At a glance
| Supported databases | 45+ targets: NoSQL (MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Neo4j), relational, cloud analytics, Avro, Parquet, JSON Schema, APIs |
| ER diagrams and notation | Information Engineering (crow's foot) ERDs plus a hierarchical schema view; IDEF1X not supported |
| Reverse engineering | Professional and Workgroup editions only |
| Forward engineering (DDL) | Target scripts and schemas in Professional and Workgroup; Viewer exports JSON Schema and Excel only |
| Collaboration | Git integration in Workgroup; models are JSON files |
| Deployment | Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) or browser; no server required |
| Licensing | Free Community (50 objects per model); Workgroup EUR 175 per seat per month or EUR 1,750 per year |
Hackolade Studio suits teams whose schemas span document, wide-column, graph and relational stores, event formats such as Avro, and APIs, and who want one model with Git-based review. The free Community edition is a small, design-only taste: reverse and forward engineering need Professional, and Git integration needs Workgroup.
Overview
Hackolade Studio is a schema design application from Hackolade that started with NoSQL and JSON and now covers more than 45 physical targets. They include document and NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Neo4j), relational databases (Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Db2, MySQL, MariaDB), cloud analytics platforms (Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Redshift), storage formats (Avro, Parquet, JSON Schema) and API specifications (OpenAPI, GraphQL, gRPC/Protobuf). Its polyglot approach lets you define a technology-neutral model once and derive target-specific schemas from it.
It runs as a desktop application on Windows, macOS and Linux, or in the browser; the Community edition is available at studio.hackolade.com. Models are saved as JSON files, and the Workgroup edition integrates with Git repositories for branching, review and change tracking. Hackolade's help describes its diagrams as entity-relationship diagrams in Information Engineering (crow's foot) notation, alongside a hierarchical schema view for nested JSON structures.
Key features
- Visual modelling of JSON schemas with nested levels and schema variants, in ER diagrams and a hierarchical schema view
- Polyglot models: one technology-neutral model mapped to several physical targets
- Reverse engineering of databases and files, and forward engineering of target scripts and schemas (Professional and above)
- Command-line interface for CI/CD automation, schema comparison and drift detection (Professional and above)
- Native Git integration with models stored as JSON files (Workgroup edition)
- Documentation generation in HTML and Markdown (Personal) and further formats (Professional)
- Diagram export to PDF, PNG and SVG
Pros and cons
Pros
- Unusually wide target list covering NoSQL, relational, warehouses, event formats and APIs
- Models nested document structures and schema variants directly
- Git-based workflow and a CLI for CI pipelines in the higher editions
- Runs on all three desktop platforms or in a browser with no server to host
Cons
- The free Community edition is limited to 50 objects per model and has no reverse or forward engineering
- Git integration is only in the top Workgroup edition
- Subscriptions only, priced per dedicated seat; Workgroup is EUR 1,750 per seat per year
- IDEF1X notation is not supported
Pricing
Hackolade Studio comes in Community (free), Personal, Professional and Workgroup editions. The public pricing page lists the Workgroup edition at EUR 175 per dedicated seat per month or EUR 1,750 per dedicated seat per year, with support included; floating seats are quote-based. We could not find published prices for Personal and Professional on the pages we read. All paid plans are subscriptions, and a 14-day trial of the Workgroup edition needs no credit card.
Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 November 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.
Who it is best for
Data architects modelling NoSQL, event and API schemas alongside relational and warehouse targets, especially teams that want models reviewed in Git.
Who should look elsewhere
- A single relational database where a lighter tool is enough: see ER diagram tools.
- MongoDB-only work on a small budget, where a perpetual-licence tool such as Moon Modeler may fit.
Verdict
Hackolade Studio is one of the few modellers that treats nested documents, NoSQL stores, event formats and APIs as first-class targets alongside relational databases. The free edition is mainly for learning, and the features most teams need, engineering and Git, sit in paid per-seat subscriptions, so price the Professional or Workgroup edition before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hackolade free?
The Community edition is free, in the browser or on the desktop, but it is limited to 50 model objects per model and has no reverse or forward engineering. Personal, Professional and Workgroup are paid subscriptions.
Which databases does Hackolade support?
Hackolade lists more than 45 targets, including MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Neo4j, Oracle, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and Redshift, plus Avro, Parquet, JSON Schema, OpenAPI and GraphQL.
Does Hackolade work with Git?
Yes. Models are stored as JSON files, and the Workgroup edition integrates with Git repositories for branching, versioning and peer review. A read-only Viewer can pull models and comment on change requests.
Sources
- Hackolade Studio home page
- Hackolade pricing
- Hackolade edition comparison
- Hackolade download and system requirements
- ER diagrams and cardinality notation (Hackolade help)
- Data modeling techniques (Hackolade help)
Checked November 2026.
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