DrawSQL vs PlantUML (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PlantUML grades higher than DrawSQL: 3.0 against 1.8 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, the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
DrawSQL
Browser-based database schema diagrams for dev teams
Which one is for you
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 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
| 1.8GPADrawSQLWeak | 3.0GPAPlantUMLVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DPrivate diagrams start at $19 a month for 1 user, or $171 a year, against $8.25 in the middle for whiteboard tools. Growth is $59 for up to 5 users. | 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 | CFree gives unlimited diagrams of up to 15 tables with SQL import and the full editor, but every free diagram is public. There is no trial on record. | AThe whole tool is free, under GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL or MIT licenses, so there's no cap to hit. |
| Features | CSQL import, export, notes, groups, version history and an AI review with a diff. The listing names the gaps: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server and MariaDB only, and nothing beyond database diagrams. | 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. A web app where the work is building the schema itself. | 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 | CWeb only, with a Laravel integration and API access on paid plans. 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 schema diagrams for developers | 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: DrawSQL and PlantUML. How we grade
Price against what you get
DrawSQL starts at $19 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PlantUML has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
PlantUML scores higher and starts $19 a month lower. Of the other whiteboard and mind map tools on the chart, 59 score higher than DrawSQL 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.
- DrawSQL also covers templates.
- PlantUML also covers Gantt & timelines and mind mapping.
At a glance
| DrawSQL | PlantUML | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $19 per month for 1 user, billed monthly ($171 billed yearly) | Free |
| Free plan | Unlimited public diagrams of up to 15 tables, with SQL import and the full visual editor. | Free of charge and open source, under several license options including GPL, LGPL, Apache, BSD, EPL and MIT. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | DrawSQL | PlantUML |
| Price read from | drawsql.app | plantuml.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
PlantUML
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, DrawSQL or PlantUML?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PlantUML is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $19 a month for DrawSQL. DrawSQL starts at $19 per month for 1 user, billed monthly ($171 billed yearly), and PlantUML is free.
Which has a free plan, DrawSQL or PlantUML?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both DrawSQL and PlantUML have a free plan.
Which platforms do DrawSQL 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.