SqlDBM

Data Modeling Software · San Diego, CA

SqlDBM Reviews

SqlDBM is a cloud-native enterprise data modeling platform used by teams at Hulu, Zendesk, Sanofi, PwC, and Baptist Health. It covers conceptual, logical, and physical modeling with reverse and forward engineering, version control, and native integrations for Snowflake, Databricks, Google BigQuery, Azure Synapse, Amazon Redshift, dbt, GitHub, and GitLab. It pairs schema design with a governed semantic layer, a combination competitors typically split across separate tools, so people and AI agents read one definition of the data. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Diego, SqlDBM is SOC 2 Type II certified, a Snowflake Premier Partner, a Databricks Validated Data Partner, and a Google Cloud Partner.

5.0 out of 5from 15 reviews
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5.0Based on 15 reviews
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The verdict

What the reviews add up to

SqlDBM holds a 4.6/5 rating on G2 across 18 reviews, 4.5/5 on Gartner Peer Insights, and 4.8/5 on Capterra. Reviewers most consistently praise the intuitive browser-based interface, unusually fast and personal customer support, and the depth of Snowflake, Databricks, and dbt integrations. Enterprise users highlight built-in governance, naming standards enforcement, monthly release velocity, and a direct favorable comparison against erwin for out-of-the-box standards.

Pros

  • Intuitive, browser-based modeling with no installation or infrastructure to manage
  • Native Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, and dbt integrations with reliable reverse and forward engineering
  • Highly responsive support, with free training via the Data Modeling Academy
  • Built-in version control, branching, governance, and naming standards for enterprise teams
  • Monthly releases and fast turnaround on customer feature requests
  • Semantic modeling layer that gives people and AI agents one governed definition of the data

Cons

  • Customers haven't mentioned anything negative in these reviews.

Every review

All 15 reviews of SqlDBM

GH

Gary H.

October 24, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Best for Snowflake and dbt integration

SqlDBM is the best Cloud-based data modeling tool that exists on the market today. They also do a great job of continually looking to improve their tool by incorporating user feedback as well as looking for integration partners like databases (in our case Snowflake), Git, and even software tools. Forward engineering YAML files to generate our dbt files works well and reverse engineering databases to ensure the SqlDBM model stays in sync with our database environments works very well. Their product support team is extremely responsive, and many times I've had daily turn-around to address our issues. Finally, the product is very easy to use and provides the ability to create subject areas and diagrams that make sense for our developers and analytical teams to view the models. And the dictionary export feature, makes it very easy for our data stewards to update business definitions in excel and reimport them back into the SqlDBM.

JB

Jason B.

May 12, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Fast feature delivery and enterprise-grade support

Feature Requests delivered at lightning speed by one of the product support staffs I have worked with. The training is top notch and free via their Data Modeling Academy or via personal sessions with their Customer Experience Managers and Support Staff, no more burning through contractual support minutes. They are there when you need them. The cloud-based model management is a huge plus compared to other tools that require you to spin-up a database to hold your data models off of your local drive. You get access to the tool on the cloud, set up a few controls like admins, and you are ready to model. With SqlDBM, you won't spend a week commissioning servers, installing the tool and repository, writing custom macros and making the tool brittle like its competitors after doing things like automatic conversions, templates (naming or repeated fields), and other data modeling standards enforcements right out of the box. What makes SqlDBM the best is a great product with monthly, seamless, cloud-based version releases; it's collaboration with Snowflake; its simplicity; and its incredible staff.

VU

Verified User in Retail

July 23, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Best for BigQuery, exclusive SaaS solution

SqlDBM is a SAAS tool, the only one available for the Google BigQuery platform. It's easily accessible, quite intuitive in navigation, offers collaborative work through branching, provides versioning, which allows to step back and compare versions. Diagrams can be saved into a visual document; the model can be exported into Excel document to populate descriptive information and load it back into the model. Governance features allow to create labels on column and table level. After a year of use, we are still discovering and learning, as there is a wealth of functionality. Getting started with SqlDBM was easy with the support staff that is both knowledgeable and responsive. The vendor is flexible and accommodating, aiming at your success with the tool. There is abundance of easily findable documentation - written and video recordings.

MS

mukund s.

October 23, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Easy to use, excellent support, seamless integrations

Its a very light, easy to learn and easy to use tool. Its an elegant low cost modelling solution that works for solution and organization of all scales. SQLDBM support is simply awesome, in terms of timeliness and responsiveness. SQLDBM get easily integrated with GIT, DBT and any tool that can ingest REST API output.

RB

Roman B.

April 25, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Cloud-native with built-in governance and collaboration

This software makes it easy to go from idea to structured, governed data product (without the chaos of legacy tools). It's cloud-native, clean, understands SQL syntax and integrates with everything. Cross-functional collaboration is perfect: data engineers, analysts, and business users can all work together on the same platform (with shared visibility into how data is structured and why).

AG

Andrew G.

April 21, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Best Snowflake data modeler on the market

SqlDBM is a great tool. The best one of data modelers for Snowflake on the market. I think they found a way to make the tedious work of modeling databases easy, without sacrificing on the functionality. That is a golden ratio in software. The interface is user-friendly, collaboration with 3rd party contractors is seamless, and the fact that this is a cloud software is a huge plus. I always recommend them.

VU

Verified User in Computer Software

May 14, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Excellent for Databricks collaboration at enterprise scale

Online, collaborative, super intuitive. I am able to visualize my Databricks schema in a matter of a few clicks, understand, find bottlenecks, document and communicate with my peers and cherry on top all my changes are version-controlled. It is definitely an investment, so you need to have a team and a reason to use it. Not for individual use. But in a collaborative enterprise data environment - this is a lifesaver.

ST

SQLDBM-Handy tool with great customer support

May 1, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Best dbt and Snowflake integration

What I really appreciate about SqlDBM is how closely it integrates with Snowflake, it fits seamlessly into the way I approach modern data and analytics projects. Since I actively push Snowflake as our core data platform, it's been great to see how quickly SqlDBM supports new Snowflake features. It gives me confidence that both tools are evolving in sync and designed to work well together. Another major advantage is the dbt integration. Being able to create data models and ERDs in SqlDBM and then export dbt-ready YAML files has made handoffs between modelers and engineers much smoother. SqlDBM has fundamentally changed how we approach data modeling by turning what used to be a siloed, documentation-heavy process into a real-time, collaborative experience.

VU

Verified User in Civic & Social Organization

February 27, 2026

G2(opens the original review)

Enterprise-grade cloud-native architecture with built-in governance

As a data architect and data modeler who has worked across enterprise-scale data platforms, cloud migrations, and complex analytics ecosystems, I can confidently say that SqlDBM is one of the most thoughtfully designed data modeling tools available today. What immediately sets SqlDBM apart is its true cloud-native architecture. Unlike legacy modeling tools that feel retrofitted for modern workflows, SqlDBM was clearly built for today's collaborative, distributed, cloud-first data teams. The browser-based interface eliminates friction around installation and version control, allowing architects, engineers, and analysts to collaborate in real time with clarity and precision. Performance, stability, and scalability have been consistently strong in my experience, even with large and complex models. The platform handles enterprise-grade schemas with ease while maintaining responsiveness and clarity in diagramming. One of the most valuable aspects of SqlDBM is its approach to governance and collaboration. Versioning, change tracking, and team-based workflows are built into the core experience — not bolted on as afterthoughts.

VU

Verified User in Small-Business

December 11, 2025

G2(opens the original review)

Intuitive reverse engineering and dbt integration

Fairly intuitive, easy to reverse engineer and build useful diagrams for sharing with end users of the data. Can check out models so nobody overwrites changes. Ability to create yml files for dbt is very nice. For now, it's giving us a way to clearly show all tables and columns and their relationships that are available for a given business area to support BI teams and business analysts.

JP

Jamie P.

February 9, 2021

Capterra(opens the original review)

Great for complex database architecture

SqlDBM has been incredibly helpful to our team when modeling complex database architecture. SqlDBM is the most intuitive database modeling platform I have used. It is simple yet robust. It allows you to model in your preferred flavor of sql database. We've used it on several projects and find it to be very helpful.

DA

Davor A.

September 30, 2020

Capterra(opens the original review)

Best-in-class support and ease of use

By far the best software in its niche. I've asked for an academic licence and got it in no-time for free! Support responded within minutes and was super polite. Thank you SqlDBM team for supporting the academy in general. Ease-of-use, 90% features you need right now are arranged really good and have perfect sense.

BD

Bob D.

September 8, 2020

Capterra(opens the original review)

Best data modeling tool across 40+ years of industry experience

Excellent Product. The company is excellent to work with. They listen to me and my needs and are quick to respond. I have never had an issue with the responses. Plus, you get to talk with live people who are courteous, knowledgeable, and helpful. I have been in the Database industry since before they were called Databases, beginning with IMS in the 1970s. I have reviewed and used many data modeling tools but none of them meet my needs as well as SQLDBM. SQLDBM excels at data modeling. It is easy to use, powerful, convenient because it is web based, responsive, and comprehensive. It has all of the features that I need and none of the bloatware that impedes the tasks at hand.

EM

Eric M.

July 9, 2020

Capterra(opens the original review)

Best collaboration tool for database design

Brilliant collaboration tool for database design and documentation. This tool is fundamental to drive our team database design discussions. One of us would come up with an idea, including whatever details he thinks appropriate. Then we would have team discussions based around the graphical representation (a good diagram worth a thousand words...). Has a built-in Snowflake option (not just SQL Server and MySQL). Great visual representation. Flexibility (can re-arrange tables & objects in subject Areas and Diagrams). Built-in version control (and comparison tool). Reverse engineer databases. Easy to modify on the fly during team design discussions.