Design and Manage Microsoft Access Databases with DbSchema
Build a clearer workflow for Microsoft Access: reverse engineer existing schemas into interactive ER diagrams, model changes visually, and generate reviewed SQL scripts before deployment.
DbSchema is built for visual modeling, schema documentation, and deployment. Keep an offline model in Git, collaborate across teams, and publish documentation that developers, analysts, and stakeholders can navigate in minutes.
Download DbSchema See Microsoft Access Features Download Microsoft Access JDBC Driver
What happens after you download?
Get to your first Microsoft Access schema diagram in minutes. No account, no credit card.
Install in minutes
Download the installer for Windows, macOS, or Linux and launch DbSchema. No signup required.
Connect to Microsoft Access or open a sample
Reverse engineer an existing Microsoft Access database or open a sample model to explore tables, relationships, and indexes.
Design, document, and deploy
Edit schema visually, generate documentation, and prepare reviewed migration scripts for safer releases.
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.
Download DbSchema Free See Microsoft Access Features
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.
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.
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.
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