SQLlySQLly vs SQL Server Management Studio
SSMS is Microsoft’s own SQL Server tool: free, deep, and Windows-only. That last part is why so many Mac and Linux folks end up running SQL Server’s best-known client inside a virtual machine. SQLly is a native SQL Server client for macOS, Windows, and Linux - here’s where it can stand in for SSMS, and where it honestly can’t.
Last reviewed: September 2026
Looking for SSMS on a Mac?
There isn’t one - SSMS runs only on Windows. SQLly runs natively on macOS (signed and
notarized for Apple Silicon) and speaks SQL Server’s TDS wire protocol itself, with no
Windows VM, remote desktop, or ODBC driver setup in between. SQL Server and Azure SQL Database
both connect today, and batches split on GO
the way T-SQL folks expect.
A cross-platform SQL Server workbench
Native on macOS, with supported-beta builds for Windows and Linux. Speaks T-SQL natively, and PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite too, with DBA tools like SQL Agent, Activity Monitor, and backup/restore built in.
Microsoft’s first-party console
Free, Windows-only, and focused on SQL Server and Azure SQL. It reaches the whole Microsoft data platform, including Integration, Analysis, and Reporting Services, and tends to support new SQL Server features first.
Feature by feature
SQLly’s column uses the same honest status badges as the features page and the docs. SSMS does a great deal more than any table can hold; these are the rows people ask about most.
| Capability | SQLly | SSMS |
|---|---|---|
| Runs natively on macOS | YesSigned and notarized, Apple Silicon. Download | No |
| Runs natively on Linux | YesSupported beta, x64 and ARM64. | No |
| Runs on Windows | YesSupported beta, x64 and ARM64. | Yes |
| Price | Free tier + licensesFree for hobbyists, with reminders; Annual or Lifetime licenses. Pricing | Free |
| SQL Server & Azure SQL Database | YesNative TDS driver. Databases | Yes |
| PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB & SQLite | YesPlus hosted variants like Neon, Supabase, and PlanetScale. | No |
| Entra ID sign-in | In progressBrowser and device-code flows, plus Azure discovery. Entra & Azure | Yes |
| SQL Server Agent jobs | YesJobs, history, schedules, operators, alerts; changes are scripted first. SQL Agent | Yes |
| Activity monitor | YesSessions, blocking chains, expensive queries, waits. Activity Monitor | Yes |
| Backup & restore | YesDestructive steps scripted for review. Backup / Restore | Yes |
| Query Store insights | YesBounded top-query statistics. Query Insights | Yes |
| Extended Events | PartialSession list, state, and detail; start and stop are scripted. Extended Events | Yes |
| Graphical execution plans | In progressFindings, tree, diagram, and plan comparison. Query plans | Yes |
| Integration, Analysis & Reporting Services | No | Yes |
| Per-connection color cues | YesColors and icons per client, project, environment, or server. Environment cues | YesCustom status bar color per connection. |
| Block UPDATE / DELETE with no WHERE | YesWarn or block per connection. Mutation review | NoNot built in. |
Where SQLly is different
SQLly isn’t trying to be SSMS-on-a-Mac pixel for pixel. It’s a different take on the same daily work.
Every desktop, one workbench
The same editor, explorer, and result grid on macOS, Windows, and Linux, rendered natively through Metal, Direct3D, or Vulkan. Connections and settings are plain files you can carry between machines; passwords stay in each OS’s keychain.
Platforms βMore than SQL Server
The same app speaks PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite, so a mixed estate doesn’t need a second tool. “View top 1000 rows” becomes TOP, LIMIT, or whatever the engine speaks.
Guardrails for production
Read-only connections that refuse xp_cmdshell and OPENROWSET, auto-wrapped transactions you can roll back, a confirmation before non-SELECT statements, and a hard stop on a DELETE with no WHERE.
Plans in plain language
SQLly’s plan view leads with ranked findings - “scans every row in dbo.Orders,” a missing index with its CREATE INDEX ready to adapt - before the operator tree. It’s still marked in progress, so SSMS remains the more complete plan viewer today.
Smarter completion
IntelliSense that completes from a column’s real values, suggests join conditions from actual foreign keys, and flags a GROUP BY mistake before you run it.
Compare, transfer, document
Schema and data compare across connections with review-only scripts, data transfer, an ER diagram you can export to Mermaid, and Markdown docs for your schema.
Schema Compare βWhen SSMS is the better choice
SSMS is a great tool, and for plenty of people it’s the right one. Stick with it if:
- You’re on Windows and want free, for everyone. SSMS costs nothing at any company size. SQLly’s free tier is for hobbyists and isn’t available inside organizations with more than 100 employees.
- You work across the Microsoft data platform - Integration Services, Analysis Services, Reporting Services, Always On availability groups, and the many wizards that come with them.
- You need Entra ID sign-in today. It’s in progress in SQLly, not finished.
- You want the most complete graphical plans right now. SQLly’s plan views are still in progress.
- You want Microsoft’s first-party tool, which tends to support new SQL Server features the moment they ship.
Plenty of people run both: SSMS on the Windows box for the platform chores, SQLly everywhere else.
Questions
Is there a version of SSMS for Mac?
No. SQL Server Management Studio runs only on Windows, so Mac users usually reach for a Windows virtual machine or a remote desktop. SQLly is a native alternative for macOS, signed and notarized for Apple Silicon, that speaks SQL Server's TDS protocol directly.
Can SQLly connect to Azure SQL Database?
Yes. Azure SQL Database connects today over the same native TDS driver as SQL Server. Entra ID sign-in and Azure server discovery are still in progress.
Does SQLly replace everything in SSMS?
No. SQLly covers everyday querying and many DBA tools, including SQL Agent jobs, activity monitoring, backup and restore, Extended Events sessions and Query Store insights. It does not cover Integration, Analysis or Reporting Services, so keep SSMS around for those.
Other comparisons
SQL Server, natively, on your Mac
Free to download for macOS, Windows, and Linux, no account required. Point it at your SQL Server and see how it feels.