus$42
per member / month, billed annually, minimum 10 seats
Everything in Business, plus 250 AI credits a month, 3 Git repos and 3 data sources, SAML SSO and unlimited custom icons. Sold from 10 seats.
EnterpriseCustom
Unlimited AI credits, Git repos and data sources, custom hosting, SCIM, SIEM logging, a customer success manager and payment by ACH or wire.
Ways to pay less
dbdiagram.io
- Annual discount
Save up to 42% with annual billing
The pricing page has an annual billing toggle labelled as saving up to 42% compared with monthly billing.
- Education
Free Personal Pro for education
Students, teachers and researchers get Personal Pro free for 12 months, renewable while they are still at an institution.
Eraser
- Annual discount
25% less with annual billing
Business is $45 per member a month billed annually against $60 billed monthly, 25% cheaper. Business Plus is sold on annual billing only.
- Education
Education discount on request
Eraser's docs say discounts are available to education users, who request one by filling out a form. The size of the discount is not published.
- Nonprofit
Nonprofit discount on request
Non-profit users can request a discount through the same form linked from the pricing page FAQ and the docs. The size of the discount is not published.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, dbdiagram.io or Eraser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dbdiagram.io starts at $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%), and Eraser starts at $45 per member / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, dbdiagram.io or Eraser?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both dbdiagram.io and Eraser have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.