Erd Tool
For the most part, diagramming is what is driving the growth of a brand now. Prospects want to engage visually first which is why visual representation of any kind of idea is what is propelling the growth in the right direction. If you have been looking for a good quality tool that can further help you create the perfect Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD), there are a few available in the market that you can further look into.
But before we discuss anything about the tools, it is important that there is clarification on what ERD actually is.
The Entity Relationship Diagram or ERD is set to help and understand the correlation between the entity sets that are available in a database.
Entities represent specific concepts or elements involved in a database. These can further have specific attributes that further define the overall properties of that said entity.
15 Best Database Design Tools ER Diagram Tool Free/Paid 1) Dbdiagram.io. Dbdiagram.io is a simple database design tool to draw ER (Entity Relationship) diagrams by just writing code. It is one of the free erd tools designed for developers and data analysts. Features: You can directly generate the SQL statements. This ER diagram tool also supports importing schema from MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server allowing you to generate ERD fast and easy. Key features: Save and share projects publicly; Create ERD by typing the schema; Supports MySQL, SQL Server, and Oracle; Conclusion. These are some of the best and free ER diagram tools to get the job sorted. EdrawMax ERD tool is helpful for converting the complex entity relationships to the relational schema. There are substantial shapes, symbols, and arrows to represent the attributes and cardinality. Plus, it is really easy to create an ERD in Edraw Max by choosing a built-in diagram from its template library.
The reason why ERD is so popular in the corporate and business world is because it helps create and define a clear relationship among the entities and the attributes involved. It helps define the logical structure of the database better.
These diagrams help in sketching out the overall design involved in a database. For the most part, people make ERD to help sketch out a new layout for the database or even document the existing on. It depends on the requirements but the end results are pretty amazing when it comes to this.
Opting for tools for ERD that are available on the internet helps streamline the process for you. Half of them come with pre-designed templates, making it a lot easier for you to just put in the data and get the job sorted.
Best ER Diagram Tools 2021
Now with the basic introduction out of the way, let us take a look at some of the best available ERD tools that you can further check out.
1. Lucidchart
It doesn’t require any introduction that Lucidchartis possibly one of the best platforms when it comes to visual diagramming of the data involved in a database.
The best thing about this tool that makes ERD so easy is because of all the pre-existing tools and templates available on the internet.
It helps simplify the process of diagramming and puts forth your conceptual and physical ideas into a format.
There are amazing customization options available as well, further making this an ideal option for your diagramming needs. It also lets you import all your database structure, ensuring that you wouldn’t have to worry about doing that manually.
You can also collaborate with anyone across the world, ensuring easy access from wherever you are sitting. All you need is an operational account on Lucidchart and you are set to share the sheets with another user to let them put in their inputs.
2. Edraw Max Online
Edraw Max Online is a graphical tool to help one fabricate some of the best and visually appealing graphical diagrams and charts.
It can be best used to create Entity Relationship (ER) Diagrams and can be recognized as the best tool equipped for designing ER Diagrams in 2021 for its ease and simplicity of use.
Using this tool, one can effortlessly create attractive designs and diagrams in minutes or seconds by merely following a few steps.
Once logged in into the tool from a web browser, one can navigate to the left side of the screen and click on Database Modeling and can choose from a variety of templates or start from a blank screen to create ER diagrams.
They can be further modified with features and customized as per one’s preferable choices to make the diagrams look visibly potential to the users and saved on the cloud for further use.
3. Gliffy
Yet another amazing and very easy to use tool for ERD is Gliffy. It helps you create these entity relationship diagrams like a pro without any hassle or over the top technical knowledge.
All you need to have is an account on the platform and you are set to get your job done without any issues as such.
The pre-existing templates help with easy illustration with highlights, making it a lot easier for you to handle the process without any hassle at all.
It allows the basic drag and drop feature, ensuring to make your work a lot easier and streamlined. You can also share and collaborate with people on the final or the ongoing template to get their input into the final result.
It also allows easy import and export of information, further easing the process of understanding a lot better. It allows you to get a kickstart to any pre-existing diagram and lets you continue with the same.
4. Visual Paradigm
If you want a tool that comes in both its software and desktop versions, the Visual Paradigm is possibly the best option.
It allows you to work locally by downloading the software onto your laptop, or you can work on the desktop version directly if you want other people to collaborate on the same.
With the plethora of available ERD templates, it does make the process of creating one a lot easier and hassle free.
One unique thing about this tool is that it allows the automatic foreign key generation when you are creating an ERD. This is not something that you are going to witness on all the other available platforms, making this a tad bit better to look into.
It also allows stored procedure support with the available procedure shapes, making it easier for you to create the diagram without any glitch at all.
5. Creately
If you want a clean and easy tool for all your diagramming needs, especially when it comes round to the ERD development, we would suggest that you do opt for Creately.
The tool is known for making the process of diagramming and visual representation a lot more easy and streamlined, without any kind of added hassle that many tend to complain about.
It allows quick and easy visualization of the available data to be transformed into the final ERD.
The interactive drag and drop interface on this platform makes it a lot easier for you to create the diagram. It also comes integrated with a contextual toolbar, making the process a lot more streamlined.
You can also customize your final result by changing colors, fonts and several other attributes with just a single click. Even this one provides with an option for you to collaborate with the individuals on your team for better understanding of things.
6. SmartDraw
Just as the name suggests, SmartDraw makes the process of creating ER diagrams a lot easier and hassle free.
They come with a plethora of already available templates for ERD that you can use to further get your final diagram done without any hassles as such.
The existing templates are pretty convenient and have been made to suffice the standard needs of the people around.
It allows automatic generation of the ERD with the existing data that you have in the database. Once the first draft of the diagram is done with the existing template and data, it then lets you edit and customize everything as per your needs and requirements.
If the templates don’t suffice your needs, there are manual options available as well. You can select the shapes and enter the data manually to then get the final results without any issues at all.
7. Diagrams.net
The platform of Diagrams.net is a hit or miss among people. While some genuinely love using it, some do tend to shy away from the same.
The primary reason why this is considered such an amazing option is because you get to create the ERD from scratch. It allows you to create your own without having to depend on any existing templates.
To be fair, if you are someone who likes to get things done manually without being reliant on the existing templates, this is the perfect platform for you to get the ERD done. It comes with all the needed tools and shapes that you need to get your final diagram done without much hassle.
You can operate it online without having to register, and it is completely free, which is perfect for the businesses and individuals who don’t want to spend their money on the tools for diagramming.
8. SqlDBM
Also described as the SQL Database Manager, this platform is quite an amazing diagramming platform that you will come across.
It allows you to create your much needed designs in a very easy and convenient way, ensuring the best results out of the same.
It is not complicated at all, so all you have to do is select the types and enter the data and you are good to go.
It also does come with easy access from anywhere across the world, making the process even easier for you to opt for. It works well and seamlessly with both the small and large database, so you need not worry if you have a lot of information to accommodate into one single diagram.
The tool has been designed to streamline the diagramming process without any added hassle, making it a lot easier for you to create the final desired results that you have always envisioned. It allows easy team collaboration and has a very user friendly interface, making the process a lot easier.
9. Dbdiagram
Dbdiagram is without a doubt the most recommended web-based tool with cost-effective pricing that leads its developer and analytic domain users towards drawing superlative entity-relationship diagrams.
These professionals can jot down the minimum and easy-to-perceive lines of codes to continuously pop up the ER diagrams on the screen.
One of the most striking features of this application is that the ER diagrams can be sourced from SQL dump files. Furthermore, certain SQL statements can be directly generated to form the database tables.
Dbdiagram also supports the creation of the diagrams by uploading the schema.rb files on renowned web platforms like Rails or Django. Once the required ER diagrams are handy, they can be transformed into PDFs and can be shared on various social media channels to other users with the courtesy of a click. Owing to this, Dbdiagram can be deemed as one of the best ERD tools in 2021.
10. Miro
Miro is another highly popular and commonly used online application for fabricating entity relationship diagrams (ERD), and can be counted among the top diagram making tools in 2021.
Through its cost-friendly and minimum registration charges, it enables users to design and graphically depict their databases.
Moreover, Miro makes the creation of diagrams more feasible with the help of its wide spectrum of templates that span from value chain, risk assessment, status report, project scope and kickoff, etc.
The ERD diagram making procedure in Miro can be accomplished in just 4 simple steps that only need a few clicks of the mouse. In addition, this online podium comes with some advanced interactive features to bring ease of design to the workspace.
It is also gathering a large user base on account of its extensive array of modification elements and its color pallet that turn the diagrams into attractive and eye-pleasing graphics.
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The End Note
If you have been on the lookout for some good quality and accessible tools for creating Entity Relationship diagram, these are some of the best available ones that you can take a look into. Just ensure that you do check out the features as well as the available pricing options because that is what helps ease the process even further.
It is best that you don’t struggle with things last moment and prefer using the ones that fit your requirements better. If you want one with pre-made templates, look accordingly. If you want one that allows manual diagramming, look for one with such features.
Are you searching for the best online ER diagram tool? Read on and discover our top picks.
Data modeling is one of the most critical parts of a software project. Database architects use ER diagrams (also called ERDs or Entity Relationship Diagrams) as a data modeling technique.
Many ER diagram tools are available, but choosing the best tool for your project can be hard. Still, your data model is a key factor in the success of your entire project; it’s important to get it right. So, how can you choose the most powerful and suitable ERD diagram online tool, one that fulfills all your development requirements and fits in your budget?
What Features Should an Online ERD Tool Have?
First, we will consider the features that you should expect from an online ER diagram app. (During these days of remote teams and social distancing, we’re going to focus on online ERD solutions). When evaluating a new ERD tool, ask yourself:
- How will this work through the entire database design process?
- Does it support different DBMSs and reverse engineering?
- How does it manage changes?
- How does it enable collaborative development work with my team?
- Does it allow me to export my work to different formats?
- Can I import existing work from different formats?
Let’s compare the features of a few top-rated ER diagram online tools and see how they support database design.
My Top Picks for Online Entity Relationship Diagram Tools
1. Vertabelo
Vertabelo is a professional database modeling tool that lets you design a data model collaboratively in the browser. It supports these databases:
- PostgreSQL
- IBM DB2
- Oracle Database
- Microsoft SQL Server
- MySQL
- HSQLDB
- SQLite
- Amazon Redshift
- BigQuery
Sharing a model or working with a remote team using Vertabelo is simple as providing a team member’s email address and clicking a button. There is also an option to create and send a public link to your model.
Vertabelo’s handy features include reverse engineering (lets you import an existing database using a simple command-line tool) and migration script generation, which generates a script that creates, changes, or drops database elements according to your data model. Instant automatic saving, live validation, versioning, cloning, and SQL previews make your workflow easier.
This ER diagram tool has a friendly user interface and navigation options that make your modeling tasks easy and efficient. And it provides XML export and import functionality as well.
2. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a multi-purpose online solution that supports many types of diagrams, including ER diagrams.
Lucidchart allows you to either create an ERD or generate one automatically by importing data. When you create a data model manually, Lucidchart provides templates and an ERD shape library (which you must enable from the shape manager). This program will export your model to DBMS queries and supports the following databases:
- MySQL
- Oracle
- PostgreSQL
- SQL Server
- Salesforce
If you have a Lucidchart operational account, you can model your data collaboratively from anywhere in the world.
3. Visual Paradigm Online
Visual Paradigm’s online diagramming app lets you create conceptual, logical, and physical data models. This tool also has all the ERD symbols and connectors needed to create industry-standard models. With VP, you can:
- Work with your team collaboratively online, or
- Download the software and work without collaboration on your personal computer.
You can start your data model from scratch or use a template. Visual Paradigm supports reverse engineering to import your database from DDL (Data Definition Language) and forward engineering to create the DDL or database from your ERD. Automatic foreign key generation when you create an ERD is a nice touch.
Finally, a wide range of relational databases – including Oracle, DB2, Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise, Sybase SQL Anywhere, MySQL, HSQLDB, Cloudscape/Derby, and PostgreSQL – work with Visual Paradigm.
4. Draw.io
Draw.io is a perfect online ER diagram tool if you like to design your database manually, starting from scratch. However, you can save your own templates and reuse them later with this program.
This tool is free if you want to draw your diagrams online. It comes with all the required tools and shapes to design your final diagram without much hassle. You can save your designs in Cloud storage (e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.) and share them with others. Or you can store your work in your local drive if collaboration isn’t an issue.
This online ER Diagram tool lets you insert entities by copying SQL codes to a text file and importing them. It does not provide a feature to generate SQL script from the diagram, so consider this more of a drawing tool and not a full database modeling tool.
5. Microsoft Visio
Microsoft Visio Online is also considered one of the best ER diagramming tools because of its simple platform and user-friendly interface. You can choose between the web app and the desktop app according to your requirements.
This tool comes with more features like easy customization and a document-sharing option for users and non-users.
Visio supports multiple data sources for reverse engineering, including Excel workbooks, Access databases, SharePoint foundation lists, SQL Server databases, Exchange Server directories, Azure Active Directory information, and other OLEDB or ODBC data sources. Just like Draw.io, this tool does not provide a feature to generate SQL scripts, so it should not be seen as a full database modeling tool.
Free Erd Tool
6. Gliffy
This is another easy-to-use online ER diagramming platform. It helps registered users create entity relationship diagrams collaboratively with their teams.
With Gliffy there are a number of templates available to speed up your process. The tool has a basic drag and drop feature for easy diagramming.
Gliffy also allows you to access previous versions and import or export diagrams. Popular export formats include JPG, PNG, and SVG.
On the other hand, Gliffy does not support the generation of SQL script, so it should be seen as a drawing tool.
7. SqlDBM ER Diagram Online Tool
This ERD diagram tool is also described as a SQL database manager. As a Cloud-based data modeling tool, SqlDBM can be accessed from anywhere in the world. It’s relatively uncomplicated and simplifies your database development process. You can design conceptual, logical, and physical data models and then apply them to your database with just a few clicks.
SqlDBM incorporates database rules and objects (e.g. database keys, schemas, indexes, column constraints, and relationships) It works with the most popular databases and Cloud data warehouses, including Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift.
The SqlDBM reverse engineering feature creates a graphical representation of the selected database objects and the relationships between them. This allows you to redesign your database structure to suit your requirements.
Find Your Best Entity Relationship Diagram Tool
Online ER diagramming has evolved over the years. Many platforms and tools offer competitive features at affordable prices. Online platforms are more feasible for modern software projects, as they more readily adapt to remote and distributed teams.
When choosing an online ER diagram tool, make sure it supports a wide range of DBMSs and offers labor-saving features like reverse engineering and migration script generation. User-friendly interfaces, import and export features that support popular formats, and integrated notations and ER shapes all make a database architect’s work easier.
And, last but not least, consider the cost-effectiveness of your ERD tool; see how the competition stacks up in terms of the features available at different price tiers.
What traditional or online ER diagramming tools do you use? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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