The short version
dbdiagram.io is the original -- great for writing schemas in code (DBML), but no live database connection. DrawSQL is a paid GUI tool with good auto-generation but requires a desktop app. dbdiagramr is free, runs in the browser, connects directly to Supabase/Neon/Railway, and generates diagrams from your live database in seconds.
Feature comparison
| Feature | dbdiagram.io | dbdiagramr | DrawSQL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free (1 diagram), $9/mo for more | Free (unlimited) | $8/mo (individual), $15/mo (team) |
| Live database connection | No | Yes (Supabase, Neon, Railway, any Postgres) | Yes (MySQL, Postgres, SQLite) |
| DBML support | Yes (native) | No (generates from DB) | No |
| Auto-generate from DB | No | Yes (paste connection string) | Yes (desktop app) |
| Supabase integration | No | Yes (direct connection) | No (generic Postgres) |
| Neon integration | No | Yes | No |
| Railway integration | No | Yes | No |
| Browser-based | Yes | Yes | No (desktop app) |
| Schema export | DBML, SQL | SQL, PNG | SQL, PNG, PDF |
| Collaboration | Yes (paid) | No (yet) | Yes (paid) |
| API access | Yes (paid) | No | No |
| AI context (llms.txt) | No | Yes | No |
dbdiagram.io
Best for: Teams that want to design schemas in code (DBML) before creating them.
Pros:
- DBML is a great way to define schemas as code.
- Clean, fast editor.
- Good for greenfield projects where you're designing from scratch.
Cons:
- No live database connection -- you can't diagram an existing database.
- Free tier is limited to 1 diagram.
- Can't generate from Supabase, Neon, or Railway directly.
- Requires learning DBML syntax.
Pricing: Free (1 diagram), $9/mo (10 diagrams), $17/mo (unlimited).
dbdiagramr
Best for: Developers who want to see their existing database schema in seconds.
Pros:
- Free and unlimited.
- Paste a connection string, get a diagram -- no signup, no install.
- Direct Supabase, Neon, Railway integration.
- Browser-based, works on any device.
- Generates AI context (llms.txt) for your schema.
- Open source.
Cons:
- Read-only (can't edit schemas in the UI, yet).
- No collaboration features (yet).
- No DBML support.
Pricing: Free.
DrawSQL
Best for: Teams that want a desktop GUI for database exploration and documentation.
Pros:
- Good auto-generation from live databases.
- Clean UI with export options (PNG, PDF, SQL).
- Supports MySQL, Postgres, SQLite.
- Collaboration features for teams.
Cons:
- Desktop app -- not browser-based.
- Paid (no free tier for most features).
- No direct Supabase integration (generic Postgres only).
- No AI context generation.
Pricing: $8/mo (individual), $15/mo (team), $25/mo (organization).
Which one should you use?
| If you... | Use... |
|---|---|
| Want to diagram an existing Supabase/Neon database | dbdiagramr |
| Want to design a schema from scratch in code | dbdiagram.io |
| Need a desktop GUI with export options | DrawSQL |
| Want free, unlimited diagrams | dbdiagramr |
| Need team collaboration | dbdiagram.io or DrawSQL |
| Want AI context for your schema | dbdiagramr |
| Are on a tight budget | dbdiagramr |
The real question
The tools aren't competitors -- they serve different workflows:
- Design first (dbdiagram.io): You write DBML, generate migrations, deploy to production.
- Existing database (dbdiagramr): You already have a database, you want to see what it looks like.
- GUI exploration (DrawSQL): You want a desktop app to browse, query, and export your schema.
Most developers use dbdiagramr to understand what they have, then dbdiagram.io if they want to redesign it.
FAQ
Can I import a dbdiagram.io diagram into dbdiagramr?
Not directly. dbdiagram.io uses DBML format. dbdiagramr connects to live databases. You'd need to deploy your DBML schema to a database first, then connect dbdiagramr to it.
Does dbdiagramr support MySQL?
Not yet. Currently supports PostgreSQL only. MySQL support is planned.
Is DrawSQL worth the money?
If you need a desktop GUI with export options and team collaboration, yes. If you just need to see your schema, dbdiagramr does it for free in the browser.
Can I use dbdiagramr with Prisma?
Yes. Prisma connects to PostgreSQL. Use your Prisma connection string (with ?pgbouncer=true if using Supabase pooler) and dbdiagramr will diagram your entire schema.
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