SQLlySQLly vs DbVisualizer
DbVisualizer is one of the original universal database tools: a proprietary Java app from DbVis Software in Stockholm, connecting to 35+ databases with extended support plus anything that has a JDBC driver. SQLly is a native Rust workbench for 30 engines that tries very hard to know your data and keep you out of trouble. Both are cross-platform and both are paid products with a free way in - here’s the honest breakdown.
Last reviewed: September 2026
The short version
A native workbench with opinions
GPU-rendered on macOS, Windows, and Linux with no JVM underneath. Thirty engines connect today - relational, analytical, and Redis - and the focus is depth: completions from real column values, layered safety guardrails, and script-first admin tools.
The JDBC veteran
A mature, closed-source Java application that runs identically on Windows (x64 and Arm64), macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), and Linux. Its strengths are breadth - 35+ databases with extended support and generic JDBC for the rest - and a long, polished feature list behind the Pro license, including an opt-in AI assistant.
Feature by feature
SQLly’s column uses the same honest status badges as the features page and the docs. DbVisualizer’s Free/Pro split follows its own pricing page - check there for the current edition-by-edition list.
| Capability | SQLly | DbVisualizer |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on macOS, Windows & Linux | YesmacOS is signed and notarized; Windows and Linux are a supported beta. | YesOne Java codebase; installers bundle a Java runtime. |
| How the app is built | NativeRust, rendered on the GPU (Metal, Direct3D, Vulkan). How it works | JavaSwing interface; every installer includes its own JRE. |
| Intel Macs | NoThe macOS build targets Apple Silicon. | YesSeparate Apple Silicon and Intel downloads. |
| Free to use | Free tierTwo saved servers, one cloud account, and a reminder to pay about every five hours. Pricing | Free tierFree edition browses and queries; editing, import/export, explain plans, charts and the query builder are Pro. No company-size limit. |
| Open source | NoLifetime licenses carry a source-escrow promise if SQLly is ever discontinued. | NoProprietary, from DbVis Software AB. |
| SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite | YesPlus hosted and compatible engines - 30 in all. Full list | Yes |
| DuckDB, ClickHouse, Oracle, libSQL/Turso | YesNative drivers, with each tool saying where an engine has no counterpart. Per-engine coverage | PartialOracle and ClickHouse have extended support; DuckDB and libSQL fall back to generic JDBC. |
| Db2, Snowflake, Databricks & friends | PlannedModeled in SQLly’s engine profiles; live connectors still to come. | YesExtended support for Db2 (LUW, z/OS, iSeries), Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery and more. |
| MongoDB & other NoSQL | No | YesMongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, Elasticsearch. |
| Redis | YesCommand editor, key browser, dashboard, activity monitor, slow log; Valkey, KeyDB, DragonflyDB, ElastiCache and MemoryDB too. | YesExtended support for Redis and Valkey. |
| SSH tunnels | YesSSH, SOCKS, and HTTP proxy. Engine docs | YesSSH included even in the Free edition. |
| Edit table data | YesA row editor generated from the table’s own metadata. Row editor | ProTable data viewer and editor are Pro features. |
| ER diagrams | YesExport to SVG, Mermaid, or DBML. Relationship Graph | YesReferences graphs, included even in the Free edition. |
| Execution plan viewer | In progressPlain-language findings, tree, and diagram across nine engines. Query plans | YesPro edition. |
| Schema compare | YesAcross connections and engines, risk-graded, with rollback scripts. Schema Compare | PartialPro can compare object lists side by side; its own docs note there is no full schema diff. |
| Import & export data | YesCSV, JSON, Excel, SQL, and more. Export | ProTable import and export are Pro features. |
| Visual query builder & charts | PartialPivot, chart, and diff in the result grid, driven by SQL comments; no drag-and-drop builder. Directives | YesDrag-and-drop query builder and charts, both Pro. |
| Job scheduling & events | YesSQL Agent jobs for SQL Server, scripted for review before anything runs. Tools | ProDatabase scheduling, events and jobs are Pro features. |
| Plugins & extensions | No | NoNo plugin ecosystem; extensibility comes from JDBC drivers. |
Where SQLly is different
Not “better at everything” - different in the places we care about most.
Native, not a runtime
SQLly is one Rust codebase drawing straight to the GPU with each OS’s own graphics path. There’s no Java runtime to install or memory settings to tune, and large results stream to disk so the grid stays flat on memory whether you fetch 50 rows or 50 million.
Spill-to-disk results βAutocomplete that knows your data
Beyond schema completion, SQLly can pull a column’s real distinct values into a WHERE clause, offer a join’s ON clause from actual foreign keys, and underline a GROUP BY mistake as you type.
Guardrails you set once
Read-only connections that refuse file-reading and shell-escape tricks, a hard stop on UPDATE/DELETE with no WHERE, auto-wrapped transactions, and prod painted an angry red - inherited down your client, project, and environment tree.
Script-first admin tools
Activity monitor, backup and restore, schema and data compare, index analyzer, SQL Agent, and more live under one Tools menu. Anything destructive opens as SQL in a tab for you to read before it runs.
Tools βA free tier that isn’t hollowed out
DbVisualizer’s Free edition leaves data editing, import/export, explain plans, charts and the query builder behind the Pro paywall. SQLly’s free tier keeps the full feature set - the limits are two saved servers and one cloud account, not which buttons work.
Pricing βPlain files, no telemetry
Connections, history, and settings are plain files you can diff or commit, with passwords kept in your OS keychain. The app has no telemetry today, full stop.
Everything is a file βWhen DbVisualizer is the better choice
DbVisualizer has earned its reputation over two decades. It’s probably the better fit if:
- You need a database SQLly doesn’t connect to yet - live Db2, Snowflake, Databricks, or BigQuery, or a document and search store like MongoDB, Cassandra, DynamoDB, or Elasticsearch. JDBC breadth is its superpower.
- You’re on an Intel Mac. DbVisualizer ships a macOS Intel build; SQLly’s Mac build targets Apple Silicon.
- You want a finished explain-plan viewer today. DbVisualizer Pro has one; SQLly’s plan views are still in progress.
- You like a drag-and-drop visual query builder. SQLly is script-first and doesn’t have one.
- You want an AI assistant in the editor. DbVisualizer’s opt-in, credit-metered assistant can write queries, explain errors, and analyze code.
- You want a free tool at a larger company. DbVisualizer’s Free edition has no company-size restriction; SQLly’s free tier isn’t available inside organizations with more than 100 employees.
Questions
Is DbVisualizer free?
There is a Free edition at $0, but it is feature-gated: browsing, the SQL editor, monitoring, references graphs and SSH are free, while table data editing, import and export, explain plans, the visual query builder, charts and the command-line interface are Pro only. Pro is $199 per user for the first year and $89 on renewal ($229 and $119 with premium support). Subscriptions include a perpetual license for the versions released during the term, and there is a 21-day Pro trial.
Is DbVisualizer open source?
No. DbVisualizer is proprietary software from DbVis Software AB in Stockholm, Sweden. SQLly is not open source either; its Lifetime licenses carry a source-escrow promise if the product is ever discontinued. If open source is a requirement, look at DBeaver Community, Beekeeper Studio or pgAdmin.
Is SQLly built on Java like DbVisualizer?
No. DbVisualizer is a Java application whose installers bundle a Java runtime. SQLly is written in Rust with a GPU-rendered native interface on macOS, Windows and Linux, so there is no Java runtime underneath it.
Other comparisons
Take the pig for a spin
Free on macOS, Windows, and Linux, no account required. Keep DbVisualizer for the JDBC oddballs - the pig doesn’t get jealous.