dbdiagram.io vs PlantUML (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PlantUML grades higher than dbdiagram.io: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PlantUML grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, 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
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 PlantUML if
- Fits if you want diagrams stored as text next to your code
- Works for teams documenting systems in wikis or Markdown
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to drag shapes around a canvas
- Not for you if you sketch freehand, because it has no whiteboard
- Watch out: layout is decided by the engine, so fine control over placement is limited
- Watch out: only the GPL build has every feature, and other license builds lack some such as ditaa
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAdbdiagram.ioFair | 3.0GPAPlantUMLVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree and open source, with a jar anyone can download or an online editor. Nothing to pay, whatever the category's $5 to $10 a month. |
| 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. | AThe whole tool is free, under GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL or MIT licenses, so there's no cap to hit. |
| 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. | CUML plus Gantt, mind maps and wireframes from text. But the FAQ admits you get less say over layout, there's no visual canvas, and non-GPL builds lose some features like ditaa. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you have to learn DBML before you get a diagram. | CYou have to learn its text language before you get a diagram, and no store rating is on record. The in-browser editor takes some of the sting out. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with dbdocs, a CLI and CI/CD hooks, plus Holistics. No desktop or phone app. | BRuns in a browser and through a jar, with links into Confluence, MediaWiki, IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse and GitHub. No phone app or desktop app of its own is listed. |
| Best for | database diagrams written as code | text-described UML and other diagrams |
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 PlantUML. 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. PlantUML has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and PlantUML starts $8 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 14 score higher than dbdiagram.io for less, and none scores higher than PlantUML 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
- PlantUML is open source, according to its own site.
- PlantUML also covers Gantt & timelines and mind mapping.
At a glance
| dbdiagram.io | PlantUML | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%) | Free |
| Free plan | Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, a single editor, SQL import and export, and PDF, PNG and SVG export. | Free of charge and open source, under several license options including GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL and MIT. |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial of the Team plan | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Holistics Software | PlantUML |
| Price read from | dbdiagram.io | plantuml.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
PlantUML
- Layout is controlled by the engine; the FAQ says it gives less control over placement than drag-and-drop tools.
- Diagrams are written in code, so there is no visual canvas for freehand sketching.
- Builds under licenses other than GPL lack some features, such as the ditaa integration.
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.
PlantUML
- Text-to-diagram language
- Diagrams are written as short text and drawn from it, so changing the text updates the picture.
- UML and non-UML diagrams
- Supports sequence, use case, class, object, activity, component, deployment, state and timing diagrams, plus Gantt, MindMap, WBS, wireframe and others.
- In-browser editor
- The home page has an editor that runs in the browser with a JavaScript rendering engine and redraws as the code changes.
- Many integrations
- The Running page lists connections to wikis and forums, editors and IDEs, including Confluence, MediaWiki, IntelliJ IDEA and Eclipse.
- Several license options
- The download page offers jars under GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL and MIT; the GPL build is the one with every feature, such as ditaa.
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.
PlantUML
Open source$0
Free jar and source code under your choice of license; you run it yourself or use the online editor.
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.
PlantUML
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, dbdiagram.io or PlantUML?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PlantUML is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $8 a month for dbdiagram.io. dbdiagram.io starts at $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%), and PlantUML is free.
Which has a free plan, dbdiagram.io or PlantUML?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both dbdiagram.io and PlantUML have a free plan.
Which platforms do dbdiagram.io and PlantUML run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PlantUML lists a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.