drawDB vs draw.io
A schema tool that outputs SQL, versus a general drawing tool.
draw.io (also known as diagrams.net) is a free, open-source general diagramming editor under Apache-2.0. It can draw an ER diagram the same way it can draw a flowchart or a network topology, because to draw.io the tables are shapes. drawDB treats them as database objects: tables have typed fields, primary and foreign keys, indexes and enums, so it can generate runnable SQL DDL for seven dialects and reverse-engineer a diagram from an existing script. If you want a picture of a schema, draw.io will do it. If you want a schema you can actually ship to a database, use drawDB.
drawDB vs draw.io at a glance
| Feature | drawDB | draw.io |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 (open source) | Apache-2.0 (open source) |
| Free tier | Unlimited diagrams, no account required | Free, unlimited, no account |
| Account required to start | No | No |
| SQL (DDL) export | 7 dialects | No, shapes are not typed objects |
| SQL import / reverse engineering | Yes (paste DDL, get a diagram) | Limited |
| DBML | Import and export | Not supported |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes, official MCP server | Not offered |
| Paid plans from | $14 / month | Free |
Figures taken from each vendor's public pricing page. Last checked 2026-09-09.
Which should you pick?
Choose draw.io if
- You need one tool for flowcharts, network diagrams, wireframes and org charts.
- You want a mature desktop app with deep Confluence and Google Drive integrations.
- The diagram is for a slide deck and no SQL needs to come out of it.
Choose drawDB if
- You need runnable SQL DDL, not a drawing of tables.
- You want to paste an existing CREATE TABLE script and get a diagram automatically.
- You want data types, keys, indexes and enums validated as real database objects.
- You want issue detection that flags schema problems before you generate SQL.
drawDB vs draw.io
draw.io is a general diagramming tool and its ER shapes are drawings rather than typed database objects, so it does not generate SQL DDL the way a dedicated schema tool does. drawDB exports SQL for seven dialects.
Yes. Both are free and open source. draw.io is Apache-2.0 and drawDB is AGPL-3.0, and both can be self-hosted.
drawDB, if the output matters. It models tables, fields, types, keys and relationships as database objects, generates SQL DDL, imports existing DDL and exports DBML. draw.io is the better choice when you need many diagram types in one tool.