dbdiagram.io review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Draw database ER diagrams by writing DBML code
Black Friday: is there a dbdiagram.io sale?
dbdiagram.io report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for database diagrams written as code
dbdiagram.io draws an ER diagram as you type DBML, a text schema language, and it imports and exports SQL. The free plan stops at 10 diagrams and one editor, version history and private sharing need Personal Pro at $8 a month, and it only draws database schemas, so it won't stand in for a general whiteboard.
Who dbdiagram.io is for
- Fits if you keep your database schema as text in version control
- Works for developers who want ER diagrams from SQL they already have
Who dbdiagram.io is not for
- 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
Why dbdiagram.io gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyPersonal 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.
- BFree plan and trialFree 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.
- CFeaturesDoes 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. It is a web app where you have to learn DBML before you get a diagram.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with dbdocs, a CLI and CI/CD hooks, plus Holistics. No desktop or phone app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from dbdiagram.io's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make dbdiagram.io? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/dbdiagram-io#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/dbdiagram-io.svg" alt="dbdiagram.io: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where dbdiagram.io stands among whiteboard and mind map tools
dbdiagram.io's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 43 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 14.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 71 of 98) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $8 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 34 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 14 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 99 whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. dbdiagram.io’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 11 of 98, level with 47
- BFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 98, level with 11
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 98, level with 76
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 98, level with 77
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 35 of 98, level with 55
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 88 whiteboard and mind map tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep dbdiagram.io, or make your own?
Keep it
Nothing dbdiagram.io does is plain enough to make in a weekend. The 3 things listed below take a company.
It costs $96 a year.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- It plugs into other products, dbdocs and Holistics among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. dbdiagram.io’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is dbdiagram.io?
dbdiagram.io turns text written in DBML, an open schema language, into entity-relationship diagrams as you type. It can import and export SQL, publish schema documentation through its sister product dbdocs, and map data lineage. It is aimed at developers and data analysts.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
dbdiagram.io pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, dbdiagram.io has a free plan, and paid plans start at $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%).
- Starts at
- $8 per month, billed monthly (annual billing saves up to 42%)
- Free plan
- Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, a single editor, SQL import and export, and PDF, PNG and SVG export.
- Free trial
- 7-day free trial of the Team plan
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 10 diagrams and doc projects, unlimited viewers, one editor, public sharing and embeds. |
| Personal Pro | $8per month for 1 editor, billed monthly | Unlimited diagrams, version history, private and password-protected sharing, limited collaboration. |
| Team | $75per month for 3 editors, billed monthly | Everything in Personal Pro plus a collaborative workspace and unified billing; extra editors are $5 a month. |
| Custom Plan | Custom | 10 editors, SAML SSO, procurement review and custom payment terms; sold through sales. |
Read from dbdiagram.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with dbdiagram.io before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountSave up to 42% with annual billing
The pricing page has an annual billing toggle labelled as saving up to 42% compared with monthly billing.
Stated on dbdiagram.io - EducationFree Personal Pro for education
Students, teachers and researchers get Personal Pro free for 12 months, renewable while they are still at an institution.
Stated on dbdiagram.io
Works with
- dbdocs
- Holistics
dbdiagram.io alternatives
- dbdiagram.io vs DrawSQL
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- dbdiagram.io vs Eraser
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- dbdiagram.io vs Mermaid
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- dbdiagram.io vs Structurizr
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Common questions
Does dbdiagram.io have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. dbdiagram.io is listed for Web.
Does dbdiagram.io have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. dbdiagram.io is listed for Web.
Is dbdiagram.io open source?
dbdiagram.io is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does dbdiagram.io have an API?
Yes. dbdiagram.io offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.