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What is the best database diagram tool for Linux? This post will help you find out – and potentially save you time, frustration, and money!
Data modeling is a crucial component of any database development project. Your database project could fail if you move forward without a suitable data model. You can learn more about why you need data modeling here.
It's crucial to select the best ER diagram tool for your project. Hundreds of ER diagram drawing tools are available in the market, including online ER diagram tools, desktop tools, or hybrid tools. You can read more about what to look for in an ER diagram tool here. In this article, we’re going to discuss online and desktop ERD tools that can be used on the Linux operating system.
Our 7 Favorite Linux Database Diagram Tools
1. Vertabelo
Vertabelo is an online data modeler that can be accessed from anywhere and used on any operating system. Vertabelo can model your data at all levels, from the conceptual to the physical. It has a clean and logical user interface (UI) and it supports numerous DBMSs (Database Management Systems), including MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL.
Vertabelo also supports many notations (like Crow's Foot, IDEF1X, and UML) to create logical and physical data models. You can automate creating a physical model from the logical model. The tool validates your data model against the selected DBMS.
Vertabelo facilitates team collaboration in several ways. By setting different access levels (Owner, Editor, or Viewer) for different email addresses, you can share your data models with team members. By providing a public URL to your model, you can share your models with third parties (like clients who don’t have a Vertabelo account). Vertabelo also has built-in version control and supports version control with GIT. Read more on sharing your Vertabelo data model here.
With Vertabelo, you can create SQL scripts that automatically generate a database from your physical ER diagram; this is its forward engineering feature. And, using its reverse engineering feature, you can import an existing database to Vertabelo to modify the database in the Vertabelo environment.
2. Navicat
Navicat is a desktop database diagram tool for Linux, Windows, and macOS. Many well-known DBMSs, including Oracle, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, etc., are supported by Navicat.
You can create your conceptual, logical, and physical data models using this data modeler. It offers Crow's Foot, UML, and IDEF1X as the three standard notations. Additionally, Navicat offers a variety of automatic options to help you quickly create conceptual, logical, and physical data models.
This modeling tool's reverse engineering capability lets you modify the physical data model of an existing database. Additionally, its Export SQL functionality enables the creation of SQL scripts for every part of the physical model.
3. Astah Professional
Astah Professional is a desktop multi-diagramming tool that supports ER diagrams, DFDs, flowcharts, UML diagrams, etc. This tool supports two Linux distributions, Ubuntu and CentOS. In addition to that, Astah Professional has Windows and macOS versions.
This ERD tool for Linux supports the Crow's Foot and IDEF1X notations. It also provides an SQL Export feature to export components of your ER diagram to SQL-92. Additionally, a database reverse engineering feature can be used to create a physical data model from an existing database.
However, this tool does not support collaborative work or sharing your model. It's most suitable for individual work.
4. Visual Paradigm
Visual Paradigm is an online multi-diagramming tool that provides different notations for modeling various diagrams, including data models. You can use this data modeler on many platforms (including Linux). Visual Paradigm supports many popular DBMSs, such as MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server, and Sybase.
As an ER diagram tool, the Visual Paradigm assists you in designing your conceptual, logical, and physical data models. It includes a user-friendly user interface and the necessary notations to build your data models, including Crow's Foot.
You can enter example records for the entities in the ERD using Visual Paradigm's special "Table Record Editor" capability. Thanks to this functionality, users can better grasp the data types added to the database.
You can save time by using Visual Paradigm's Model Transitor to create your physical and conceptual models from your logical model rather than from scratch. To establish your physical database, Visual Paradigm also enables you to generate DDL files from selected entities or the full ERD. Additionally, this design tool allows you to patch changes to the data model into the actual database.
This modeling tool also supports reverse engineering so you can import an existing database and edit it visually. Of course, the database must be of a type supported by this database diagram tool.
5. SqlDBM
SqlDBM is an online ERD tool for Linux that enables collaborative work with your teams on any platform. This tool also supports many DBMSs such as MySQL, SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, etc.
To model your data from the conceptual to the physical level, SqlDBM includes various tools and notations, including Crow's Foot and IDEF1X.
For any supported DBMS, you can use SqlDBM to construct a DDL script from the physical model. With SqlDBM's reverse engineering functionality, you can import a DDL file created from an existing database or copy and paste a DDL script to create the corresponding data model and change it visually.
Among many other features provided by this ER diagram tool, supporting collaborative work via version control is vital.
6. MySQL Workbench
MySQL Workbench is a desktop ER diagram tool that supports data modeling, database development, database maintenance, and many other database activities for MySQL. This tool comes in Linux, Windows, and macOS versions. As a database diagram tool, MySQL Workbench comes with all the necessary notation to draw your ER diagram and validate your diagram against MySQL constraints.
Additionally, this tool has a forward engineering capability that enables you to construct MySQL scripts from the physical data model. On the other hand, its reverse engineering function enables the creation of ER diagrams from SQL or MySQL scripts.
However, it does not offer group work or model sharing as an offline ERD tool for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Additionally, because it only supports MySQL, you cannot construct portable data models for use with other DBMSs with this tool.
7. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is the Visio alternative for Linux. This online data modeler facilitates drawing various diagrams (including database models) as a multi-diagramming tool. It supports DBMSs like MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and Salesforce.
Your ER diagram can be created using this tool manually or automatically by importing data. When you draw the diagram manually, the tool provides you with templates and a library of shapes.
Using SQL scripts, Lucidchart allows you to export your ER diagram to any supported database. Through its sharing features, Lucidchart enables convenient collaboration.
What's the best ERD tool for Linux?
Selecting the best ER diagram tool is essential for your project; it’s one of the most crucial documents of your data modeling effort. Database diagramming tools for Linux are widely accessible; consider what DBMSs and platforms are supported and which automated features are included when selecting the ideal tool for your project.
If you work or collaborate remotely, online tools will usually be ideal for your project. Desktop or offline tools will be suitable if you work independently and rarely need to share in-progress data models. In terms of online database collaboration tools that support Linux, I recommend Vertabelo. For desktop/offline tools, my first choice for Linux is Visual Paradigm. But in the end, the best ERD tool for your project depends on your database project's exact requirements. It’s your call.
