You surely know how complicated and hard-to-manage can be data nowadays. Of course, there is a huge list of data modelers and diagram creation programs to help you structure your data flow.
However, if you are searching for free and open source data modeling tools and software, you might be disappointed with the low number of available database design systems.
Still, there is a choice of publicly accessible apps and tools that can be utilized for different goals, from high-level conceptual and logical data models to physical data modeling. Here is a list of some of the best solutions.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of the ER Diagram tool free download and are also going to discuss eight of the most popular ER Diagram tool online that can be used and download. Since the article focuses on free software we are going to base our list to ER diagram tool open source that are available in the market. AmaterasUML is an Eclipse plug-in for drawing UML which supports the following Unified Modeling Language tools: class diagram, sequence diagram and use case diagram. It also provides Java support such as importing class/interfaces from Eclipse workspace and exporting class-diagram to Java source code. Need flowchart software for Mac? Our online flowcharting tool lets you easily create flowcharts in Mac OSX, share them and export them. There are many flowchart templates and examples to try it for free!
1. ArgoUML
This is one of the leading free and open source UML modeling tools. It has been enjoying great success, popularity and many positive reviews since its earlier releases in 2006.
ArgoUML runs on all Java platforms and includes support for all standard UML (Unified Modeling Language) 1.4 diagrams. Also, it is available in ten languages. The tool is distributed under the Eclipse Public License (EPL) 1.0.
The UML integration is quite good, and users can specify everything, directly in the attributes of the diagrams.
Key features and benefits:
- All 9 UML 1.4 Diagrams supported
- Platform Independent: Java 5+
- Click and Go! with Java Web Start
- Standard UML 1.4 Metamodel
- XMI Support
- Export Diagrams as GIF, PNG, PS, EPS, PGML, and SVG
- Available in ten languages – EN, EN-GB, DE, ES, IT, RU, FR, NB, PT, ZH
- Advanced diagram editing
- OCL Support
Website: http://argouml.tigris.org/
2. Edraw Max’s Database Model Diagram
With Edraw Max’s Database Model Diagram template, anyone can quick and easily create a Database Model Diagram.
This user-friendly drawing tool has rich pre-made shapes, which makes drawing rather easy. You can simply drag and drop the shapes, and you can also redesign the shapes because they are vector-based.
What’s more, it’s designed with many automated tools and advanced functions through which you can easily design and customize your drawing. It’s definitely the most simple-to-use drawing tool.
Edraw Max includes many entity relationship shapes, entity, view, relationship, parent to category, category, category to child, dynamic connector, line connector, strong entity, strong relationship, weak relationship, attribute, derived attribute, etc.
See more information:
– Database Model Diagram
– Edraw Max
3. DBDesigner 4
DBDesigner 4 is an open source visual database design software available for Microsoft Windows and Linux. The tool integrates database design, creation, modeling, and maintenance into a single, seamless environment.
It is very simple to use and straightforward tool with an absolutely intuitive interface that allows you to get the job done easily in no time. Despite it is an Open Source Project, DBDesigner 4 can compare to products like Oracle’s Designer and IBM’s Rational Rose.
In addition, DBDesigner 4 is optimized for the open source MySQL-Database to support MySQL users with a free available design tool. If you looking for open source data modeling tools with powerful features to create a visual model of any database, DBDesigner worth to consider.
Key features and benefits:
- Available on Linux / MS Windows
- User Interfaced based on industry standard layouting software
- Design Mode / Query Mode
- Reverse engineering MySQL, Oracle, MSSQL and any ODBC databases
- User-defined schema-generation
- Model-To-Database synchronisation
- Index support
- Automatic foreign key placement
- Weak entity support
- Standard Inserts storing and sync
- Full documentation capabilities
- Advanced model printing
- Output as image
- All MySQL datatypes with all options
- User-defined data types
- Database storage, ability to save model within database
- Network-/Multiuser access through database storage
- Version control*
- SQL Query Builder
- SQL Command History
- SQL Command storage within model
- Plugin interface
Website: http://fabforce.eu/dbdesigner4/
4. Open ModelSphere
Open ModelSphere is one of the most powerful and popular open source data modeling tools and business processes software solutions. It is released under GPL (GNU Public License) and supports user interfaces in English and French.
It includes complex conceptual and logical data modeling and also physical design (database modeling). Open ModelSphere was created as a 100%-Java application. Now it is a very professional tool that is supported by a wide community of software architects and engineers.
Open ModelSphere is free software that you can download easily.
Key features and benefits:
- Free to download, free to use and free to distribute.
- Community-driven application.
- Supports several notations, e.g. Entity-Relationship, DATARUN, and Information Engineering
- Possibility for premium support, maintenance and consulting.
- Built-in interface to connect to SQL databases.
- Bi-directional plugin.
Website: http://www.modelsphere.com/org/
5. Dia
Dia is an open source GTK+ based diagram creation program for GNU/Linux, MacOS X, Unix, and Windows. It is released under the GPL license.
You can quickly and easily create a variety of diagrams such as UML diagrams, Electrical Engineer, Cisco diagrams and much much more. Dia is an easy to use but powerful software tool with a lot of features.
The software positions itself toward more technical users, however, it’s a quite good tool for everyone aiming to draw a custom flowchart.
Key features and benefits:
- Can be used to draw many different kinds of diagrams like UML diagrams, flowcharts, diagrams, network diagrams, and many other diagrams.
- You can add support for new shapes by writing simple XML files, using a subset of SVG to draw the shape.
- It export diagrams to many formats, including EPS, SVG, XFIG, WMF, and PNG.
- Can print diagrams (including ones that span multiple pages).
- Cross-platform that allows you to use your personal computer with Windows, Linux, OSX, and share the .dia files.
Website: https://wiki.gnome.org
6. Umbrello UML Modeller
Umbrello UML Modeller is a Unified Modelling Language diagram software tool based on KDE Technology. It is one of the best open source data modeling tools that empower you to draw diagrams of software and other systems in a standard format to document or design the structure of your programs.
In addition, Umbrello comes with KDE SC, included with every Linux distribution. It is available through your package manager and as an installer for Windows and Mac OS X.
The majority of Umbrello features and types of diagrams depends on the public UML standards.
Key features and benefits:
- Structure Diagrams (Class Diagrams, Component Diagrams, Object Diagrams, Profile, Composite, Structure, Deployment, Package Diagrams).
- Behavior Diagrams (Activity Diagrams, Use Case Diagrams, State, Sequence, Collaboration, Entity Relationship Diagrams snd etc.).
- UML Icons and a lot of associations and graphics primitives are supported.
- Supports XMI 1.2 file import and export.
- Supported 3rd party file import formats.
Website: https://umbrello.kde.org/
If you in the field of data modeling, our posts “5 Best Data Mapping Tools” and “5 Best Data Profiling Tools” also might be interesting to you.
JetUML – a Simple Open Source UML Diagramming Tool
Franco Martinig, Martinig & Associates, https://www.martinig.ch/
JetUML is a simple desktop open source Unified Modeling Language (UML) tool UML diagramming. The concept of JetUML is to provide the basic support for sketching software design ideas. JetUML currently supports the following UML diagrams: class diagrams, sequence diagrams, state diagrams, object diagrams and use case diagrams. Diagrams can be exported to image file format, and copied to the system clipboard for integration with other tools like word processing software for documentation.
Website:https://github.com/prmr/JetUML
Version tested: JetUML version 2.5 in March-April 2020 on a Window 8 platform.
System requirements: Windows, Mac OS X or Linux with Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
License & Pricing: Free software, GNU General Public License v3
Support:https://github.com/prmr/JetUML/issues
Documentation:https://github.com/prmr/JetUML/wiki
Installation
JetUML requires at least Java 8 to run. On my Windows platform, I just downloaded the jar file and double-clicked on it to open the tool. No specific installation process is required and the size of the application is a just 350Kb
Configuration
There are very few configuration options in JetUML. You can define the size of the diagram area and whether or not you will show the tools hints and the grid.
Open Source Sequence Diagram Tool For Mac Free
Using JetUML
Using JetUML is easy with its simple and intuitive interface. You simply open the type of diagram you want to create and then you position the diagrams items on the screen. You can choose the items to place by either selecting them from the items list visible on the right side of the diagram or with a right-click mouse action. Selecting and moving items is really straightforward and works fine. There are Undo and Redo features to quickly modify changes.
(click on figure to enlarge)
I would however complain that the tools lack some simple productivity features, like automatically opening a naming window in the use case diagram when you place a new item. Having to re-select the item and double-click on it to enter the name is cumbersome if you are drawing a large diagram. It is also not possible to move multiple objects at once, so you have to think where you begin your diagram. You can however move all the items of a diagram with the “Select All” menu option. It would be also nice if some of the basic actions, like saving a diagram could be used from a toolbar with a one-click action. You could however use some of them with keyboard shortcuts. The tools lack also the concept of “project”. So you have to manually create separate folder if you want to group diagrams that describe the same system.
You can export the diagram in different image files format (png, jpg, gif, bmp). In this case, the diagram export is limited to the area where diagram items are placed.
Conclusion
Open Source Mac
JetUML is a simple open source Unified Modeling Language tool that achieves its goals. It has a low footprint and it supports the basic needs for the main UML diagrams without requiring any training. If you are a software developer that needs an UML tools to develop or record your software design ideas or a computer science professor who want to teach an object oriented approach, then you should explore JetUML.
Related UML Resources
Methods & Tools UML articles
Sequence Diagram Mac
This article was originally published in April 2020