Our OSS launch (1y ago) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41339308
Now we’re launching ChartDB Cloud - built for teams:
- Embed ERDs into docs, dev portals, or Miro/Notion etc.
- Collaborate in real-time (with live cursors like Figma)
- Keep diagrams always in sync with your database
- Organize large, messy schemas without pain
- Export DDL in multiple SQL dialects (solved deterministically)
- AI assistant to brainstorm and generate new schema objects or schema changes
We designed it so working with databases feels less like a chore and more like a creative process.
Would love feedback - especially from teams dealing with messy schemas or outdated docs.
reactordev•5mo ago
The question I have is this, and don’t attack me for asking, but do people still produce database diagrams for use at work? I thought we had abstracted this by using Domain Driven design, ORMs, APIs, and the like.
Do individual teams still document their tables or do they document their entities? Do you still hand roll sql in a dao or do you use some higher abstractions?
Curious minds want to know because it’s been over a decade since I’ve done any database design documentation and have only done lean relationships and domain modeling documentation. Swaggering the rest.
I will say this, I love the look of this and I would love to just draw abstract shapes and things like I do on Miro. AWS architectures, etc etc.
datadrivenangel•5mo ago
reactordev•5mo ago
tonyhart7•5mo ago
for industry???? let me create an ERD for my 10th SaaS tools that need generic auth and payment, nope
andersonklando•5mo ago
Whenever I am thinking of new features to be developed, or when engineers are suggesting some features/approaches, looking at the ERD helps a ton. Onboarding is also easier.
We were using Lucidchart[1] until we reached the limit[2], so we found dbdiagram.io (which is just not the same).
[1] So far, it was the best of the market in terms of "canvas freedom" [2] We are struggling with salaries, so we are saving everywhere
reactordev•5mo ago
Also lucidchart is just draw.io fyi - you don't need a license unless you need the file sharing aspect and I feel like it belongs closer to the code.
I'm just generally curious what others' process is for this as the only meetings I've had in the last 5 years were who was getting cut.
andersonklando•5mo ago
> Also, Lucidchart is just draw.io fyi - you don't need a license unless you need the file sharing aspect, and I feel like it belongs closer to the code.
No, it is not. I took the whole day to check what is available in the market, and concluded that Lucidchart UX is quite balanced.
reactordev•5mo ago
mrits•5mo ago
matt-p•5mo ago
If I care about the data model so much that I want to diagram it then it's going to be the exact DB schema.