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Database design tools for MS Access
List of tools that allow for the design of a database.
Database design is a set of activities aimed at improving the development, implementation, and maintenance of an enterprise data management system. Its main goal is to reflect the outline of the database system into real models: physical and logical. Database designers determine what data is to be stored inside the database, and how objects are to be related to each other.
Dataedo
Dataedo is a metadata management tool with data description language (DDL) export. It reads your schema and lets you easily describe each data element (tables and columns) and other database objects (like triggers, stored procedures, etc.) visually as ER diagrams. Additionally, DDL export allows you to export your database to a set of statements like CREATE and ALTER.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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RazorSQL
RazorSQL is an SQL query tool, database browser, SQL editor, and database administration tool. It provides visual tools to create, alter, describe, execute, and drop database objects such as tables, views, indexes, stored procedures, functions, triggers, and more.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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DB-Main (discontinued)
DB-Main is an easy-to-use data modelling and data architecture platform. It is a generic CASE tool dedicated to database applications engineering, and in particular to database design, reverse engineering, re-engineering, integration, maintenance, and evolution.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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ER/Studio
ER/Studio Data Architect helps to easily reverse- and forward-engineer, compare and merge, and visually document data assets across multiple platforms and data sources. It enables data professionals to better manage data models and metadata in complex and dynamic enterprise environments.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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Model Xtractor
Model Xtractor is a software utility designed to inspect modeling for traditional or enhanced ER models, with support for most relational database platforms.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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dModelAid
dModelAid is the perfect modeling tool for documenting a complex database design in a simple, interactive diagram. It offers smart visualization features to help you design the database structure and to identify potential errors before any code has been written. Your database project gets documented along the way, simplifying the learning process for new employees, team members and/or substitutes.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Cloud |
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ModelSphere
Open ModelSphere is a complete data modeling tool covering conceptual, logical, and physical modeling. With its reverse engineering functionality, it allows graphical visualization of your relational database's architecture, thus making modifications easy. Open ModelSphere allows the generation of SQL scripts to create a database from your model as well.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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Enterprise Architect
Enterprise Architect is a fully featured database modeling platform that enables the user to work with their Physical Data models at all stages, from design right through to the implementation of the live database, for a wide range of database management systems such as Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL and MySQL.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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DatabaseSpy
Altova DatabaseSpy is the unique multi-database query, design, and database comparison tool that even generates elegant charts directly from query results.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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ConceptDraw DIAGRAM
ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software gives the ability to describe a database using the Entity-Relationship model. The Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) solution of ConceptDraw contains all libraries, templates, and samples you may need for professional ERD drawing.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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Toad Data Modeler
Toad Data Modeler enables developers, DBAs, and designers to create, maintain, and document quality database designs and structures across various database platforms.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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DbSchema
DbSchema is a intuitive designer for complex databases, visual interaction and documentation.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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AnySQL Maestro
AnySQL Maestro is the premier multi-purpose admin tool for database management, control and development.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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DeZign for Databases
DeZign for Databases uses ERD and data models to graphically design databases and automatically generates the most popular databases.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Desktop |
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ERDPlus
ERDPlus is a web-based database modeling tool for creating entity relationship diagrams, relational schemas, star schemas, and SQL DDL statements. It automatically converts ER diagrams into relational schemas and works with most contemporary RDBMS tools.
| Desktop/Cloud: | Cloud |
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The database design process can be very complicated. The more complex the system, the more sophisticated the tool is needed. Their functionality can vary greatly, however, core features include:
• creating and editing database objects,
• database architecture modeling,
• visualization of a database schema,
• tracking relationships between entities,
• grouping logically related objects into clusters,
• diagrams overview.
Database designer tools enable building graphical models and generating DDL scripts on their basis. The script describes data and relations between entities in the designed database. Furthermore, the tools enable reverse engineering (visualization of the model from the SQL script).
Key factors of creating a reliable and well-organized database are:
• a properly designed data structure,
• establishing what data should be stored in particular objects,
• how objects should be related to each other.
All of them can be improved by using the relevant Database design tool. Additionally, some of them allow the visual representation of data using ERD, makes it easier to visualize even more complex schemas.
Without proper software, development is based on raw code. This increases the risk of errors at the initial stage. The tools allow users to edit the visual layout using simple drag-and-drop functions. With a user-friendly interface, browsing the structure is possible even for non-IT people.
We have created a list of tools that support the process of creating database structure and its content. Our list includes free database design tools as well as advanced, more professional data management tools.