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SQL to ER Diagram vs ChartDB

Both are open-source database diagram tools. ChartDB imports a schema with a single query you run against your database, and adds an AI diagram generator; SQL to ER Diagram reads pasted schema text in many formats and keeps everything in your browser.

Open SQL to ER Diagram →

No signup · nothing uploaded · free and open source (MIT)

ER diagram drawn by SQL to ER Diagram from the Project management example schema: users, projects, tasks, task_assignees, labels, task_labels and task_comments (7 tables, 9 relationships) — Output of SQL to ER Diagram for the Project management example schema: users, projects, tasks, task_assignees, labels, task_labels and task_comments (7 tables, 9 relationships).

At a glance

What it is: SQL to ER Diagram is a free, open-source browser tool that turns a schema you already have into an interactive entity-relationship (ER) diagram.
Input: SQL DDL for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake and BigQuery, plus Prisma, DBML, Mermaid, PlantUML, SQLAlchemy and Sequelize schemas.
Output: An interactive ER diagram you can rearrange, then export as PNG, SVG, Mermaid, DBML or PlantUML, or share as a link.
Cost: Free. MIT-licensed open source. No account or signup.
Privacy: Runs entirely in your browser. The schema is never uploaded, and share links carry the diagram in the URL fragment, which is not sent to a server.
Limits: It never connects to your database itself: you paste schema text, or run one read-only catalog query in your own client and paste the result. There are no accounts, so there is no real-time multi-user editing; diagrams are kept in your browser, as a saved file, or as a share link. Layout stays smooth at around 300 tables.

What ChartDB is

ChartDB is a free and open-source database design editor. It is available as a cloud app in the browser and can also be self-hosted. For each supported database it provides a single query that fetches your entire schema. It advertises an AI diagram generator that turns a description into an editable ER diagram, and exports DDL in your preferred SQL dialect.

See ChartDB for its current features and pricing.

What SQL to ER Diagram is

Free and open source under the MIT license. There are no paid plans.
No signup. There are no accounts; you open the page and paste a schema.
Runs entirely in your browser. The schema is parsed and drawn locally and is never uploaded to a server.
Reads the schema you already have: SQL DDL for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake and BigQuery, plus Prisma, DBML, Mermaid, PlantUML, SQLAlchemy, Sequelize, TypeORM entities and Django models.
Imports from a live database without connecting to it: you run one read-only catalog query in your own client and paste the result.
Converts and migrates: exports the schema as DDL for another SQL dialect, and compares two versions to produce migration SQL.
Exports PNG, SVG, Mermaid, DBML and PlantUML, copies the diagram to the clipboard, and makes share-ready snapshot images.
Share by URL: a share link encodes the whole diagram in the URL fragment, which browsers do not send to a server.
Editor features: undo/redo, a ⌘K command palette that jumps to any table or column, a minimap, and a clickable list of parse problems.
Works offline after the first visit, and stays smooth at around 300 tables because layout runs in a Web Worker.
Headless CLI that turns a schema file into an SVG, for docs and CI.

When to choose which

Choose SQL to ER Diagram when

Your starting point is a file: a SQL dump, schema.prisma, DBML, Mermaid, PlantUML, or SQLAlchemy or Sequelize models.
You want share links that carry the whole diagram in the URL fragment, with nothing stored on a server.
You want a headless CLI that writes an SVG for docs or CI.

Choose ChartDB when

You want an AI to draft a diagram from a description.
You want a cloud app with a self-hosted option.

What SQL to ER Diagram does not do

It has no accounts and no server, so there is no real-time multi-user editing and no cloud workspace. Diagrams and their version history live in your browser, in a file you save, or in a link you share.
It never connects to your database itself: you paste schema text, or run one read-only catalog query in your own client and paste its result.

FAQ

Are both tools open source?

SQL to ER Diagram is MIT-licensed and its source is on GitHub. ChartDB also describes itself as free and open source; check its repository for the current license.

Does SQL to ER Diagram support team collaboration?

Not in real time. There are no accounts or shared workspaces; you share a diagram by sending a link or a saved file. If your team needs to edit the same saved diagram together, a hosted tool with accounts is the better fit.

Which ER diagram tool does not upload my schema?

SQL to ER Diagram parses and draws the schema entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and share links carry the diagram in the URL fragment, which is not sent to a server.

This comparison is written by the maintainers of SQL to ER Diagram. It describes other products only in general terms and lists no prices or plan limits, because those change. Check each product’s own site for its current features and pricing. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.