Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SchemaSpy VS DB Designer

Compare SchemaSpy VS DB Designer and see what are their differences

SchemaSpy logo SchemaSpy

SchemaSpy is a Java-based tool (requires Java 5 or higher) that analyzes the metadata of a schema...

DB Designer logo DB Designer

fabFORCE.net Database Tools
  • SchemaSpy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-19
  • DB Designer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-10

SchemaSpy features and specs

  • Open Source
    SchemaSpy is an open-source tool, which means it is free to use and has a community-driven development model. Users can contribute to its development and benefit from community support.
  • Comprehensive Database Support
    SchemaSpy supports a wide range of databases, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and more. This makes it a versatile tool for different database environments.
  • Detailed HTML Reports
    It generates detailed and interactive HTML reports that provide visual insights into the database schema. These reports include entity-relationship diagrams and other useful information for database analysis.
  • Ease of Use
    SchemaSpy is relatively easy to set up and use. It requires minimal configuration to generate reports, making it accessible to users with varying levels of expertise.
  • Database Relationships Visualization
    The tool provides visual representations of database relationships, which can assist in understanding complex schemas and their interconnections.

Possible disadvantages of SchemaSpy

  • Installation Dependencies
    SchemaSpy requires Java and a compatible Graphviz version, which may add complexity to the installation process, especially for users unfamiliar with these dependencies.
  • Performance on Large Schemas
    Generating reports for large and complex schemas might be time-consuming and resource-intensive, potentially impacting performance.
  • Limited Customization
    While SchemaSpy provides useful reports, customization options are somewhat limited, which might not meet the specific needs of all users.
  • Maintenance and Updates
    Being community-driven, updates and new features might not be as frequent or comprehensive as those from commercial tools, possibly leading to longer wait times for bug fixes or new functionality.
  • Support
    As an open-source project, professional support is limited to community assistance, which may not be sufficient for enterprise-level needs.

DB Designer features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    DB Designer offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced database designers.
  • Visual Modeling
    It provides visual tools for creating and editing entity-relationship diagrams, which can help users better understand and organize their databases.
  • Integration with MySQL
    DB Designer integrates seamlessly with MySQL, allowing users to directly transfer their designs to a database server.
  • Free to Use
    As freeware, DB Designer provides a cost-effective solution for database design without the need for a subscription or purchase.

Possible disadvantages of DB Designer

  • Limited Support and Updates
    The software lacks regular updates and comprehensive customer support, which can be a concern for long-term usability and troubleshooting.
  • Compatibility Issues
    DB Designer may not be compatible with some newer database technologies or operating systems, limiting its applicability in some environments.
  • Lacks Advanced Features
    Compared to other advanced database design tools, DB Designer may lack certain advanced features that are needed for complex database environments.
  • Learning Curve
    While user-friendly, new users might still face a learning curve to fully utilize all functionalities effectively, especially without official support.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SchemaSpy and DB Designer)
Databases
48 48%
52% 52
Database Management
66 66%
34% 34
MySQL Tools
60 60%
40% 40
Relational Databases
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SchemaSpy seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SchemaSpy mentions (1)

  • Boss doesn’t want to pay for a documenting tool, is there another way to document the SQL database?
    If you don't need a tool where you can edit an ERD, try SchemaSpy it generates a nice HTML report of all tables, columns and creates an ER diagram based on declared foreign keys. I have never used it with SQL Server, but with Oracle and Postgres it also extracts the comments for tables and columns. I think that relies on the JDBC driver returning them properly, not sure if the MS driver does that (using the... Source: over 3 years ago

DB Designer mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of DB Designer yet. Tracking of DB Designer recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SchemaSpy and DB Designer, you can also consider the following products

DbSchema - DbSchema - Visual Database Design & Management Tool

Navicat Data Modeler - Navicat Data Modeler allows users to create a conceptual model from an existing database and edit the structure of the database easily.

ERBuilder - ERBuilder is a data modeling software that provides all the features you would expect from a professional database modeling tool such as reverse engineering, generating DDL scripts and databases, generating data, comparing models & databases and more

Longtion Application Builder - Longtion Application Builder is a tool for designing and developing database applications and Web...

DBeaver - DBeaver - Universal Database Manager and SQL Client.

MySQL Workbench - MySQL Workbench is a unified visual tool for database architects, developers, and DBAs.