SQLlySQLly vs MySQL Workbench
MySQL Workbench is Oracle’s official tool for MySQL, and it’s in the middle of a big change: Workbench 26, a from-the-ground-up rebuild on MySQL Shell, replaces the 8.0 line. If you’re re-evaluating your MySQL client anyway, here’s how SQLly compares - including what Workbench does that SQLly doesn’t.
Last reviewed: September 2026
At a glance
MySQL, MariaDB, and the rest of your estate
A native Rust workbench for macOS, Windows, and Linux. MySQL, MariaDB, Aurora, RDS, Azure, Cloud SQL, PlanetScale, and TiDB - plus SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and SQLite in the same window.
Oracle’s first-party MySQL tool
A free Community release for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Workbench 26 brings SQL, JavaScript, and TypeScript notebooks, Visual Explain, performance reports, administration, and HeatWave migration tooling. Oracle says some 8.0 features may not have arrived yet.
Feature by feature
SQLly’s column uses the same honest status badges as the features page and the docs. Because Workbench 26 is new and still gaining 8.0 features, check Oracle’s release notes for the current state of anything you depend on.
| Capability | SQLly | MySQL Workbench |
|---|---|---|
| macOS, Windows & Linux | YesmacOS signed and notarized; Windows and Linux a supported beta. | Yes |
| Price | Free tier + licensesPricing | Free Community release |
| MySQL & MariaDB | YesPlus Aurora, RDS, Azure, Cloud SQL, PlanetScale, TiDB. Databases | YesMySQL-focused, including HeatWave. |
| SQL Server, PostgreSQL & SQLite | Yes | NoIts migration tooling moves other databases into MySQL. |
| Visual Explain / query plans | In progressPlain-language findings, tree, and diagram. Query plans | Yes |
| Notebooks | YesSQL and Markdown cells with per-cell results. | YesSQL, JavaScript, and TypeScript. |
| Slow-query & performance reports | YesTop queries from Performance Schema. Query Insights | Yes |
| Users & privileges | YesChanges shown as SQL before they apply. Security | Yes |
| Server status & connections | YesLive Server Dashboard and Activity Monitor. Server Dashboard | Yes |
| Backup & restore | YesDrives mysqldump and the mysql client, showing the exact command. Backup / Restore |
YesMySQL Enterprise Backup integration. |
| Visual data modeling | NoER diagram from the live catalog, not a modeler. Relationship Graph | Check release notesA Workbench 8.0 staple; Oracle says not every 8.0 feature is in 26 yet. |
Where SQLly is different
Workbench is built around MySQL. SQLly is built around the person who has MySQL and something else.
One client for a mixed estate
MySQL next to SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and SQLite, with one-click actions that speak each engine’s dialect - LIMIT here, TOP there.
Hosted MySQL, first-class
PlanetScale, Aurora, RDS, Azure, and Cloud SQL are labeled engines that know when TLS is required, with IAM token sign-in for RDS and Cloud SQL in progress.
TLS modes →Guardrails per environment
Read-only connections, confirmation before data changes, a hard stop on DELETE with no WHERE, and auto-wrapped transactions you can roll back. The structure editor even exposes MySQL’s ALGORITHM and LOCK choices.
Compare and move data
Schema and data compare with review-only scripts, and data transfer between connections - including across engines.
Data Transfer →When MySQL Workbench is the better choice
It’s the official tool for a reason. Pick Workbench if:
- You want free, first-party tooling from the people who make MySQL, at any company size.
- You use HeatWave or MySQL Enterprise Backup, or you’re migrating workloads into MySQL on OCI.
- You script your database work in JavaScript or TypeScript through MySQL Shell notebooks.
- You model schemas visually. SQLly’s ER diagram reads the catalog; it doesn’t forward-engineer.
- You want a finished Visual Explain today. SQLly’s plan views are still in progress.
Questions
What happened to MySQL Workbench 8.0?
Oracle introduced MySQL Workbench 26 in September 2026, a rebuild on the MySQL Shell foundation, and says the earlier releases have reached end of life and are no longer maintained. Oracle also notes that some Workbench 8.0 features may not be available in the new version yet.
Does SQLly work with MariaDB?
Yes. MariaDB connects over SQLly's MySQL-family driver, alongside MySQL, Amazon Aurora and RDS for MySQL, Azure Database for MySQL, Google Cloud SQL for MySQL, PlanetScale and TiDB.
Can SQLly do visual data modeling like MySQL Workbench?
No. SQLly draws an ER diagram from the live catalog and can export it to SVG, Mermaid or DBML, and its structure editor changes tables against a live diff, but it is not a data modeling tool. If you forward-engineer schemas from diagrams, a modeling tool is the better fit.
Other comparisons
Point it at your MySQL
Free to download for macOS, Windows, and Linux, no account required. Paste a mysql:// URL and go.