Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Skipper review

#26 of 34 in Database Design Tools

A capable visual ORM workspace, but its lifetime price limits broader database-design appeal.

6.8/10Editor score
Visit Skipper
Skipper6.8 Visit Skipper

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Skipper is a desktop visual ORM editor for PHP and JavaScript development workflows. It supports visual entity and relationship modeling, existing ORM project imports, database structure imports, and framework-specific exports. Developers can work with SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Microsoft SQL Server, then generate classes and migrations for supported application workflows. Native versions are available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it suitable for developers who want a visual model connected to application code rather than a standalone SQL design environment.

Pricing is centered on a $595 one-time Lifetime license, which includes the license and free 12-month maintenance. After that period, the Maintenance plan costs $199 per 12 months and provides access to updates and support. VIP support is listed at $240 per hour for custom application adaptation. A 14-day free trial is available, and the vendor states that a credit card is not needed. This structure suits teams that expect to keep using the tool across projects, but the upfront cost is significant for occasional modeling work.

The strongest fit is an ORM-centered workflow. Skipper supports Doctrine, Doctrine2, Laravel, MongoDB, CakePHP, Propel, Knex.js, Symfony, Zend Framework, and customized or in-house ORM systems. It also offers custom ORM templates and import/export scripts, model validation, schema comparison, shared modules across projects, and exports to XML, PDF, and PNG. These features give application developers useful control over model definitions and generated artifacts. However, Skipper does not export SQL and is primarily an ORM modeling and code-generation tool. Choose it when framework integration and visual ORM editing are central; choose a broader database design tool when SQL output is essential.

Skipper pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Imports ORM projects and database structures
    • Generates classes, migrations, and framework-specific definitions
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Where it doesn't
    • The lifetime license costs $595 one-time
    • Does not export SQL
    • Primarily targets ORM modeling rather than general database design

Skipper fact sheet, pricing and score →

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Last updated · How we research and update