SQLlySQLly vs Postico
Postico 2 is a native Mac app for PostgreSQL with a genuine love for the people who spend their day entering, filtering, and querying data. SQLly is native on the Mac too, but reaches further - more engines, more platforms, and the DBA tooling Postico deliberately leaves out. If you live in Postgres on a Mac, this one is close.
Last reviewed: September 2026
At a glance
Native on the Mac, and beyond it
Rust and Metal on Apple Silicon Macs, with supported-beta builds for Windows and Linux. PostgreSQL plus Neon, Supabase, RDS, Aurora, Azure, Cloud SQL, CockroachDB, and YugabyteDB - and SQL Server, MySQL, and SQLite in the same window. Free for hobbyists; Annual and Lifetime licenses for everyone else.
The Mac Postgres app for data people
Proprietary, from Egger Apps in Austria. macOS only, a universal binary for Intel and Apple Silicon, from the Mac App Store or direct download. PostgreSQL with first-class Redshift, Greenplum, and CockroachDB support. Perpetual licenses from $29 to $99 per device.
Feature by feature
SQLly’s column uses the same honest status badges as the features page and the docs. For Postico we list what its site and documentation state.
| Capability | SQLly | Postico |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier + licensesFree for hobbyists; Annual or Lifetime. Pricing | Perpetual$69 personal, $29 student, $99 per device commercial, $799 team of 10; valid for Postico 2.x. Untimed evaluation with some features disabled. |
| Open source | NoLifetime licenses carry a source-escrow promise. | NoProprietary, closed source. |
| Native Mac app | YesMetal and Core Text. How it works | YesAppKit, Objective-C and Swift. |
| Apple Silicon Macs | YesSigned and notarized. | Yes |
| Intel Macs | NoThe macOS build targets Apple Silicon. | YesUniversal binary. |
| Windows & Linux | YesSupported beta. Download | No |
| Mac App Store | NoDirect download. | YesAlso direct download with MDM-friendly licensing. |
| PostgreSQL & compatible databases | YesPostgreSQL plus Neon, Supabase, RDS, Aurora, Azure, Cloud SQL, CockroachDB, and YugabyteDB. Databases | YesPostgreSQL 8.0+, with first-class Redshift, Greenplum, and CockroachDB; other Postgres-wire databases execute SQL only. |
| Other engines in the same app | YesSQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, DuckDB, ClickHouse, Oracle, Redis and more. All databases | NoPostgreSQL-compatible only. |
| SQL query editor | YesSuggestions from real column values and joins from actual foreign keys. IntelliSense | YesMulti-file editor with folders, autosave, autocomplete, and built-in pgFormatter. |
| Table structure editor | YesA structure editor with a live change diff for SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite; full create-new designers on SQL Server. Designers | YesColumns, indexes, and constraints in one editor, a raw DDL view, and a function editor. |
| Data entry & editing | YesGrid edits go through review before they run. Guardrails | YesExcellent: foreign-key picker, row detail sidebar, multi-row edits, paste from spreadsheets. |
| Import & export | YesCSV, JSON, and Excel wizard. Import / Export | PartialTransactional CSV import; CSV/JSON export; copy as TSV, CSV, or SQL inserts. |
| Execution plans | In progressPlain-language findings first, then tree and diagram. Query plans | PartialRun EXPLAIN as a query; no graphical plan view. |
| ER diagrams | PartialRead live from the catalog, export to SVG, Mermaid, or DBML; not a design tool. Relationship Graph | No |
| Schema diff | YesAcross connections and engines, risk-graded, with rollback scripts. Schema Compare | No |
| DBA tools | YesServer Dashboard, Activity Monitor, backup/restore, user and privilege editing. Tools | NoIts own docs steer backup, user management, and monitoring to specialized tools. |
| SSH tunnels | YesSSH, SOCKS, and HTTP proxy. Engine docs | Yes |
| TLS modes & client certificates | YesDisable, require, verify-CA, verify-full. TLS | Yes |
| Read-only connections | YesPlus environment colors and a hard stop on UPDATE/DELETE with no WHERE. Guardrails |
YesPer-connection startup queries. |
Where SQLly is different
Postico is a focused Postgres app for people who use data. SQLly is for when the work grows past that.
Hosted Postgres, labeled honestly
Neon, Supabase, RDS, Aurora, Azure, Cloud SQL, CockroachDB, and YugabyteDB are first-class choices that know which ones require TLS - and paste a postgres:// URL to fill the connection editor.
Guardrails in layers
Read-only connections, a hard stop on UPDATE/DELETE with no WHERE, auto-wrapped transactions you can roll back, and confirmations - all set per client, project, environment, server, or database.
DBA tools built in
An Activity Monitor with blocking chains, top queries from pg_stat_statements, and backup and restore that drive pg_dump and pg_restore with the exact command shown. Postico points you elsewhere for all of this.
IntelliSense that reads your data
Suggestions from a column’s real values, joins from actual foreign keys, and a live GROUP BY check.
When Postico is the better choice
Postico is a lovely app that knows exactly what it is. Choose it if:
- You’re on an Intel Mac. Postico is a universal binary; SQLly’s Mac build targets Apple Silicon.
- You want a one-time purchase. Postico’s perpetual licenses run $29 to $99 per device. SQLly’s Annual is a subscription, its Lifetime costs more up front, and its free tier isn’t available inside organizations with more than 100 employees.
- Data entry is the job. The foreign-key picker, row detail sidebar, paste-from-spreadsheet workflow, and transactional CSV import are Postico at its best.
- You only touch Postgres-compatible databases, on a Mac, and prefer an app built around exactly that.
- You buy through the Mac App Store or roll software out to managed Macs with MDM. SQLly is a direct download only.
- You sync connection settings through iCloud or Dropbox. Postico supports both; SQLly keeps connections as plain files you sync yourself.
Plenty of people keep Postico for quick data entry and reach for SQLly when a second engine or an admin task shows up.
Questions
Is Postico free?
No. Postico offers an untimed evaluation download with some features disabled, for evaluation purposes only. Paid licenses are perpetual and valid for Postico 2.x: $69 personal (up to 3 devices), $29 student (1 device), $99 per device commercial, or $799 for a 10-device team license. SQLly has a free tier for hobbyists and paid Annual and Lifetime licenses for everyone else.
Does Postico run on Windows or Linux?
No. Postico is macOS only, as a universal binary that runs natively on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. SQLly is native on Apple Silicon Macs and also ships supported-beta builds for Windows and Linux - but not for Intel Macs.
Is Postico good for PostgreSQL administration?
Postico’s own documentation says it is not designed for administration tasks such as backup and restore, user and permission management, or database monitoring, and points you to specialized tools for those. SQLly builds those script-first DBA tools in: an Activity Monitor, pg_dump and pg_restore, user and privilege editing, and schema compare.
Other comparisons
One workbench for Postgres and everything next to it
Free to download for Apple Silicon Macs, Windows, and Linux, no account required. Paste a postgres:// URL and go.