Top 4 Free, Open Source Database Schema Diagram Tools to Visualize Database Easier in 2025

Originally posted in https://www.bytebase.com/blog/top-database-schema-diagram-tools/

Hi and welcome to Database DevOps Academy #103! We bring you weekly insights and best practices for database DevOps in today’s engineering world. 📩

This issue, we’ll walk you through the Top 4 Free, Open Source Database Schema Diagram Tools to Visualize Database Easier in 2025 🎨. You’ll get a quick overview of each tool, including their standout features and ideal use cases. Let’s dive in!

Previously, understanding database structures required parsing lengthy SQL scripts or complex command-line interfaces, which was unintuitive and error-prone. To solve this, developers created graphical tools for visualizing database schemas, helping teams design and document databases more easily. Here, we explore four top open-source options for schema visualization in 2025.

DrawDB

DrawDB is a free, browser-based database diagram editor with a simple drag-and-drop interface. It lets you design ER diagrams visually and export SQL scripts for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, and SQL Server — no account required.

Key Features:

• Intuitive UI with real-time collaboration
• Export diagrams as SQL or images
• Works offline (PWA-supported)

GitHub Stats: 30.3k stars, 2.1k forks

Best For: Quick schema design & shari

ChartDB

ChartDB is a smart, query-driven visualization tool that generates diagrams instantly from your database schema. It supports AI-powered DDL exports, making migrations between databases seamless.

Key Features:

• "Smart Query" for instant JSON schema parsing
• Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and NoSQL options
• No database credentials needed (security-focused)

GitHub Stats: 16.6k stars

Best For: Teams managing multiple database systems

Azimutt

Azimutt specializes in exploring large, complex schemas with advanced filtering and relationship tracking. Unlike traditional ERD tools, it handles messy real-world databases effortlessly.

Key Features:

• Search, filter, and trace table relationships
• Supports SQL (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle ...) and NoSQL (MongoDB, Counchbase, SQLite ...)

GitHub Stats: 1.9k stars

Best For: Enterprise-scale database documentation

Liam ERD

Liam ERD auto-generates interactive ER diagrams from existing schemas (Rails, Prisma, PostgreSQL) with zero setup. It’s ideal for visualizing large projects (100+ tables).

Key Features:

• Instant diagrams from schema files
• Zoom, pan, and filter for clarity
• Open-source (Apache 2.0 license)

GitHub Stats: 4k stars

Best For: Developers needing fast, no-fuss visualization

Key Options Compared

Quick Recommendations

• Startups/Simple Projects: DrawDB (easiest to use)
• Enterprise Teams: Azimutt (handles complexity best)
• Multi-DB Environments: ChartDB (best for migrations)
• Rails/Prisma Users: Liam ERD (most automated)

Emerging Trends

1. AI Integration: More tools adding smart suggestions (like ChartDB's exports)
2. Real-Time Collaboration: Team editing features becoming standard
3. Broader NoSQL Support: Tools expanding beyond relational DBs

All tools are actively maintained and free to use. For most developers, trying 2-3 options will help identify the best fit for their workflow.