drawDB vs ChartDB
Two open-source ERD tools, compared on limits, SQL support and price.
drawDB and ChartDB are both open-source, browser-based database diagram tools under AGPL-3.0, and both can be self-hosted. The practical difference is the free tier: drawDB's free editor has no table or diagram limit and needs no account, while ChartDB's free plan is capped at one database and 10 tables. ChartDB leans toward connecting to an existing database and pulling its schema out; drawDB leans toward designing a schema visually and generating SQL DDL for seven dialects. If you want to draw a schema and export runnable SQL without signing up, use drawDB.
drawDB vs ChartDB at a glance
| Feature | drawDB | ChartDB |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (open source) | AGPL-3.0 (open source) |
| Free tier | Unlimited diagrams, no account required | 1 user, 1 database, up to 10 tables |
| Account required to start | No | Yes, for the hosted app |
| SQL (DDL) export | 7 dialects | Schema export, DBML editor |
| SQL import / reverse engineering | Yes (paste DDL, get a diagram) | Yes, via database connection |
| DBML | Import and export | DBML editor |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes, official MCP server | Not offered |
| Paid plans from | $14 / month | $25 / month |
Figures taken from each vendor's public pricing page. Last checked 2026-09-09.
Which should you pick?
Choose ChartDB if
- You want to point a tool at a live database and have it pull the schema out for you.
- You need Snowflake or BigQuery support, which ChartDB covers on its paid tiers.
- You are already running ChartDB self-hosted and it fits your workflow.
Choose drawDB if
- You want a free tier with no table cap and no sign-up.
- You need SQL DDL generation across MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, SQL Server and Oracle.
- You want AI agents to read your schema directly through an official MCP server.
- You want to reverse-engineer a diagram by pasting a DDL script rather than connecting a database.
drawDB vs ChartDB
Both are licensed AGPL-3.0 and both can be self-hosted. drawDB has roughly 39,000 GitHub stars and ChartDB roughly 22,000 as of September 2026.
Yes. ChartDB's free plan covers one user, one database and up to 10 tables. drawDB's free editor has no table or diagram limit and does not require an account.
drawDB generates SQL DDL for seven dialects: Generic, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, SQL Server and Oracle. ChartDB offers schema export and a DBML editor.
drawDB Pro starts at $14 per month; ChartDB Pro starts at $25 per month. drawDB's free tier is also less restricted, with no table limit.