A Lucidchart alternative — for database diagrams
ErdDocs generates an ER diagram of a database that already exists — every table read from the DDL, every foreign key routed for you — in your browser, where the schema stays. Lucidchart is a drawing suite: a canvas, shape libraries, real-time co-editing, a per-seat subscription. For an ER diagram of an existing database, it makes you do the tedious part by hand, and the result goes stale after the next migration. Paste the schema dump below and compare.
Side by side, honestly
| Lucidchart | ErdDocs | |
|---|---|---|
| Get started | Create an account, open a canvas or template | Paste a SQL dump in the browser — no account |
| How the diagram appears | You draw it: drag shapes, connect, align | Generated from the DDL; laid out automatically, and tables still drag |
| When the schema changes | Re-draw or reconcile by hand | Paste the new dump; regenerated in seconds |
| Where your schema goes | Stored in Lucid’s cloud | Nowhere — parsed locally, never uploaded |
| Beyond the diagram | Flowcharts, org charts, wireframes — a full suite | A data dictionary — the written reference, print to PDF |
| Sharing | Real-time co-editing for invited accounts | A link with the schema inside it — no accounts on either end |
| Pricing model | Per-seat subscription; free tier capped at a few editable documents | $9 once; the free tier needs no account |
Lucidchart is a trademark of its owner; the comparison reflects public product information as of August 2026.
When Lucidchart is the right call
Diagrams that are designed rather than derived: architecture sketches mixing databases with services and queues, whiteboard sessions, anything where the layout itself carries meaning and several people move boxes together. ErdDocs does not compete for that work: a generated diagram cannot replace a drawing when drawing is the point.
When it is more than the job needs
"Add an ER diagram to the docs" for a database that already exists is not a drawing task — the database already knows its own structure. Exporting a dump and pasting it takes less time than dragging the first three tables into place, and repeating it after a migration costs seconds instead of an afternoon of reconciling boxes against reality.
A SaaS billing schema, generated — not drawn. Replace it with your own dump; nothing is uploaded.
FAQ
Is ErdDocs a full replacement for Lucidchart?
No. Lucidchart is a general diagramming suite: flowcharts, org charts, wireframes, brainstorming boards, real-time co-editing. ErdDocs replaces one of its jobs — database diagrams for a schema that already exists. If your ER diagram is one page in a wider set of drawn documents, Lucidchart remains the right home for it.
Can I drag tables around like on a Lucidchart canvas?
Yes. Tables drag, Shift and marquee select several at once, and Arrange puts the computed layout back when you want it — the positions ride along in the share link, and the PNG and SVG exports use them. What differs is the starting point: ErdDocs computes the first layout from the schema, so the diagram is disposable — when the database changes you paste the new dump instead of maintaining box positions by hand. Hovering highlights relations, clicking pins them, and Focus isolates a table with its neighbors. A hand-tuned poster where every box is placed for a presentation is a drawing tool’s job; ErdDocs is for the diagram that has to be correct again after the next migration.
Does ErdDocs connect to my database?
Deliberately not. You export the schema yourself — pg_dump --schema-only for PostgreSQL, mysqldump --no-data for MySQL, or paste schema.prisma as-is — and the file is parsed locally in the browser. No credentials to hand over, and the schema never leaves your machine.
What can I export?
PNG and SVG images of the diagram; Mermaid, DBML, PlantUML and SQL conversions of the whole schema — PostgreSQL or MySQL; a ready-made README embed snippet; an iframe embed; and an ErdDocs project file that saves the schema and your arrangement together — all free with a small branding mark, removed by the one-time license. There is also a share link that carries the schema inside the URL fragment, so sending a diagram needs no accounts on either end.
Related
- Example ER diagrams — eleven ready schemas with the SQL to copy.
- Data dictionary generator — the written reference the same tool produces.
- Dataedo alternative — the same comparison for the documentation-platform side.
- ERDPlus alternative — and for the academic drawing tool.