PgDesigner vs dbdiagram.io

Feature comparison

Feature	PgDesigner	dbdiagram.io
Offline / local	Yes (single binary)	No (SaaS, cloud storage)
Database focus	PostgreSQL only	Generic DBML (PG, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle)
Schema format	.pgd XML (git-friendly)	DBML (text DSL)
Visual ERD editor	Yes (drag & drop)	Yes (code → diagram)
Diff/ALTER engine	Yes (10 hazard codes)	No ALTER; schema changelog for published docs
Schema lint	69 rules, 15 autofix	DBML syntax validation
Sample data generator	Yes (FK-aware, 30+ heuristics)	Example rows you enter → INSERTs
Import SQL scripts	Yes (PG parser + live DB)	Yes (PG, MySQL scripts)
Export SQL	Yes (dependency-ordered DDL)	Yes (basic DDL)
CLI for CI/CD	Yes (lint, diff, generate, testdata)	Yes (sync diagrams, publish docs)
VS Code extension	No	Yes (DBML preview)
Data stays local	Yes (your disk)	No (their servers)

Pricing

	PgDesigner	dbdiagram.io
Free tier	Everything, Apache-2.0	10 diagrams, single editor
Individual	Free	Personal Pro: $8/mo billed yearly ($96/yr), $14 month-to-month
Team	Free (any size)	$75/mo for 3 editors + $5/mo per extra editor (yearly)
1 year cost (5 devs)	$0	$1,020

dbdiagram.io prices as listed on dbdiagram.io/pricing in November 2026.

Where dbdiagram.io is stronger

• Instant start — open browser, type DBML, see diagram. No download, no account needed for public diagrams
• DBML format — text-based DSL that's easy to type, version, and share. VS Code extension for inline preview
• Quick prototyping — fastest way to sketch a schema for a new project
• Team collaboration — real-time cloud editing with shared diagrams
• Export options — SQL, PDF, PNG, SVG for documentation
• Published docs — dbdocs pages with a schema changelog, synced from CI by the dbdiagram CLI

Where PgDesigner is stronger

• Data stays local — your schema never leaves your machine. Critical for security/compliance
• Diff & migrations — compare schemas → safe ALTER SQL with hazard warnings. dbdiagram.io doesn't generate migrations
• 69 lint rules — structural errors, best practices, antipatterns with autofix. dbdiagram.io validates DBML syntax only
• Sample data generator — FK-aware, 30+ heuristics, seeded, for the whole schema. dbdiagram.io turns example rows you type in into INSERTs
• PostgreSQL depth — 70+ types, partitions, IDENTITY, domains, temporal. DBML supports basic types only
• Free and open source — Apache-2.0, no per-seat fees, private by default. dbdiagram.io Personal Pro is $96/yr, Team starts at $900/yr
• CLI for CI/CD — lint, diff, generate in your pipeline. The dbdiagram CLI syncs diagrams and publishes docs, but doesn't lint or generate migrations
• Live DB reverse engineering — connect to PostgreSQL from the app or CLI: tables, indexes, constraints, partitions, plus views, functions and triggers with -full

Honest assessment

dbdiagram.io is the fastest way to sketch a database schema — open browser, type DBML, share the link. For quick prototyping and team communication, it's excellent. PgDesigner is for the next step: when you need production-grade DDL, safe migrations, schema quality checks, and a local-first workflow. If your schema lives in a single DBML file and you never need ALTER scripts — dbdiagram.io is fine. If you deploy to PostgreSQL and need migrations, linting, and CI/CD — PgDesigner.