Database Design Tool for Linux (Ubuntu)
Looking for a database design tool for Linux? Luna Modeler runs on Ubuntu and other Linux distributions as a single AppImage file. Design relational databases, draw ER diagrams and generate SQL scripts - offline, with no account and nothing uploaded to the cloud.
Luna Modeler is the same database design tool on every platform. This page covers what is specific to Linux: the AppImage package, installing it on Ubuntu, and the NoSQL option.
1. Luna Modeler: Database Design Tool for Linux and Ubuntu
On Linux, Luna Modeler covers relational databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle and SQLite. On Linux you get the same features as on Windows and macOS:
- Draw ER diagrams and save them as projects on your own disk - easy to keep in Git.
- Reverse engineer existing databases through database connections, with SSH and SSL/TLS support.
- Generate SQL with forward engineering, and ALTER scripts when the database already exists.
- Share designs as interactive HTML reports, PDF or PNG.
How to Install the Database Design Tool on Ubuntu Linux
- Download the AppImage (x86_64) from the Downloads page.
- Install FUSE 2 if it is missing. On Ubuntu 22.04 run
sudo apt install libfuse2, on Ubuntu 24.04 runsudo apt install libfuse2t64. - Make the file executable: run
chmod +x Luna*.AppImage, or right-click the file, open Properties and enable Allow executing file as a program. - Start Luna Modeler by double-clicking the file or running
./Luna*.AppImage. The 14-day trial starts right away - no credit card and no account.
More details, with screenshots, are in How to install AppImage on Ubuntu.
2. Moon Modeler: NoSQL Schema Design Tool for Linux
If you work with NoSQL databases like MongoDB or Cosmos DB, try Moon Modeler - a data modeling tool for designing new schemas, visualizing existing databases, and generating schema validation scripts. It is distributed as an AppImage too, and installs the same way.
Why does the AppImage not start on Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04?
AppImages need the FUSE 2 library, which newer Ubuntu releases no longer install by default. Run sudo apt install libfuse2 on Ubuntu 22.04, or sudo apt install libfuse2t64 on Ubuntu 24.04, and make sure the file is executable.
Does Luna Modeler run on Linux distributions other than Ubuntu?
The AppImage is a self-contained package for 64-bit x86 Linux and runs on most desktop distributions with FUSE 2 available. Ubuntu 24 is the distribution we test on.
Is there an ARM build of Luna Modeler for Linux?
Not at the moment. The Linux build is x86_64 only. ARM builds are available for Apple Silicon Macs.
Try the Database Design Tool on Linux
Using a Mac as well? See the database design tool for macOS guide.
