What is PicaDeck?
PicaDeck is a visual, collaborative database schema management platform — databases, by design. It lets you design, visualize, and manage your database structure entirely in the browser using an intuitive drag-and-drop canvas.
Instead of writing CREATE TABLE statements by hand, you can visually create tables, define columns with their data types and constraints, draw relationships between tables, and export production-ready migrations for PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB.
Key capabilities include:
- Visual schema editor with a real-time canvas for tables and relationships
- Multi-database support — design once, export for PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB
- Git-like version control with branches, commits, and pull requests (Pro/Team plans)
- Team collaboration with roles, permissions, and live editing
- Migration generation — export SQL, Prisma schemas, or MongoDB scripts
Creating Your Account
To get started, navigate to the registration page and create a free account. You will need:
- A valid email address
- A display name
- A password (minimum 8 characters)
After submitting the registration form, you can log in immediately and start using PicaDeck. No credit card is required for the free plan.
Use your work email
Setting Up Your Organization
After logging in for the first time, you will be guided through a short onboarding wizard to set up your organization.
An organization is your workspace in PicaDeck. It is the top-level container that holds all your projects, team members, and billing settings. Think of it like a GitHub organization or a Slack workspace.
During onboarding, you will:
- Choose a name for your organization
- Optionally invite team members by email
- Complete the setup to reach your dashboard
Note
Creating Your First Project
Once your organization is ready, you can create your first project from the Projects page. Click the New Project button and fill in:
- Project name — a descriptive name like "E-commerce Backend" or "User Service"
- Description (optional) — a brief summary of the project's purpose
- Database type — PostgreSQL, MySQL, or MongoDB. This determines the available data types and migration format
- Git mode (Pro/Team only) — enable version control with branches and commits. Free plan users get auto-save mode instead
After creation, you will be taken to the project's schema editor where you can start designing your database.
Choose the right database type
Navigating the Interface
PicaDeck's interface is organized into a few key areas:
Dashboard Sidebar
The left sidebar gives you quick access to your Projects, Team management, Audit Log, and Billing. You can also see your favorite (starred) projects here for quick navigation.
Schema Canvas
The main workspace where you visually design your database. You can drag tables around, zoom in/out, and draw relationships between tables. The canvas supports pan (click and drag on empty space), zoom (scroll wheel), and fit-to-view.
Property Panel
When you select a table or column, a property panel appears on the right side showing all editable properties — name, data type, constraints, default values, and more.
Toolbar
The floating toolbar at the top of the canvas provides quick actions: add table, add relationship, auto-layout, undo/redo, and more.
Next Steps
Now that you have your account, organization, and first project set up, here is where to go next: