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Native PostgreSQL schema engineering

pgModeler is an open-source, multi-platform PostgreSQL schema engineering tool — locally installed, Git-friendly, and built with 20 years of deep PostgreSQL specialization. Design schemas visually, reverse-engineer production databases, diff and sync across environments, and automate deployments through a powerful CLI. No cloud dependency. No telemetry. No lock-in. Your schemas live in open files on your machine. Buy pgModeler Plus and fund Nullptr Labs, ensuring you save time while keeping the project independent and evolving.

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pgModeler visual interface

pgModeler Plus

Pre-built binaries + professional workflow features.

from $59.90/6 months

  • Get pgModeler Plus
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    Stable release

    1.2.3

    February 06, 2026 | Release notes

  • Source code

    Alpha release

    2.0.0-alpha1

    February 13, 2026 | Release notes

  • Source code

    Feature highlights
    From schema design to production deployment

    Visual schema construction

    Design any PostgreSQL object visually — from simple tables to custom types, domains, operators, and procedural languages. The engine generates precise, production-grade DDL for every object.

    Reverse engineering

    Connect to any PostgreSQL server and reconstruct a full schema model from your live database. Recover legacy designs, document production schemas, or baseline a system for ongoing lifecycle management.

    Incremental diff & sync

    Compare your model against a live server. pgModeler generates the exact ALTER, DROP, and CREATE statements needed to synchronize the two states — no manual diffing required.

    Validation & fixes

    Catch broken references and rule violations at design time, before deployment. The validation engine checks cross-object dependencies and suggests automatic fixes.

    Relationship-driven design

    Link tables and pgModeler propagates columns, constraints, and indexes automatically. The column propagation engine handles inheritance and complex relationship chains.

    Live database introspection

    Browse schemas, execute SQL, and manage data directly in the built-in module. Your model and your live database stay in the same workspace — no tool-switching required.

    CLI for pipeline integration

    Export DDL, run diffs, and push schemas to any environment — all from the command line, no GUI required. Fits naturally into any CI/CD workflow.

    SSH tunneling PLUS

    Connect securely to remote PostgreSQL servers over SSH tunnels. No VPN configuration needed — just your key and the host.

    Git-friendly format PLUS

    Save your schema as individual XML files — one per object. Each table, view, function, and policy becomes a separate file — making branches, diffs, and code reviews work naturally with any version control system.

    No cloud dependency

    pgModeler runs entirely on your machine. No account required, no server to connect to, no internet needed to open your own work.

    No proprietary format

    Model files are open, human-readable XML. Inspect them in any text editor, transform them with standard tooling, and store them anywhere — forever.

    No SaaS lock-in

    Your schemas are not hosted on our infrastructure. No subscription required to access files you created. Stop using pgModeler tomorrow — your work remains fully yours.

    Built specifically for PostgreSQL
    Designed around PostgreSQL-native schema engineering workflows

    Capability pgModeler Cross-database modeling tools
    PostgreSQL-native object model
    Supports 30+ PostgreSQL object types including domains, custom types, operators, collations, procedural languages, event triggers, foreign data wrappers, extensions, and more.
    Usually focused on relational structures with partial PostgreSQL-specific support
    Relationship-driven schema propagation
    Relationships automatically propagate FK columns, constraints, and indexes with PostgreSQL-aware DDL generation.
    Relationship visualization with varying levels of schema propagation and DDL awareness
    Incremental model-to-database diff & sync
    Compares models against live PostgreSQL databases and generates minimal ALTER/DROP/CREATE statements for controlled schema synchronization.
    Basic diff/sync support with varying PostgreSQL fidelity and migration awareness
    Full PostgreSQL reverse engineering
    Reconstructs editable PostgreSQL models including views, functions, triggers, RLS policies, inheritance, partitions, extensions, and more.
    Reverse engineering often focused mainly on tables, views, and core relational metadata
    Row-Level Security (RLS) policy design
    Create, visualize, validate, and export PostgreSQL RLS policies directly in the model.
    Rarely supported as first-class visual objects
    Table inheritance modeling
    Native support for PostgreSQL table inheritance with correct diagram representation and DDL generation.
    Rarely modeled visually or treated as PostgreSQL-native structures
    Functions, procedures & triggers in the model
    Model PL/pgSQL functions, procedures, and triggers directly in the schema with full source export support.
    Often treated as secondary metadata with limited visual integration
    Partitioned table support
    Supports declarative PostgreSQL partitioning (RANGE, LIST, HASH) including partition definitions and child partitions.
    Partial or non-native partitioning support depending on the tool
    Design-time validation engine
    Detects broken references, circular dependencies, naming conflicts, and PostgreSQL rule violations before deployment.
    Basic validation capabilities with limited PostgreSQL-specific analysis
    Headless CLI for CI/CD pipelines
    Run exports, diffs, validation, and deployments through command-line workflows and automation pipelines.
    Many tools remain primarily GUI-oriented
    Open, human-readable model format
    Models stored as plain XML files designed for Git workflows, diffs, scripting, and long-term accessibility.
    Format support varies by vendor and may be less Git-friendly or tool-dependent
    Multi-format export
    Export models as SQL, PNG, SVG, HTML data dictionaries, and deployment scripts from a single source model.
    Export capabilities vary depending on the platform and workflow focus
    Local-first & offline-capable workflows
    Fully local PostgreSQL modeling and engineering workflow with offline-capable usage and no mandatory cloud infrastructure. Commercial editions use periodic license validation without requiring cloud-hosted workflows.
    Some platforms depend partially on cloud services, hosted workflows, or vendor ecosystems
    Open-source core
    Fully open-source under GPL with source-code access and self-compilation support.
    Often proprietary or feature-restricted in free editions
    Professional licensing model
    Flexible licensing focused on ready-to-run binaries, perpetual ownership options, and sustainable independent development.
    Frequently subscription-centric with feature-gated commercial tiers
    Vendor lock-in risk
    Open model format, local-first workflows, and no proprietary hosted backend dependency.
    Low risk
    Lock-in level varies depending on proprietary formats, cloud workflows, or vendor ecosystems
    Long-term workflow ownership
    Models remain accessible independently of hosted infrastructure or subscription continuity.
    Long-term accessibility may depend on vendor tooling, proprietary ecosystems, or subscription status
    Target workflow focus
    PostgreSQL-native schema engineering, architecture design, reverse engineering, and advanced database lifecycle workflows.
    PostgreSQL-specialized
    Often optimized for generic multi-database modeling, governance, or diagramming workflows
    Value proposition
    Deep PostgreSQL specialization combined with independent, sustainable, and ownership-friendly tooling.
    Deep PG specialization
    Broader multi-database ecosystem coverage with varying PostgreSQL specialization depth

     Fully supported     Partial / limited / varies by tool     Rarely or not supported

    Edition comparison
    The core is free. Plus adds the professional workflow.

    Description
    pgModeler Plus
    Community edition
  • Software distribution     		Pre-built binaries + professional features Source code — free forever
  • 30+ PostgreSQL object types

    Design tables, views, schemas, functions, operators, custom types, domains, sequences, triggers, row-level security policies, and more — pgModeler covers the breadth of PostgreSQL's object model natively.

  • Relationship-driven column propagation

    With the column propagation mechanism, pgModeler automatically creates all columns and constraints as the user links tables using the available relationship objects avoiding repetitive tasks and improving productivity.

  • Export to SQL, PNG, SVG, HTML, or live server

    pgModeler can export the models to a SQL script, to a PNG image, to an SVG file, in the form of a data dictionary in HTML format, or directly to a PostgreSQL server.

  • Reverse engineering from live databases

    Connect to any live PostgreSQL server and reconstruct a full schema model from your existing database. Useful for documenting production systems, recovering legacy designs, or baselining a schema for ongoing lifecycle management.

  • Open XML format — Git and tool-friendly

    Model files are stored in open, human-readable XML. You can diff them line-by-line in Git, process them with standard tooling, or inspect them in any text editor — no proprietary format, no vendor dependency.

  • Crash recovery and model restoration

    In case of unexpected quit, the user doesn't lose all the work because pgModeler stores temporary models with the most recent changes and will restore them in the next startup.

  • Schema validation and automatic fixes

    The validation engine checks cross-object references and constraint rules at design time, surfacing errors before deployment. Most issues can be fixed automatically.

  • Extensive customization options

    With an extensive set of configurations, pgModeler gives the user the freedom to customize most of its features.

  • Incremental diff & sync

    Compare your schema model against a live PostgreSQL server and generate the exact ALTER, DROP, and CREATE statements needed to bring them in sync — no hand-written migrations.

  • Built-in database management module

    Browse schemas, run SQL commands, and manage data directly in the built-in module — no need to switch to an external client for day-to-day operations.

  • Command-line interface (CLI)

    Export DDL, run diffs, and automate schema deployments without launching the GUI. Designed to integrate cleanly into CI/CD pipelines and scripted workflows.

  • PostGIS support

    Geometry and geography types are recognized natively — not treated as unknown custom types. Design spatial schemas without workarounds.

  • SSH tunneling for remote connections

    Integrated SSH tunneling support for secure remote connections.

  • Git-friendly split-model format

    Allows saving objects in separate files to improve version control management (Git).

  • Save and restore sessions

    Persist your opened tabs and connections in the database management module.

  • Query variables for SQL testing

    Use variables in your SQL scripts to facilitate testing and execution.

  • Database backup utilities

    Integrated interface for pg_dump and pg_restore tools.

  • Quickly create objects

    Shortcuts and wizards to create objects faster.

  • Quickly search and edit objects

    Global search tool to find and edit objects anywhere in your model.

  • Additional features

    Other notable features include an object finder for navigating large models, a plugin development interface, a translatable user interface, and much more. For a comprehensive overview of all pgModeler's features, visit the official documentation.

  • From the community
    Engineers who use pgModeler in production

    “We have used pgModeler in several projects and one of the things that most pleases and surprises us is the performance of the tool. Whether for small projects or models with hundreds of tables, pgModeler is practical, lightweight and very powerful. No doubt it's the best Open Source project of its kind.”

    Álvaro Prestes
    Álvaro Prestes CEO — Consisti Palmas, Brazil

    “I would like to leave my thanks and praise to the pgModeler team. I have been using the tool to model the entire database of my projects in Supabase and the experience has been fantastic.”

    Ricardo Azevedo
    Ricardo Azevedo Systems Development Coordinator — Aleto Palmas, Brazil

    Latest from Nullptr Labs
    Releases, fixes, and announcements

    13
    Feb
    2026

    We're glad to announce pgModeler 2.0.0-alpha1!

    The first release officially under the umbrella of Nullptr Labs.

    The release of pgModeler 2.0.0-alpha1 marks an important evolution in the project’s history, signaling its official move under the professional banner of Nullptr Labs. This transition from a solo endeavor to a dedicated startup ensures the long-term sustainability of the tool we love, allowing for faster innovation and professional-grade support without losing our community-driven spirit. At the heart of this milestone is a complete modernization of the user experience. Every single object editing form has been redesigned with a clean, tabbed interface that simplifies complex database design, complemented by a brand-new code preview engine and an intuitive object associations viewer. Beyond the aesthetics, this version prioritizes workflow efficiency with smart keyboard navigation and a more robust command-line interface for modern DevOps pipelines. As we march toward the stable 2.0 release, we are also unveiling an ambitious roadmap for pgModeler Plus, which will soon feature native Git integration and AI-powered management tools. Our long-term vision is to introduce a dedicated AI modeling assistant, elevating pgModeler from a design tool to an intelligent engineering partner. This alpha release is more than just an update; it is an invitation to join us in this new chapter. Download the alpha, explore the changes, and let’s build the future of pgModeler together!

    2 Comments bugfixes improvements ui nullptrlabs pgmodeler2 2.0.0-alpha1
    Read more

    See it for yourself
    No marketing mockups — the actual interface

    Maintain seamless synchronization between your model and live database with advanced Diff tools.

    Maintain seamless synchronization between your model and live database with advanced Diff tools.
    Streamline your workflow starting from the Welcome view.

    Streamline your workflow starting from the Welcome view.
    Versatile export capabilities: generate SQL scripts or documentation in PNG, SVG, and HTML.

    Versatile export capabilities: generate SQL scripts or documentation in PNG, SVG, and HTML.
    Optimize your environment with on-the-fly configuration of all pgModeler features.

    Optimize your environment with on-the-fly configuration of all pgModeler features.
    Fully customize object aesthetics and code styling to match your project

    Fully customize object aesthetics and code styling to match your project's standards.
    Visual permission management: configure GRANT and REVOKE without manual coding.

    Visual permission management: configure GRANT and REVOKE without manual coding.
    Effortlessly populate and manage table data post-creation via the editing interface.

    Effortlessly populate and manage table data post-creation via the editing interface.
    Inject custom SQL logic by appending or prepending commands to any object

    Inject custom SQL logic by appending or prepending commands to any object's source.
    Maximize screen real estate with attribute collapsing and model pagination.

    Maximize screen real estate with attribute collapsing and model pagination.
    More screenshots

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  • Why Donate?

    pgModeler is proudly maintained by Nullptr Labs. While open source, continuous development requires significant resources.

    By contributing financially, you ensure the project's long-term sustainability. If pgModeler adds value to your workflow, consider supporting its evolution.

    This is a voluntary contribution to open-source development and does not grant access to pre-compiled binaries. To purchase the installer, please visit the Purchase section.
    10.00 USD