// a database tool that actually likes you back

SQLly

pronounced SKWEE-lee  Β·  /ˈskwiːli/

The friendly SQL RDBMS tool that makes querying, editing, and babysitting your databases genuinely pleasant. Built by a nerdy pig with glasses who loves a well-normalized table.

SQLly, the nerdy pig mascot with glasses
-- oink
SELECT * FROM
users WHERE cool;
CREATE TABLE joy (
  id SERIAL
);
// try it now, no download

Run SQLly right here in your browser

The real workbench compiles to WebAssembly and runs entirely in your tab - nothing to install, no account, no server round-trips. Query two live sample databases and poke at every button before you download a thing.

sqlly.app/live-preview
SELECT name, count(*) AS tracks
FROM "Artist" JOIN "Album" USING (artist_id)
GROUP BY name ORDER BY tracks DESC;
Launch the browser preview β†’

Real SQLite, in the tab

The Northwind sample runs on SQLite compiled to WebAssembly - actual queries, actual results, no emulator.

Real Postgres, via PGlite

The Chinook sample is a full Postgres running in your browser through PGlite - the same engine, no cloud.

Stays on your machine

Everything runs locally in the tab. This labeled preview can't reach your servers - the desktop app is the real thing.

// my promise to you

Built for me. Shaped by you.

I built SQLly because I wanted a database tool I actually loved using. Now I want it to be the tool you love using, too. That only happens if you tell me where it falls short, so I made that as easy as I could:

  1. 1

    Show me what you see

    Choose Help › Send Feedback… anytime. SQLly takes a screenshot, lets you black out anything private, draw arrows at what you mean, and say it in your own words.

  2. 2

    Tell me when IntelliSense gets it wrong

    Wrong suggestion? Missing one? Press F2 right there. Your report can become a test, so once it’s fixed, it stays fixed.

SQLly comes set up the way I like to work. If you work differently, I’ll do my best to make room for you. I personally read every piece of feedback you send, and if it’s practical, I’ll do my best to build it.

// compare

How SQLly stacks up

Price, databases, and the one-line story for every tool we compare against - verified against each vendor’s own site in September 2026.

High-level comparison of SQLly and alternative SQL clients
Tool Price (USD) Databases In one line
SQLly Free tier Β· $100 for 1.x ($50 upgrades) Β· $200 lifetime 30 engines: SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL & SQLite families, DuckDB, ClickHouse, Oracle, libSQL/Turso, Redis Native Rust workbench with data-aware IntelliSense, guardrails, and DBA tools. All comparisons
Azure Data Studio Free (retired Feb 2026) SQL Server & Azure SQL natively; PostgreSQL/MySQL via extensions Microsoft’s retired cross-platform tool - the successor is VS Code + the MSSQL extension. Compare
DBeaver Free Community (Apache 2.0) Β· $113-$510/yr 100+ via JDBC; NoSQL & cloud engines in paid editions The Java/Eclipse universal tool whose superpower is breadth. Compare
DataGrip Free non-commercial Β· from $109/yr 50+ incl. MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake, Db2 JetBrains’ full database IDE on the IntelliJ platform. Compare
SSMS Free SQL Server, Azure SQL, Synapse & Fabric only Microsoft’s first-party SQL Server manager - Windows only. Compare
TablePlus Free tier (2 tabs) Β· perpetual from $99 ~15+ incl. MongoDB, Redis, ClickHouse, DuckDB A clean, minimal native client for macOS, Windows, Linux & iOS. Compare
Beekeeper Studio Free Community (GPLv3) Β· $9-$18/user/mo ~25 engines; common ones free, NoSQL & cloud warehouses paid The approachable Electron client with paid extras. Compare
pgAdmin Free (PostgreSQL licence) PostgreSQL only The Postgres community’s own admin platform, desktop or browser-hosted. Compare
Navicat Free Lite (≤5 users/org) Β· from $749.99/yr or $1,499 perpetual MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake & more The long-running commercial suite with modeling, sync, and BI. Compare
HeidiSQL Free (GPL-2.0) MariaDB, MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Interbase, Firebird, Redshift The lightweight Windows veteran, now on Linux and macOS too. Compare
MySQL Workbench Free (GPLv2) MySQL only (incl. HeatWave) Oracle’s official MySQL tool, rebuilt in 2026 as Workbench 26. Compare
Sequel Ace Free (MIT) MySQL & MariaDB only The native, Mac-only Sequel Pro successor. Compare
DbGate Free Community (GPL-3.0) Β· $120/yr or $12/mo Premium ~18 engines, SQL & NoSQL; MongoDB and Redis free Open-core Electron client for SQL and NoSQL, desktop or self-hosted web. Compare
DbVisualizer Free (feature-gated) Β· Pro $199 then $89/yr 35+ with extended support, plus anything with a JDBC driver The long-running Java/JDBC universal tool with a Pro paywall on editing and export. Compare
SQL Developer Free Oracle Database; others via JDBC mainly for migration Oracle’s own free IDE - deep PL/SQL and DBA tooling, Oracle-only in practice. Compare
Postico Free evaluation Β· perpetual from $69 PostgreSQL (plus Redshift, Greenplum, CockroachDB) The polished Mac-native PostgreSQL client, deliberately without DBA tooling. Compare
Querious Free trial Β· $50 once, $29 renewals MySQL & MariaDB; experimental SQLite A crafted native Mac client for MySQL with editors for every object type. Compare
Redis Insight Free (SSPL) Redis and Redis-compatible services only Redis’s own GUI - the deepest Redis tooling, nothing beyond Redis. Compare
Chat2DB Free Community (relational only) Β· Pro from $9.90/user/mo 40+ claimed; NoSQL and sync in paid tiers The AI-first, source-available client built around text-to-SQL. Compare
Adminer Free (Apache 2.0 / GPL 2) 7 core (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite…), more via drivers A full database tool shipped as a single PHP file you drop on a server. Compare
LibreDB Studio Free (MIT) 18 drivers, 40+ engines incl. MongoDB, Kafka, Prometheus The self-hosted, browser-based SQL IDE with team SSO and audit built in. Compare
Full pricing breakdown & every comparison β†’
// totally real praise*

People are squealing about it

*Testimonials are, uh, enthusiastic reenactments. But the love is real - read the real reviews.

“I used to dread opening my database client. With SQLly I actually look forward to it. My therapist says that’s growth.”
Norm A. LyzedBackend Engineer, Hash & Sons
“The row editor alone replaced three tools and one spreadsheet I was too embarrassed to mention. Worth every cent.”
Rollo VerbackDBA, Codd Enterprises
“Fast, clean, and the autocomplete actually finishes my thought before I do. The pig vibes are a bonus.”
Portia TionData Engineer, ACID Analytics
“Finally, a database tool built by someone who has clearly suffered through database tools. Every button is right where my hand already was. It’s almost suspicious.”
Cash K. CadedPlatform Lead, B-Tree Mobility
“I’m not a DBA - I just know enough SQL to be dangerous. SQLly does way more than hand me a table to copy into Excel. It actually helps me understand what I’m looking at.”
Orland DerbyOperations Manager, Shard Logistics
“My subqueries have subqueries. SQLly formats the whole mess so I can still read it tomorrow. Ten out of ten, would nest again.”
Sue B. QueryAnalytics Lead, Outer Join Collective
SQLly mascot
// about us

A pig, a dream, and a lot of tables

SQLly started the way most good tools do: with frustration. We were tired of bloated database clients that felt designed by a committee that had never written a JOIN. So we built our own - and we put a bespectacled pig on the box because, honestly, why not.

We believe database tools should be fast, friendly, and a little bit fun. Serious enough for production, approachable enough for a Monday morning.

βœ“

Simple by default. Sensible settings out of the box, power features where you expect them.

βœ“

Respectful of your machine. Tiny download, low memory, no background nonsense.

βœ“

Respectful of you. No dark patterns, no upsell walls, no pig-nonsense.