DrawSQL vs Eraser (2026): which should you pick?

Pick DrawSQL if

• Fits if you design a MySQL or PostgreSQL schema and want it drawn visually
• Works for a Laravel developer who wants diagrams made from their migrations

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if the schema is private and you won't pay: free diagrams are public
• Tight if you stay free: 15 tables a diagram
• Pricey if you are one person: $19 a month for 10 private diagrams and 50 tables each
• Not for you if you work on a team of more than one, because real-time editing starts at Growth, $59 a month for up to 5 users
• Watch out: only four databases are listed as supported

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

DrawSQL

• This is a database diagramming tool, not a general whiteboard.
• Free diagrams are public and capped at 15 tables; private diagrams need a paid plan.
• The Starter plan is for one user; real-time collaboration starts at Growth with up to 5 users.
• The pricing FAQ lists MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server and MariaDB as supported databases.

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.

DrawSQL

Import from SQL

Pasting CREATE TABLE statements renders a diagram with tables, columns and foreign keys.

Export

Diagrams export as SQL for MySQL, PostgreSQL or SQL Server, as Laravel migrations, as JSON and as images.

Real-time multiplayer

Several people can edit one live diagram together; this starts on the Growth plan.

Groups and notes

Tables can be grouped by domain and annotated with sticky notes to keep large schemas readable.

AI review with a diff

DrawSQL AI reviews, generates and renames parts of a schema; paid plans include 500 credits a month.

Templates and version history

Over 200 schema templates are provided, and paid plans keep earlier versions of a diagram.

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.

DrawSQL

• Free$0

  Unlimited public diagrams, up to 15 tables each; no private diagrams.

• Starter$19

  per month for 1 user, billed monthly ($171 billed yearly)

  10 private diagrams, 50 tables per diagram, API access and 500 DrawSQL AI credits a month.

• Growth$59

  per month for up to 5 users, billed monthly ($531 billed yearly)

  Unlimited private diagrams, 100 tables per diagram and real-time multiplayer editing.

• Large$179

  per month for up to 25 users, billed monthly ($1,790 billed yearly)

  Everything in Growth with unlimited tables per diagram.

• EnterpriseCustom

  Unlimited users, SSO and SAML, audit trail and priority support; 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.

DrawSQL

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing saves 2 to 3 months

  Starter and Growth are $171 and $531 a year (3 months free), and Large is $1,790 a year (2 months free).

• Education

  Discounts for students and educators

  The pricing FAQ says discounted plans exist for students and educators, and free access for established open-source projects.

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.