🎓 Free Capstone Projects with Full Documentation, ER Diagrams & Source Code — Updated Weekly for 2026
👨‍💻 Free Source Code & Capstone Projects for Developers

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these database designs free for capstone and thesis use?
Yes. All ERDs and schemas are free to download, modify, and use in your capstone. No attribution required for academic use. Adapt the table structures to your own domain — that is expected and good practice.
What is the difference between Conceptual, Logical, and Physical ER design?
Conceptual is entities plus relationships, no attributes or types (the boxes-and-lines version). Logical adds attributes, primary keys, foreign keys, normalization (3NF/BCNF). Physical adds data types, indexes, constraints — runnable SQL. Most designs on this site are logical or physical level. Your Chapter 3 typically needs all three.
Which ER notation should I use — Crow's Foot, Chen, or UML?
Crow's Foot is the dominant choice in 2026 — it is what MySQL Workbench, dbdiagram.io, and most modern tools render. UML class diagrams are acceptable for object-oriented design. Chen notation (the round-rectangle one) is academically traditional but visually verbose — avoid unless your school requires it.
Should I normalize to 3NF or BCNF for my capstone?
3NF is the typical capstone bar — eliminate partial and transitive dependencies. BCNF only if your panel asks. Do not over-normalize past 3NF for points — denormalization for read performance is legitimate when you can defend it. Document your decisions in Chapter 3 either way.
What tools should I use to draw the ER diagram?
MySQL Workbench — free, generates SQL DDL directly from the diagram. dbdiagram.io — free, text-based, fast for iteration. Draw.io / Lucidchart — for prettier diagrams in documentation. Visual Paradigm Community — for UML-style ERDs if your school requires UML.
Where can I find UML diagrams for these database designs?
For UML companions (Class Diagram, DFD, Use Case, Sequence, Activity, ER) check our UML Diagrams Library — 300+ UML diagrams covering the same domains as these database designs.
How often is this database design list updated?
New ERDs and schemas are added regularly. Last refreshed May 2026.