Best Database Design Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: MySQL is ranked #1 of 34 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Hackolade Studio and DbSchema. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Hackolade Studio. The lowest first paid tier on this page is QuickDBD at $7.92/mo.
Database design tools help you shape database models and work with existing structures. Compared on supported databases and deployment, the entries also distinguish forward engineering from reverse engineering. SQL export can matter when moving a design toward implementation, while team collaboration and version history help you consider shared work and changes over time. Check free-plan availability and paid-from pricing as part of the comparison. MySQL, Hackolade Studio, and DbSchema are some of the named options to weigh. Start with the database types you need to work with, then consider which design workflows and collaboration features suit your project.
34 database design tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Database Design Tools, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 13 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 MySQLFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 Hackolade StudioPaid from $145.83/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 DbSchemaPaid from $9/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 pgModelerPaid from $59.90/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 SchemityFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 Database WorkbenchFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 7 WorksCove ERDPaid from $10/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 8 ChartDBPaid from $25/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 DB DesignerPaid from $9/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 Navicat Premium
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 11 Redgate SQL Provision
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 12 DrawSQLPaid from $14.25/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 drawDBFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 Navicat Data Modeler
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 ERBuilder Data ModelerPaid from $11.58/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 16 Oracle Database
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 QuickDBDPaid from $7.92/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 dbdiagram.io
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 DBModeler
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 ERD Designer
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 Moon Modeler
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 Oracle SQL Developer
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 SQL Power Architect
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 SqlDBM
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 YourERD
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which database design tool is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
MySQL is ranked #1 of 34 with a score of 7.9. Hackolade Studio is second and DbSchema third.
How many of these have a free plan?
11 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, QuickDBD has the lowest first paid tier we found: $7.92/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.