Have you ever needed to create a mockup for an app or web project, but didn’t have any tools to do it with? Maybe you wanted the option to see your design on multiple devices before building it. Or maybe you wanted to create an animated preview of how your site would function.
If you couldn’t afford one of the major wireframing or mockup tools, then this article is for you!
Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a diagram and chart editing package. In this software package, you can create, update, and import ERDs to develop a database schema.
The Lucidchart system is a general diagram editor, so it isn’t able to interact with an actual DBMS. Instead, you use it to create your ERDs and then translate that into tables in the database manually. As such, you are not limited to the creations of ERDs with Lucidchart. As well as being an ER diagram tool, this is a flow chart creator and can also support the creation of Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) for your database optimization projects.
A big benefit of Lucidchart is that it has a good list of integrations that make ERD sharing very easy. So, if your main need for an ERD tool is to provide a basis for discussion, then this software is a good option. It integrates with cloud file storage systems, such as DropBox and team collaboration systems, including Slack.
Lucidchart is a cloud-based service and it is charged for by subscription. The lowest edition is Free. This gives access to one user. The three paid editions are Individual, Team, and Enterprise. The Individual version and the Free version only allow one user per account. The Team version allows three users and the Enterprise editions is a customized service.
SqlDBM
SqlDBM supports the creation of database schemas through E R diagramming. The software is available online, so it can be accessed from anywhere, enabling distributed teams to work on the database.
The SqlDBM system is able to connect to databases run by SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, Oracle, and Amazon Redshift. The user assembles an ERD with the assistance of prompts from the environment. Once the design has been settled, the service connects to the database and generates all of the described objects.
Rather than creating an ERD from scratch, it is possible to import an existing database and get that interpreted into an ERD for editing.
Each account can be accessed by several users. This enables many people to work together on the creation or alteration of the ERD. All changes generate a new version of the design and it is possible to revert to an earlier version. The created design is held in the account and so can be accessed regularly by team members. It is also possible to create a web page of the ERD to let third parties see the database design without being able to change it.
SqlDBM is a subscription service with three plans. The Basic plan is for access by one user. There are many higher functions that aren’t included in this plan, such as automated database documentation. However, both design and reverse engineering functions for databases are included. The Business plan is for multiple users – you choose how many. That edition includes database assessment and documentation. The Enterprise plan includes extra DBA tools. There is also a free version, which allows only one project to be developed at a time.
dbForge Studio
dbForge Studio is available in flavors for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL. Each is a full database management suite that includes diagramming utilities for the creation of ERDs. The system will also generate an entire documentation library for an existing database.
ERDs based on existing databases can be altered by adding entities and connecting them with new relationships, identifying foreign keys. ERDs can be annotated and it is possible to create packages of functions and procedures within the database structure. You can zoom in and zoom out on the viewer. The ERD can be printed in part or in its entirety.
Once an ERD has been settled it can be translated into database objects and implemented. The objects of this new database are made available to developers through the IDE interface. This is able to autocomplete statements as they are written in the editor. The development editor also offers a visual query builder from a library of functions and clauses.
There are three versions of each flavor of dbForge Studio: Standard, Professional, and Enterprise. The ER diagram tool is included in all editions. You can try any version of dbForge Studio on a 30-day free trial.
DbSchema
DbSchema is a database design and management system that is based on an ER diagram tool. The software is able to create ERDs for relational and NoSQL databases. The diagram editor provides a library of ERD symbols and the designer places them on the canvas to create an entity and add attributes to it. Nominating keys, foreign keys, and setting relationships are very easy too.
As well as enabling the creation of ERDs for new databases, DbSchema can connect to a database and extract the data dictionary to automatically generate an entity-relationship diagram. This is a great help when trying to manage an undocumented database.
DbSchema provides access to multiple users, allowing design by a team effort. The ERD tool is able to merge several diagrams, which lets individuals work on separate sections of the ERD to be amalgamated into one design. The ERD is saved as a model and it is possible to store several models of the same schema. This is a necessity in situations where there are different objects in different database instances. Such a scenario is common – for example, a development or test database will have new objects in it that haven’t yet been rolled out to live.
The ERD model storage system is a useful aid for DBAs because it acts as a database instance version management tool. DbSchema is also able to compare models and produce different reports, which enables DBAs to keep track of which development objects need to be rolled out to live.
When the ERD is ready, it can be saved to file in PDF or HTML format and it will continue to be available within the ER diagram editor for adjustments.
Once the ERD has been finalized, it can be implemented as database objects. DbSchema performs database table creation through the generation of scripts. DbSchema also includes support tools for developers, which include the Visual Query Builder, an SQL Editor, and a Data Generator. The tool can also manage the import or export of data.
DbSchema installs on Windows, Linux, and macOS. It is available for no charge with a Free edition. This includes the data dictionary extractor, the ER diagram tool, and the SQL Editor. A paid version, called DbSchema Pro adds on the data management and schema synchronization services. There are three license levels for DbSchema Pro: Academic, Personal, and Commercial. Even the top license for businesses is very economical. You can get a 15-day free trial of DbSchema Pro.
Dbdiagram.io
Dbdiagram.io is a web-based service that focuses on the creation and distribution of ERDs. The diagram creator has a main panel with a design canvas and a side panel for a coding interface. The ERD can be created by commanding objects in the code panel and then dragging elements around on the canvas.
The ERDs created in Dbdiagram.io can easily be shared. A completed diagram can then be implemented into database objects. On-demand, the tool will generate SQL scripts for object creation, which you just run in your database to set up the schema.
Dbdiagram.io is available in Free and Pro editions. The free version enables the creation of up to 10 ERDs at any one time. The paid edition has more design presentation features and no limit to the number of ERDs that can be stored in the system. The Pro version also allows for individual user accounts and version control.
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.
LucidChart
Draw ER diagrams using templates, symbols, and notations
- Link: Lucidchart.com/pages/examples/er-diagram-tool
- Price: free for single users (with limited shapes)
- See a video walkthrough here.
LucidChart is “the visual workspace for remote teams”. It’s an incredibly flexible tool, enabling you to model diagrams from scratch using templates, symbols, and notations. You can also import your own database to streamline ERD creation. LucidChart has plenty of collaboration options so you can work on the diagram with your teammates collectively (with features like sticky notes, comments, and mentions).
Conclusion
Mockups are a necessity in app development. They’re the first step of any project, and there’s many tools available to help you create them. Whether it’s creating a mobile app, web app, or even showing your clients some design ideas…there is something out there for you!