dbdiagram.io vs Mermaid (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dbdiagram.io and Mermaid 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 the free plan, where dbdiagram.io grades higher, or features, where Mermaid does.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Mermaid
Text-based diagramming platform with AI and a visual editor
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 Mermaid if
- Fits if you already write Mermaid syntax in your docs or Markdown
- Works for diagrams you want versioned and reviewed as text, like code
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to pay by the month, since paid plans are billed annually only
- Tight if you're staying free, with 3 diagrams on the plan card, a size limit and 15 AI credits
- Pricey if you lean on the AI, with 300 credits a year on Plus and 2,000 on Premium at $20
- Watch out: one page gives the free plan 3 diagrams on the card and 6 in the table, and the trial length isn't stated
- Not for you if you want a desktop or phone app, or free viewer seats below Premium
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAdbdiagram.ioFair | 2.4GPAMermaidFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CPlus is $10 a user a month against a category middle of $8.33, and it's billed annually only, so you hand over $120 up front with no monthly option. That buys 300 AI credits for the whole year, and free viewer seats wait for Premium at $20. |
| 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. | CBasic is free and includes co-editing and external sharing, but the caps arrive fast: 3 diagrams on the plan card, up to 6 in the comparison table on the same page, a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits. The trial of the paid plans has no stated length. |
| 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. | BThe diagramming job, covered: flowcharts, sequence and ER diagrams, Gantt charts and mind maps written in Mermaid syntax and laid out for you, AI drafts from a document or transcript, a visual editor that rewrites the code as you drag, plus slides and live co-editing. |
| 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. This is a tool you learn: Mermaid syntax has its own grammar per diagram type, and the AI drafts and click-and-drag editor soften that rather than remove it. Easier if you already write Mermaid in your docs, a curve if you don't. |
| 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 phone app. It has plugins for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint, plus an MCP server so Claude or Cursor can generate diagrams. |
| Best for | database diagrams written as code | diagrams you write as text, then tidy by hand |
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 Mermaid. 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. Mermaid starts at $10 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
Mermaid scores higher, and starts $2 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 11 score higher than Mermaid 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
- Mermaid also covers presentations.
At a glance
| dbdiagram.io | Mermaid | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%) | $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year) |
| Free plan | Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, a single editor, SQL import and export, and PDF, PNG and SVG export. | Basic plan: 3 diagrams (the comparison table on the same page says up to 6) with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, one team and project, and co-editing and external sharing. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the Team plan | Free trial of Plus or Premium; the vendor does not state how long it lasts |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Holistics Software | Mermaid Chart |
| Price read from | dbdiagram.io | mermaid.ai |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 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.
Mermaid
- The free Basic plan is listed as 3 diagrams on its plan card and up to 6 in the comparison table, with a limited diagram size and 15 AI credits.
- Paid plans are billed annually only; the vendor's FAQ says monthly plans are not available.
- AI credits are capped at 300 a year on Plus and 2,000 a year on Premium; only Enterprise is listed as unlimited.
- Free viewer seats start at Premium, and SSO, invoicing and a customer success manager are limited to Enterprise.
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.
Mermaid
- Diagrams from Mermaid code
- Diagrams are written in Mermaid syntax and laid out automatically. Clicking a node jumps to its code and clicking the code finds its shape, so the two stay in step.
- Mermaid AI
- A description, an uploaded document or a pasted transcript becomes a first-draft diagram, and the AI suggests a fitting diagram type. Use is metered in credits below Enterprise.
- Visual Editor
- Nodes, edges, labels, colors and shapes can be changed by clicking and dragging while the code rewrites itself, with node alignment and movable edges for tidying a layout.
- Live co-editing and share links
- Teammates can co-edit a diagram at the same time, and a share link lets other people view it without logging in. Free viewer seats are part of Premium and Enterprise.
- Plugins and MCP server
- Plugins cover VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Cursor, Windsurf, Confluence, Jira, Google Docs, Word and PowerPoint. An MCP server lets Claude, VS Code and Cursor generate diagrams.
- Presentations
- Existing diagrams become slides written in Markdown. A deck updates when its diagrams change and can be shared through a public link for viewing and comments.
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.
Mermaid
Basic$0
3 diagrams with a limited diagram size, 15 AI credits, and one team and project. Co-editing and external sharing are included.
Plus$10
per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year)
Unlimited diagrams with no size limit and 300 AI credits per year, for individuals who diagram often.
Premium$20
per user / month, billed annually ($240 a year)
Everything in Plus, plus 2,000 AI credits per year, unlimited free viewer seats, and unlimited teams and projects.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Premium, plus SSO, custom contracts and invoicing, IP management, user consolidation and a dedicated customer success manager.
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.
Mermaid
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, dbdiagram.io or Mermaid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dbdiagram.io starts at $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%), and Mermaid starts at $10 per user / month, billed annually ($120 a year). 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 Mermaid?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both dbdiagram.io and Mermaid 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.