SQLlySQLly vs TablePlus
TablePlus and SQLly agree on the big thing: a database client should be a fast, native app, not a browser in disguise. Where they differ is scope. TablePlus is clean, minimal, and connects to a wide spread of databases, NoSQL included. SQLly goes deeper on fewer engines - data-aware completion, layered guardrails, and a full shelf of DBA tools.
Last reviewed: September 2026
The short version
Native, and a bit of a DBA
GPU-rendered in Rust on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Focused on the SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite families, with value-aware IntelliSense, safety policy you set once, and admin tools from SQL Agent to schema compare.
Native, and delightfully minimal
A clean native client with a free tier limited in open tabs and windows and a paid license beyond that. It covers a broad list of relational databases plus NoSQL stores such as Redis and MongoDB.
Feature by feature
SQLly’s column uses the same honest status badges as the features page and the docs. TablePlus’s column sticks to well-established basics; check its own site for the current details.
| Capability | SQLly | TablePlus |
|---|---|---|
| Native app (no webview or JVM) | YesRust, GPU-rendered. How it works | Yes |
| macOS | YesSigned and notarized, Apple Silicon. | Yes |
| Windows | YesSupported beta. Download | Yes |
| Free tier | YesLimits saved servers (two) and cloud accounts (one), not tabs; reminds you to pay about every five hours. Pricing | YesLimited open tabs and windows. |
| SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite | YesPlus hosted and compatible engines - 20 in all. Full list | Yes |
| NoSQL (Redis, MongoDB) | No | Yes |
| Edit data inline | YesRow editor with FK dropdowns and CHECK validation. Row editor | Yes |
| SSH tunnels | YesSSH, SOCKS, and HTTP proxy. Engine docs | Yes |
| Per-environment connection colors | YesInherited down a client / project / environment tree. Environment cues | Yes |
Where SQLly is different
Both apps are fast and native. SQLly spends its extra weight in a few specific places.
Linux, too
SQLly ships the same workbench on macOS, Windows, and Linux from one Rust codebase - Linux builds for x64 and ARM64, Wayland-first with an X11 path, currently a supported beta.
Platforms βA DBA toolbox
Right-click for Tools: activity monitor, SQL Agent, backup and restore, index analyzer, schema and data compare, data transfer, test data, and an ER diagram. Anything destructive opens as SQL first.
Tools βGuardrails 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.
IntelliSense that knows your data
Complete a WHERE clause from the column’s real values, accept an ON clause built from actual foreign keys, and catch a GROUP BY slip as you type.
Results that shape up
Pivot, chart, diff, mask personal data, and export to a formatted .xlsx. A short SQL comment can remember a pivot or chart so the next run looks the same.
Huge results, flat memory
Rows stream with back-pressure and spill to disk, so the grid pages from disk and memory stays flat whether you fetched 50 rows or 50 million.
Spill-to-disk results βWhen TablePlus is the better choice
TablePlus is a lovely app. It’s probably the better pick if:
- You need NoSQL alongside SQL - Redis, MongoDB, and friends in the same client. SQLly is relational only.
- You need an engine SQLly doesn’t connect to yet. SQLly’s live connectors cover the SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite families; Oracle, Snowflake, DuckDB and others are still only modeled.
- You want the smallest possible surface. SQLly carries more features, and more menus, than a minimal client.
- You want long-established maturity on Windows. SQLly’s Windows build is fully functional but still labeled a supported beta.
- You work across many servers on a free plan. SQLly’s free tier caps saved servers at two, and isn’t available inside organizations with more than 100 employees.
Questions
Is SQLly a native app like TablePlus?
Yes. SQLly is written in Rust and renders its interface on the GPU, using Metal on macOS, Direct3D on Windows and Vulkan on Linux. There is no Electron shell, Java runtime or embedded browser.
How is SQLly's free tier different?
SQLly's free tier limits saved servers rather than tabs: two saved servers with unlimited databases on each and one cloud account, with a reminder to pay about every five hours. A license lifts the limits and stops the reminders. Organizations with more than 100 employees may not use the free tier.
Does SQLly support Redis or MongoDB?
No. SQLly is a relational SQL client. It connects to 20 engines today across the SQL Server, PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite families. If you need NoSQL stores in the same app, TablePlus is the better fit.
Other comparisons
Two native apps walk into a bar…
Only one of them has a pig. Download SQLly free for macOS, Windows, or Linux - no account required.