Hackolade Studio vs Schemity
Hackolade Studio
hackolade.comSchemity
schemity.comSide by side
| Figure | Hackolade Studio | Schemity |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 13 | 8 |
| Spec score · Database Design Tools | 9.1 (#2) | 8.8 (#4) |
| Platforms | The desktop download page provides Windows, Mac, and Linux installers, and the Community edition runs in a browser. | The desktop app is listed for macOS 11 or newer, Windows 10/11 x64, and Ubuntu or Debian x64; Schemity Lite runs in a browser. |
| Reverse engineering | It can reverse-engineer live databases, DDL, JSON, JSON Schema, Excel, PowerDesigner, erwin, ER/Studio exports, and Mermaid output. | The desktop app reverse-engineers live schemas and re-syncs them when diagrams open, preserving existing layout while showing database changes for review. |
| Support | The pricing page says the Workgroup subscription includes support and directs customers with questions to [email protected]. | The maker invites users to contact the creator directly about team purchase needs such as invoices, offline activation, security review, or volume licensing. |
| System requirements | Recommended systems are Windows 10 with at least 4GB RAM, macOS 13 Ventura or newer, or 64-bit Ubuntu 20+ or RHEL 8+ Linux. | Official downloads target macOS 11 or newer on Apple Silicon or Intel, Windows 10/11 x64 and Ubuntu or Debian x64. |
| Trial | The 14-day evaluation offers Professional and Workgroup features without restrictions and does not require a credit card. | The desktop trial lasts two weeks, unlocks every feature, and requires no credit card. |
| What it does | Hackolade Studio visually models schemas for relational and NoSQL databases, APIs, and storage or exchange formats using ER diagrams and hierarchical schema views. | Schemity is database design software that connects to live databases, visualizes schemas and previews the effects of schema changes before they run. |
Plans
Hackolade Studio
- Workgroup Edition TrialPriced on request
- Workgroup Edition Monthly Subscription€175 a month
- Workgroup Edition Annual Subscription€1,750 a year
- Workgroup Edition Floating Seats SubscriptionPriced on request
- 14-day trialFree
- Community EditionFree
- Community EditionFree
- Workgroup dedicated monthly€175 a month
- Workgroup Edition monthly subscription$175 a month
- Workgroup dedicated annual€1,750 a year
Schemity
- EducationFree
- Education licenseFree
- Free trialFree
- LiteFree
- Schemity LiteFree
- Updates renewal$29 a year
- License$129, paid once
- Licensed desktop$129, paid once
In their own words
Hackolade Studio
Hackolade Studio is a data modeling and schema design tool for relational and NoSQL databases, APIs, and data exchange formats. It supports conceptual, logical, and physical models using ER diagrams and hierarchical schema views, with the maker describing more than 45 physical targets. Studio can reverse-engineer supported sources and generate DDLs, schemas, validators, and documentation. It supports forward engineering and SQL export, with a broad list of supported databases including BigQuery, Cassandra, MongoDB, MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Snowflake, and SQL Server. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web. The free Community edition limits each model to 50 objects and omits advanced forward and reverse engineering, Git, and Collibra integrations. Its 14-day evaluation includes unrestricted Professional and Workgroup features and requires no credit card. Workgroup adds Git-based collaboration and support. Its monthly subscription is €175 a month; annual billing is €1,750 a year.
Schemity
Schemity is database design software that connects to live databases and previews proposed schema changes before they are applied. It lists PostgreSQL, Supabase, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, and SQLite support. A migration displays its proposed changes and effects, and runs only when the user clicks Migrate. Design tools include ERD creation, inferred relationships, SQL and DBML import, check constraints, junction table generation, and schema linting across 26 problem classes. Its local MCP server offers 16 tools for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Codex, OpenCode, and other MCP hosts. The desktop app stores work in plain JSON files that can be version-controlled with Git. It has no cloud backend, accounts, analytics, or telemetry, but transmits an automatically generated machine ID and country code for license verification. A two-week desktop trial unlocks every feature without a credit card. After it ends, offline design remains available, while live database features and Context Views pause until a license is active. Lite is free; the License is $129 one-time.