Design and Manage Microsoft Access Databases Visually with DbSchema

DbSchema lets you design, manage, and document Microsoft Access databases. Create ER diagrams, define tables and columns, and generate SQL scripts - with or without a live database connection.

Use Git to share the design, compare it with the Microsoft Access database, and deploy changes. DbSchema also includes a data editor, query builder, and HTML5 documentation - everything you need in one tool.

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Cross-Platform Schema Exploration for Microsoft Access Databases

Microsoft Access databases — stored as .mdb or .accdb files — are common in small business applications, internal tools, and legacy systems that were never migrated to a server-based database. A key limitation of Access is that the built-in relationship visualizer only runs on Windows with Microsoft Office installed. DbSchema opens Access files on any operating system using the UCanAccess JDBC driver, making schema visualization and documentation available to developers regardless of platform.

Open Access Files and Explore Schema on Any OS

DbSchema's connection wizard supports Microsoft Access out of the box. Select the Access file path, and DbSchema reads the table and relationship definitions using UCanAccess — no Microsoft Office, JET engine, or Windows ODBC configuration required. The schema is displayed as an interactive ER diagram immediately.

Opening a Microsoft Access database file in DbSchema's connection wizard

Table Editor for Access Schema Inspection and Modification

Once connected, DbSchema lets you inspect and edit Access table structures: adding columns, changing data types, and reviewing primary key and foreign key constraints. This is useful for developers maintaining legacy Access applications or preparing the schema specification for a migration to a server-side database.

Editing a Microsoft Access table structure in DbSchema

Schema Documentation for Access Databases

DbSchema generates HTML documentation from an Access schema, covering table structures, field types, relationships, and indexes. For small businesses migrating away from Access, this documentation serves as a baseline specification for the replacement database schema and preserves institutional knowledge about the existing data model.

Auto-generated schema documentation for a Microsoft Access database in DbSchema

Connecting DbSchema to Microsoft Access

DbSchema uses the UCanAccess JDBC driver, a pure-Java driver that reads .mdb and .accdb files directly on any operating system. The JDBC URL format is: jdbc:ucanaccess:///path/to/database.accdb. DbSchema can download the UCanAccess driver automatically through its driver manager — no manual download is required. This means you can open Access databases on macOS or Linux without any Windows dependencies. For password-protected Access files, append ;jackcessOpener=... with the appropriate password handler class to the connection URL.

Why DbSchema for Microsoft Access

  • Open and visualize Access files on macOS, Linux, or Windows without Microsoft Office
  • Document Access schemas as a starting point for database migration projects
  • Edit table structures and explore data from a modern, cross-platform GUI
  • Generate shareable ER diagrams for legacy Access applications
  • Identify undocumented relationships in inherited Access databases