Docassemble vs drawDB
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted office suites options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Docassemble
Document assembly and guided interview platform
VS
drawDB
Browser-based database schema design and ER diagram tool
| Feature | Docassemble | drawDB |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Office Suites | Office Suites |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 974 | ★ 38,454 |
| First released | 2015 | 2024 |
| Replaces | HotDocs, Documate | dbdiagram.io, Lucidchart |
Why pick each one
Choose Docassemble if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
Choose drawDB if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 38.5k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Docassemble or drawDB better?
drawDB is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Docassemble if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Docassemble and drawDB free and open-source?
Yes. Docassemble is licensed under MIT and drawDB under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Docassemble and drawDB with Docker?
Docassemble: yes. drawDB: yes.