dbdiagram.io alternative — paste SQL, not DBML
dbdiagram.io draws from DBML, its own notation. ERD Tools takes the SQL you already have — migrations, backups, pg_dump and mysqldump output — and renders the diagram from it. Free up to 50 tables, no account.
Your diagram renders here.
The differences, stated plainly
| ERD Tools | dbdiagram.io | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Your SQL, as written — CREATE TABLE from migrations, backups, or pg_dump / mysqldump output | DBML, dbdiagram's own notation — imported SQL is converted into DBML first |
| Free tier | Unlimited diagrams, up to 50 tables each | 10 diagrams; private mode included since October 2026 |
| Where the diagram lives | Nowhere — it renders in your browser from your paste | Your dbdiagram workspace — the free plan holds 10 |
| Export | SVG · PNG · Mermaid text | SQL · images · share links |
| If you outgrow free | Pro $9/mo — 500 tables, clean exports | Personal Pro $96/yr — version history, team workspaces |
dbdiagram.io facts from its official pricing page and October 2026 release notes, linked below; checked November 2026.
Where dbdiagram.io shines
If you are designing a schema from scratch and want to think in a notation, dbdiagram is a solid tool: DBML is concise, SQL can be generated back out, and the October 2026 update made private mode free and folded dbdocs into a single plan. If DBML is already how your team writes schemas, staying there is a reasonable choice.
When ERD Tools is the better pick
- You already have SQL — a migration, a backup, a dump — and just want the diagram, with no translation step
- More than 10 diagrams — there is no diagram count here; the ceiling is tables per diagram (50 free)
- Mermaid for your README — copy a text block that GitHub renders natively, not just an image
- Nothing saved — no workspace, no account; your paste renders and is gone
Questions, answered
Do I need to learn DBML to use ERD Tools?
No. DBML is dbdiagram.io's own notation — here you paste the CREATE TABLE statements you already have, from a migration, a backup, or a pg_dump / mysqldump file, and the diagram renders from them directly.
Can ERD Tools import my existing dbdiagram diagrams?
Not directly — there is no DBML import. If you still have the SQL your DBML came from, paste that instead. If DBML is where your schema lives now, dbdiagram is the native tool for it.
How do the free tiers compare?
dbdiagram.io's free plan covers 10 diagrams. ERD Tools has no diagram count — every diagram is free up to 50 tables. Both are genuinely free; they just cap different things.
What does ERD Tools export?
SVG and PNG images, plus a Mermaid erDiagram text block you can paste into a README or docs — see the SQL to Mermaid converter for that output on its own.
Check the numbers yourself
- dbdiagram.io pricing · October 2026 pricing release notes
- DrawSQL alternative — 15-table free cap, public diagrams
- Best free ER diagram tools — the full roundup
- SQL to ER Diagram — the converter itself