DrawSQL review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Browser-based database schema diagrams for dev teams
Black Friday: is there a DrawSQL sale?
DrawSQL report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for database schema diagrams for developers
DrawSQL is a visual editor for database schemas that imports SQL and has an AI review. The free plan only makes public diagrams of up to 15 tables, so anything private starts at $19 a month, which is well above what other whiteboard tools charge.
Who DrawSQL is for
- 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
Who DrawSQL is not for
- 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
Why DrawSQL gets a 1.8
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for moneyPrivate 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.
- CFree plan and trialFree 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.
- CFeaturesSQL 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. A web app where the work is building the schema itself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, with a Laravel integration and API access on paid plans. No desktop or phone app.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from DrawSQL'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 DrawSQL? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/drawsql#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/drawsql.svg" alt="DrawSQL: 1.8 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where DrawSQL stands among whiteboard and mind map tools
DrawSQL's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on free plan and trial (C, above 10 of 98) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $19 a month, against a middle price of $8 for the category: 59 of the 69 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 59 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. DrawSQL’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 98, level with 10
- CFree plan and trialAbove 10 of 98, level with 60
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 98, level with 76
- CEase of useAbove 1 of 98, level with 77
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 98, level with 34
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 DrawSQL, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of DrawSQL you could make: templates. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 91 of the 98 other whiteboard and mind map tools grade higher. It costs $228 a year.
What you could make
- Templates: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- A diagram editor.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Laravel among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. DrawSQL’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 DrawSQL?
DrawSQL is an online editor for database schema diagrams. A schema can be built on the canvas or imported from SQL, then grouped, annotated, versioned and edited together with teammates. It supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server and MariaDB and exports SQL, Laravel migrations, JSON and images.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
DrawSQL pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, DrawSQL has a free plan, and paid plans start at $19 per month for 1 user, billed monthly ($171 billed yearly).
- Starts at
- $19 per month for 1 user, billed monthly ($171 billed yearly)
- Free plan
- Unlimited public diagrams of up to 15 tables, with SQL import and the full visual editor.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Unlimited public diagrams, up to 15 tables each; no private diagrams. |
| Starter | $19per 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 | $59per month for up to 5 users, billed monthly ($531 billed yearly) | Unlimited private diagrams, 100 tables per diagram and real-time multiplayer editing. |
| Large | $179per month for up to 25 users, billed monthly ($1,790 billed yearly) | Everything in Growth with unlimited tables per diagram. |
| Enterprise | Custom | Unlimited users, SSO and SAML, audit trail and priority support; sold through sales. |
Read from drawsql.app on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with DrawSQL before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountYearly 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).
Stated on drawsql.app - EducationDiscounts for students and educators
The pricing FAQ says discounted plans exist for students and educators, and free access for established open-source projects.
Stated on drawsql.app
Works with
DrawSQL alternatives
- DrawSQL vs dbdiagram.io
Free plan · from $8/mo
- DrawSQL vs Eraser
Free plan · from $45/mo
- DrawSQL vs Visual Paradigm
Free plan · from $6/mo
- DrawSQL vs Lucidchart
Free plan · from $9/mo
Common questions
Does DrawSQL have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. DrawSQL is listed for Web.
Does DrawSQL have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. DrawSQL is listed for Web.
Is DrawSQL open source?
DrawSQL is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does DrawSQL have an API?
Yes. DrawSQL 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.