ChartDB Review, Pricing & Features

ChartDB is a free, open-source tool that turns a single database query into an interactive ER diagram. See how it works, key features, and pricing.

Category
Databases
Pricing
Free, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2024
Headquarters
Tel Aviv, Israel
Free PlanWeb AppOpen SourceAIFreemiumSelf-Hosted

Overview

ChartDB is a free, open-source database schema diagramming tool founded in August 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel, by co-founders Jonathan Fishner and Guy Ben-Aharon. The two built and launched the project as an open-source MVP in under three weeks, reaching the front page of Hacker News within 72 hours and gaining thousands of GitHub stars shortly after launch.

The tool lets developers and database administrators instantly visualize a database's structure as an entity-relationship diagram by running a single query, without needing to install software or share database credentials with a third-party service.

Key Features

ChartDB's 'Smart Query' retrieves a database's schema as JSON in one step, which is rendered instantly as an interactive ER diagram — no credentials leave the user's machine. Teams can invite collaborators to view and edit diagrams in real time, with full undo/redo and schema version history that tracks diffs over time.

For migration and documentation, ChartDB exports SQL DDL scripts, including AI-driven cross-dialect conversion (for example, MySQL to PostgreSQL). An AI diagram generator can also build a fully editable ER diagram from a natural-language description of a database, useful for early-stage schema design.

Pricing

ChartDB is free and open-source, usable directly at chartdb.io with no installation or account required for core diagramming, or self-hosted for teams that want to keep the tool inside their own environment. As of its founders' most recent public updates, the company remains fully bootstrapped with no confirmed enterprise pricing tier.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open-source with no installation required for basic use
  • Strong privacy model since database credentials never leave the user's machine
  • Fast single-query schema import and instant diagram rendering
  • AI-assisted diagram generation and cross-dialect SQL export

Cons

  • Young project (launched 2024) with a very small core team
  • No confirmed enterprise support tier or SLA
  • Primarily community-supported rather than backed by dedicated customer success
  • Advanced collaboration and version history features may be less mature than long-established paid tools

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ChartDB free?

Yes, ChartDB is free and open-source, usable directly at chartdb.io or self-hosted.

Does ChartDB store my database credentials?

No, ChartDB is designed so that database credentials never leave your machine; only the resulting schema JSON is used to build the diagram.

Who created ChartDB?

ChartDB was founded in August 2024 in Tel Aviv, Israel, by co-founders Jonathan Fishner and Guy Ben-Aharon.

Can ChartDB export SQL scripts?

Yes, ChartDB can export SQL DDL scripts, including AI-driven conversion between different database dialects.

Does ChartDB support real-time collaboration?

Yes, teammates can be invited to view and edit diagrams together in real time.

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