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dbdiagram.io alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave dbdiagram.io: only for database diagrams, and team plan is costly for small teams. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces dbdiagram.io, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Lucidchart currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Mermaid logoMermaidOpen sourceYesWeb, Self-hosted4 of 462.6
2draw.io logodraw.ioFreeYesWeb, Windows, macOS +35 of 557.2
  1. Mermaid logo

    1. MermaidTop pick

    Best for: Developers who want diagrams as text that render in GitHub, docs and wikis

    Open sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Self-hosted

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from dbdiagram.io

    Free ER diagrams as text that render inside GitHub and docs.

    Pros

    • Diagrams are plain text you can version and review
    • Rendered natively by GitHub, GitLab and many doc tools
    • Free and MIT licensed
    • Covers many diagram types

    Cons

    • Little control over layout
    • Large diagrams become hard to read
    • Styling options are limited
    Visit Mermaid Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Mermaid a good dbdiagram.io alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Syntax
    Markdown-inspired text definitions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Online editor
    Mermaid Live Editor
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Award
    2019 JavaScript Open Source Award
    Checked Oct 25, 2026mermaid.js.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. draw.io logo

    2. draw.io

    Best for: Anyone who wants capable diagramming for free without handing their files to a vendor

    FreeOpen sourceSelf-hostableWeb, Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Browser extension

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from dbdiagram.io

    Free hand-drawn ERDs with SQL import if you prefer drawing.

    Pros

    • Completely free with no paywalled features
    • Files stay in your own storage or on disk
    • Offline desktop app for all three desktop OSes
    • Huge shape libraries including cloud and network icons

    Cons

    • Interface feels dated next to newer tools
    • Collaboration features depend on the storage you pick
    • Fewer AI and data-linking features than paid rivals
    Visit draw.io Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is draw.io a good dbdiagram.io alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Price
    Free, no sign-up required
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    License
    Apache 2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Users
    100M+
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Founded
    2005
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    SSO paywall
    None
    Checked Oct 25, 2026drawio.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best dbdiagram.io alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Lucidchart logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for most people

Lucidchart

Has ERD import and markup as part of a general-purpose diagram tool.

Mermaid logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for a free option

Mermaid

Free ER diagrams as text that render inside GitHub and docs.

Gleek logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Gleek

Text-to-diagram tool that does ER diagrams alongside UML and flowcharts.

draw.io logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for open source

draw.io

Free hand-drawn ERDs with SQL import if you prefer drawing.

Mermaid logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for self-hosting

Mermaid

Free ER diagrams as text that render inside GitHub and docs.

DbSchema logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for Mac

DbSchema

Adds a full database client with two-way schema compare and deploy alongside its visual diagrams.

draw.io logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for Windows

draw.io

Free hand-drawn ERDs with SQL import if you prefer drawing.

draw.io logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for Linux

draw.io

Free hand-drawn ERDs with SQL import if you prefer drawing.

Lucidchart logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for iPhone and Android

Lucidchart

Has ERD import and markup as part of a general-purpose diagram tool.

Lucidchart logo

Best dbdiagram.io alternative for working in the browser

Lucidchart

Has ERD import and markup as part of a general-purpose diagram tool.

dbdiagram.io alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to dbdiagram.io?

Lucidchart ranks first right now. Has ERD import and markup as part of a general-purpose diagram tool. Mermaid and Gleek follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to dbdiagram.io?

Yes. Lucidchart (free plan + paid), Mermaid (open source), Gleek (free plan + paid) and draw.io (free) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to dbdiagram.io?

Yes: Mermaid and draw.io. Mermaid and draw.io can also be self-hosted.

Which dbdiagram.io alternatives work on Linux?

draw.io and DbSchema run on Linux.

Why do people switch from dbdiagram.io?

The complaints we hear most: only for database diagrams; team plan is costly for small teams; auto layout of large schemas needs manual tidying.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces dbdiagram.io, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.