Manage Azure SQL Schemas Across Every Environment

DbSchema gives Azure SQL teams a design-first workflow: import the existing schema as an interactive ER diagram, refine it visually, and ship every change as a reviewed SQL script.

Built for visual modeling, schema documentation, and deployment, with an offline model you can keep in Git, team collaboration, and documentation that developers, analysts, and stakeholders can navigate in minutes.

DbSchema Database Designer

Download DbSchema See Azure SQL Features Download Azure SQL JDBC Driver · All drivers

What happens after you download?

Get to your first Azure SQL schema diagram in minutes. No account, no credit card.

1
Install in minutes

Download the installer for Windows, macOS, or Linux and launch DbSchema. No signup required.

2
Connect to Azure SQL or open a sample

Reverse engineer an existing Azure SQL database or open a sample model to explore tables, relationships, and indexes.

3
Design, document, and deploy

Edit schema visually, generate documentation, and prepare reviewed migration scripts for safer releases.

Get Started Free

Azure SQL Database is Microsoft's fully managed cloud RDBMS built on the SQL Server engine. It handles patching, backups, and high availability automatically, and supports elastic pools for multi-tenant workload isolation. DbSchema connects via the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver — which it downloads automatically — and treats Azure SQL identically to on-premises SQL Server, exposing schemas, tables, views, stored procedures, and indexes for visual design and documentation.

Visual Schema Design for Azure SQL Databases

DbSchema reads all user schemas from an Azure SQL database and renders them as interactive ER diagrams. You can create multiple diagram layouts to separate bounded contexts — for example, one layout for the billing domain and another for the user management domain — while all layouts reference the same underlying schema model.

Download DbSchema Free See Azure SQL Features

Designing an Azure SQL Database schema with ER diagrams in DbSchema

Schema Synchronization Between Dev, Test, and Production

Azure SQL databases often run across separate elastic pools for each environment. DbSchema's synchronization tool connects to two Azure SQL instances, generates a structural diff, and produces the T-SQL ALTER and CREATE statements required to bring them into sync. You control which changes to include before a single line of SQL executes against production.

Synchronizing Azure SQL Database schema changes between environments in DbSchema

Groovy Automation Scripts for Schema Tasks

DbSchema's automation engine lets you write Groovy scripts that execute directly against your Azure SQL connection. Scripts can inspect schema metadata, generate reports, bulk-insert reference data, or orchestrate multi-step schema migrations — all without leaving the tool.

Running a Groovy automation script against Azure SQL in DbSchema

Steps to Connect DbSchema to Azure SQL

  1. Install DbSchema — it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the download needs no account.
  2. Before connecting, confirm the Azure SQL firewall allows connections from your IP address, or the attempt will be rejected regardless of credentials.
  3. Start a new connection; DbSchema auto-downloads the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver, so nothing needs to be installed manually.
  4. Enter the server name and port 1433. The JDBC URL takes the form jdbc:sqlserver://server.database.windows.net:1433;database=dbname;encrypt=true.
  5. Authenticate with SQL authentication, or with Azure Active Directory by appending ;authentication=ActiveDirectoryPassword to the URL and supplying your AAD credentials. Connect to reverse-engineer the schema.

For Azure SQL Managed Instance, use the managed instance hostname on the same port 1433 and the same URL format — the driver handles the TDS protocol identically.

Azure SQL Capabilities Unlocked by DbSchema

  • Multi-environment sync — compare dev, test, and production Azure SQL instances and generate exact T-SQL migration scripts.
  • Offline schema modeling — design schema changes against a saved model without consuming DTUs on the live database.
  • Elastic pool visibility — connect to multiple databases within an elastic pool and document each schema independently.
  • Automation scripts — use Groovy scripts to automate repetitive schema and data tasks against Azure SQL.
  • Schema documentation — export HTML documentation with ER diagrams for compliance and team onboarding.

Need to prove exactly what changed in an Azure SQL elastic pool before an audit? Download DbSchema for free and generate ER diagrams and T-SQL diffs for every database in the pool.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. DbSchema connects via the Microsoft SQL Server JDBC driver, which it downloads automatically, and treats Azure SQL the same way it treats on-premises SQL Server.

Azure SQL Database uses port 1433, the same port used by on-premises SQL Server and Azure SQL Managed Instance.

Yes. DbSchema reads all user schemas from the target Azure SQL database and renders them as interactive ER diagrams that can be organized into multiple layouts.

Teams working with Azure SQL often use these engines too. Explore dedicated guides and JDBC setup for each.

Browse all 100+ supported databases