Free ER diagram maker

Effortlessly create professional-grade ER diagrams with our intuitive and easy-to-use free ER diagram maker. Unlock the power of data visualization with simplicity and efficiency.

banner banner

Create effortlessly, share seamlessly.

Get inspired by tons of templates.
Draw inspiration from one of our professionally made templates. Browse through a wide range of templates tailored to various industries and purposes, helping yourself save time and effort by providing a starting point for your diagrams.
Easy-to-use Visio alternative.
With a sleek and intuitive interface, EdrawMax offers similar powerful functions as Visio but is much easier to use. Streamline diagram creation with EdrawMax’s drag-and-drop functionality, extensive library of shapes and symbols, and rich editing tools.
Work from anywhere, at any time.
Access your diagrams on Windows, Mac OS, Linux, or even mobile devices. Edit your diagrams online whenever you have a connection to the Internet. Make changes, updates, or collaborate with team members regardless of your location.
Share your files in all formats.
Easily share your diagrams with colleagues or stakeholders, regardless of their preferred file format, as EdrawMax offers a wide range of export options like PDF or PNG or even editable formats like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

ER diagram maker for everyone.

banner
Database Administrator
Manages and optimizes databases, ensuring efficient data storage, retrieval, security, and performance.
banner
Software Engineer
Develop and maintain software applications, implementing efficient data structures and interacting with databases.
banner
Business Analyst
Analyze business processes and requirements, collaborating with stakeholders to identify data needs and inform database design.
banner
Data Scientist
Analyze and model large datasets, utilizing databases to store and access data for advanced analytics and machine learning.
banner
Systems Architect
Design and oversee system architecture, collaborating with database administrators to ensure data integrity and integration.
banner
Project Manager
Oversee the database development process and coordinate with the development team. Use ER diagrams to ensure alignment with project goals.

Why teams choose EdrawMax?

banner
Seamless Teamwork
EdrawMax facilitates real-time collaboration, allowing team members to work together on diagrams and share feedback instantly, fostering teamwork, and accelerating project progress.
banner
Enhanced Efficiency
With its intuitive interface, pre-made templates, and extensive symbol libraries, EdrawMax enables teams to create professional-quality diagrams quickly, saving time, reducing effort, and increasing productivity.
banner
All in One
EdrawMax allows for making 280+ types of diagrams including flowcharts, mind mapps, Gantt charts, timelines and more, streamlining workflows and eliminating the need for multiple software, enhancing convenience.
banner
Improved Communication
Use visually compelling diagrams to convey complex ideas, facilitating clear and concise communication within teams and with stakeholders, boosting understanding and decision-making processes.
What is
an ER diagram

An Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram is a visual representation used in database design to illustrate the logical structure and relationships between entities. It provides a clear and concise way to model and understand the data requirements of an organization or system.

Entities, represented as rectangles, depict objects or concepts within the system, such as customers, products, or orders. Relationships, shown as lines connecting entities, describe how entities are associated or connected to each other, such as a "customer places an order" or a "product belongs to a category."

Attributes, displayed as ovals within entities, describe the properties or characteristics of an entity. For example, a customer entity may have attributes like name, address, and email. Cardinality and participation constraints further specify the nature and rules of the relationships, indicating how many instances of one entity can be associated with another.

Benefits of
an ER Diagram

ER diagrams offer numerous benefits in database design. Firstly, they provide a visual representation of the data model, making complex structures and relationships easier to comprehend. This aids in effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders.

Secondly, ER diagrams serve as a blueprint for database development, guiding the creation of tables, relationships, and constraints. They ensure data integrity and consistency by identifying dependencies and enforcing rules.

Additionally, ER diagrams are scalable and flexible, accommodating changes and modifications to the data model. They promote efficient database design, streamline the development process, and facilitate system scalability.

Overall, ER diagrams are essential tools for visualizing, communicating, and designing databases, enabling efficient data management and enhancing overall system effectiveness.

History of
an ER diagram

The Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram has a significant history in database design. It was introduced by Peter Chen in 1976 as a means to represent entity relationships in a conceptual model. Initially used for relational databases, ER diagrams expanded their applicability to object-oriented databases, adapting to represent object relationships.

Over time, the ER diagram notation has evolved, incorporating notational conventions to enhance expressiveness. Extensions were introduced to capture cardinalities, participation constraints, and inheritance relationships. Computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tools popularized ER diagrams, providing graphical interfaces for database design and documentation.

Today, ER diagrams remain crucial in database design, visually representing data structures and relationships. They serve as a common language for communication, ensuring a shared understanding of the data model. ER diagrams facilitate efficient database development and are integral in the software development process.

Types of ER diagram.

Hospital ER Diagram
Forum ER Diagram
College ER Diagram

Six steps to create an ER diagram.

  • Identify the main entities in the system or organization you are designing the database for. Entities represent objects or concepts (e.g., customers, products).
  • Determine the relationships between entities. Define how entities are connected or associated with each other (e.g., a customer places an order).
  • Determine the attributes for each entity. Attributes represent the properties or characteristics of an entity (e.g., customer name, product price).
  • Establish the cardinality of relationships. Determine how many instances of one entity can be associated with another (e.g., one-to-one, one-to-many).
  • Specify the participation of entities in relationships. Define whether an entity's participation in a relationship is mandatory or optional.
  • Use a diagramming tool or software to visually represent the entities, relationships, attributes, cardinality, and participation. Connect entities with lines and label the relationships and attributes.

What our customers say.

Robert Anderson, database analyst
The ER diagram maker has helped me a lot. The extensive collection of templates provides great inspiration, and the intuitive interface makes it a breeze to create professional-looking diagrams. I love the flexibility to work from anywhere and export files in multiple formats. Highly recommended!
Brian Thompson, database administrator
EdrawMax's ER diagram maker has exceeded my expectations. The customization options allow me to create visually stunning and informative diagrams. The ability to generate SQL scripts and export diagrams in various formats makes it an essential tool for database design and documentation. A must-have for any DBA!
David Miller, IT manager
I've tried several ER diagram makers, and EdrawMax stands out. It's the perfect Visio alternative with its ease of use and sleek interface. The ability to collaborate with my team and seamlessly import/export data makes it an invaluable tool for our database projects.

FAQs about the ER diagram maker.

  • Some diagram makers only offer a free trial, but there are free ER diagram makers available that you can use to create ER diagrams without incurring any cost. For example, EdrawMax offers a free version with which you can access the essential features of the software.
  • No, ER diagram makers like EdrawMax are designed to be user-friendly, allowing users of all skill levels to create ER diagrams easily through intuitive interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality.
  • Yes, ER diagram makers like EdrawMax often provide a wide selection of pre-built templates tailored to different industries and diagramming needs. These templates serve as a starting point, providing inspiration and saving time in creating ER diagrams from scratch.
  • Yes. For example, EdrawMax offers collaboration features that allow multiple users to work on the same diagram through the cloud. These features often include collaboration, commenting, and authorization control, facilitating teamwork and efficient diagram creation.
  • While Excel is primarily a spreadsheet software, it is possible to create a basic ER diagram using the shapes and drawing tools available in Excel. However, it's important to note that Excel is not specifically designed for diagramming purposes like dedicated diagramming software or tools.
  • You can, although Word is not specifically designed for diagramming purposes like dedicated diagramming software or tools. To create an ER diagram in Word, you can utilize the available shapes, lines, and text boxes to represent entities, relationships, and attributes. You can draw rectangles or squares to represent entities, use lines to connect them to illustrate relationships and add text boxes to label entities and attributes.