Backend teams documenting relational schemas
ChartDB helps developers understand table relationships during onboarding, refactors, and migration planning.
Skip if:
Skip if your database is tiny or your ORM already generates enough diagrams.
Open source alternative to SqlDBM, Redgate Data Modeler and Lucidchart
Last verified
A free, open-source database diagram editor to visualize and design your schema with a single query and export DDL scripts.
ChartDB helps developers understand table relationships during onboarding, refactors, and migration planning.
Skip if your database is tiny or your ORM already generates enough diagrams.
Visual schema maps help analysts discuss tables and joins without direct admin access.
Skip if you need BI dashboards rather than schema documentation.
Database diagrams go stale quickly when teams maintain them by hand in generic drawing tools. Schema changes land in migrations, but documentation lives elsewhere, so onboarding developers and analysts see diagrams that no longer match production.
The problem is not drawing shapes; it is keeping schema understanding close to the actual database. Developers need diagrams that understand tables, columns, relationships, and exports without forcing every change through a manual design canvas.
ChartDB focuses on diagrams derived from database structure, making ERDs easier to keep aligned with real schemas.
Teams can inspect and arrange schema relationships visually instead of reading only migration files or SQL dumps.
ChartDB supports sharing schema diagrams with teammates who need to review data models without connecting directly to production.
ChartDB and Lucidchart can both produce diagrams, but ChartDB is database-aware while Lucidchart is a general diagramming product.
| Criteria | ChartDB | Lucidchart |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Proprietary |
| Primary fit | Database schema diagrams | General business diagrams |
| Self-hosting | Yes | No |
ChartDB is better when the diagram should reflect real database structure. Lucidchart is still better when the team needs broad diagramming templates, non-technical collaboration, and enterprise workspace features.
Yes. ChartDB is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license.
ChartDB can replace Lucidchart for database schema diagrams, but Lucidchart remains broader for general business diagrams.
No. ChartDB is for schema visualization and documentation, not full query editing or database administration.
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Run ChartDB on your own server
Hostinger sets ChartDB up as a one-click app on a VPS.
Deploy on HostingerFeatured
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