A Visual Way to Browse and Query Amazon DynamoDB

DbSchema gives DynamoDB 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 document and NoSQL structure exploration with visual relationships and team docs, 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 DynamoDB Features Download DynamoDB JDBC Driver · All drivers

What happens after you download?

Get to your first DynamoDB 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 DynamoDB or open a sample

Reverse engineer an existing DynamoDB 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.

Key-Value and Document Model with GSIs and LSIs

Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed serverless NoSQL database on AWS that delivers single-digit millisecond performance at any scale. Each DynamoDB table is defined by a partition key (and optionally a sort key) that together form the primary key for every item. Items can contain an arbitrary set of attributes beyond the primary key, enabling flexible document-style storage. Global Secondary Indexes (GSIs) project a subset of attributes onto an alternate key, allowing efficient queries on non-primary attributes, while Local Secondary Indexes (LSIs) enable alternate sort orderings within the same partition. DbSchema's custom JDBC driver introspects DynamoDB tables and their index structures, rendering them as schema diagrams that show partition keys, sort keys, GSI projections, and LSI configurations in a single visual layout.

Download DbSchema Free See DynamoDB Features

Running SQL-Style Queries Against DynamoDB Tables

DbSchema ships a custom-built JDBC driver (com.wisecoders.jdbc.dynamodb.JdbcDriver) specifically for DynamoDB, translating SQL SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE statements into DynamoDB API calls using the PartiQL dialect that DynamoDB natively supports. This means you can query DynamoDB items using familiar SQL syntax in DbSchema's SQL editor without learning the DynamoDB SDK API. The editor provides table and attribute name auto-completion, and results are displayed in a tabular grid that handles DynamoDB's schema-flexible items by showing all observed attribute names as columns within the sampled result set.

Writing SQL queries against Amazon DynamoDB in DbSchema using the custom JDBC driver

Exploring DynamoDB Table Items and Index Structures

The DbSchema data explorer lets you browse DynamoDB table items interactively, filtering by partition key value or applying scan filters on any attribute. You can navigate GSI projections directly from the schema diagram by clicking the index node, and the explorer will query items through the selected index. For DynamoDB Local development environments this is especially useful: you can rapidly inspect item shapes, verify TTL attribute values, and confirm that DynamoDB Streams are producing the expected event records, all without writing SDK code or using the AWS Console.

Exploring Amazon DynamoDB table items and GSI data with DbSchema data explorer

From Install to a DynamoDB Schema Diagram

  1. Download and install DbSchema — no account or credit card is required.
  2. Create a new connection and select DynamoDB. The custom driver (com.wisecoders.jdbc.dynamodb.JdbcDriver) is bundled with DbSchema, so there is nothing extra to download or register.
  3. Enter the JDBC URL — jdbc:dynamodb://amazonaws.com for production AWS DynamoDB, or jdbc:dynamodb://localhost:8000 for DynamoDB Local — plus your AWS Access Key ID, Secret Access Key, and target region (for example us-east-1).
  4. Connect over HTTPS on port 443 — DbSchema reads the table, GSI, and LSI definitions and builds the schema diagram automatically.

For production environments, IAM roles with the minimum required DynamoDB permissions are recommended over long-lived access keys. The JDBC driver itself is open source; the source code is available on GitHub.

DynamoDB schema diagram in DbSchema showing partition keys, sort keys, GSIs, and LSIs

DynamoDB Benefits of Using DbSchema

  • Visualize DynamoDB table structures — partition keys, sort keys, GSI projections, and LSI configurations — in a clear schema diagram without reading CloudFormation or Terraform definitions.
  • Write and test PartiQL-style SQL queries against DynamoDB tables in DbSchema's SQL editor using the bundled custom JDBC driver, without needing AWS SDK knowledge.
  • Explore DynamoDB item shapes in the data explorer to verify schema consistency across a schemaless table before shipping new application features.
  • Connect to DynamoDB Local during development for rapid iteration and schema validation without incurring AWS costs.
  • Generate schema documentation for DynamoDB tables that captures index structures and attribute types for engineering and architecture reviews.
  • Use DbSchema's single-table design visualization to map entity types and access patterns across a shared DynamoDB table.

Once partition keys, sort keys, and every GSI are laid out on one diagram, single-table design stops being a mental exercise. Download DbSchema free and map your DynamoDB access patterns visually.

Tutorials and guides

Frequently asked questions

Yes, through a custom JDBC driver bundled with DbSchema that translates SQL statements into DynamoDB's PartiQL dialect, so you can view partition keys, sort keys, GSIs, and LSIs as a schema diagram and query items with familiar SQL.

DbSchema connects over HTTPS on port 443, using the JDBC URL jdbc:dynamodb://amazonaws.com for production AWS DynamoDB or jdbc:dynamodb://localhost:8000 for DynamoDB Local.

Yes — point DbSchema at jdbc:dynamodb://localhost:8000 to inspect item shapes and validate schema changes locally without incurring AWS costs.

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

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