SQLlyOracle SQL client for Mac, Windows and Linux
Run SQL and PL/SQL against Oracle Database from a native app on any desktop: DBMS_OUTPUT in the Messages pane, EXPLAIN PLAN in a real plan viewer, and a session monitor that can kill a runaway session.
- Connects over
- Oracle Net, through the free Oracle Instant Client
- Default port
- 1521
- Sign-in
- Username and password, optionally AS SYSDBA or AS SYSOPER
- Database field
- Service name, or SID:name to connect by SID
What SQLly does for Oracle Database
Oracle support in SQLly is young: querying, PL/SQL, the explorer, plans, monitoring and maintenance are in; row editing, compare, transfer and backup tools are not yet, and the app marks them unavailable with the reason rather than leaving you to find out.
SQL and PL/SQL scripts
Run SQL and PL/SQL blocks together - end a block with / on its own line. DBMS_OUTPUT lines appear in the Messages pane, and Cancel interrupts a running statement.
Oracle’s types, shown faithfully
NUMBER, DATE and the TIMESTAMP variants, INTERVAL, RAW, CLOB/BLOB, ROWID, XML and BOOLEAN all come through into the results grid as Oracle sent them.
An explorer that knows Oracle
Browse schemas, tables, views, packages, sequences, synonyms and types, with IntelliSense and hover cards built from Oracle’s own catalog.
Server explorer βEXPLAIN PLAN, without the PLAN_TABLE dance
Estimated plans run EXPLAIN PLAN for you and open as findings, a tree and a diagram. Your statement is never executed to get the plan.
Sessions, storage and health
Activity Monitor lists sessions and can kill one, Disk Usage reads segment sizes, and the Server Dashboard shows system statistics and SGA figures.
Activity Monitor βRead-only and rollback, Oracle-style
AI, MCP and CLI queries run inside SET TRANSACTION READ ONLY. The auto-rollback setting ends a batch with ROLLBACK and refuses DDL, which Oracle commits implicitly. Maintenance gathers statistics, rebuilds indexes and validates structure.
Connect to Oracle Database
- Install Oracle Instant Client (Basic or Basic Light, free from oracle.com). SQLly loads it when it connects: on macOS it looks in
~/lib,/usr/local/liborDYLD_LIBRARY_PATH; on Windows, a folder onPATH; on Linux,LD_LIBRARY_PATHor an ldconfig directory. Or setSQLLY_ORACLE_CLIENT_DIRto its folder. - Download SQLly for macOS, Windows or Linux from the download page, open it, and create a connection with Oracle Database as the engine.
- Enter host and port (1521), and the service name in the Database field - or
SID:followed by the SID. For TCPS or a wallet, put a full connect descriptor in the Server field. - Enter your username and password. Add
AS SYSDBAorAS SYSOPERafter the username for an administrative session. - Press Test. If Instant Client can’t be found, SQLly tells you exactly what to install and where it looked; otherwise save, connect and start querying.
Every SQLly tool on Oracle Database
This is the same engine matrix the app uses to enable or disable its menus, so what you read here is what you get. Where a tool doesn’t apply to Oracle Database, the app says why - and so do we.
| Tool | Oracle Database |
|---|---|
| Explorer, IntelliSense and hover cards | Yes |
| Estimated execution plans | Yes EXPLAIN PLAN, without executing. |
| Activity Monitor | Yes Sessions, with kill. |
| Server Dashboard | Yes |
| Disk Usage and Object Browser | Yes |
| Maintenance menu | Yes Gather statistics, rebuild index, validate structure. |
| Read-only connections | Yes |
| Auto-rollback safety wrap | Yes Implicitly committing DDL is refused. |
| Edit rows in the results grid | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Actual (executed) plans | No Oracle plans come from EXPLAIN PLAN without executing. |
| Query Insights | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Schema Compare and Schema History | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Data Compare | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Data Transfer | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Test Data Generator | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Table Structure Editor | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Index Analyzer | No Does not read Oracle's index usage tracking yet. |
| Security editor (users, roles, grants) | No Not available on Oracle yet. |
| Backup / Restore | No Oracle backups run through RMAN or Data Pump on the server. |
| Create and drop database dialogs | No Pluggable databases are created with CREATE PLUGGABLE DATABASE. |
| Procedure Mode | No Supports SQL Server and PostgreSQL only. |
| SQL Agent, Extended Events and guided designers | No SQL Server and Azure SQL only. |
| SSH tunnels, proxies and Kubernetes port-forward | No Not available on Oracle yet; the Oracle client dials the listener directly. |
Questions about Oracle Database in SQLly
Do I need Oracle Instant Client to use SQLly with Oracle?
Yes. SQLly's Oracle driver loads Oracle's free Instant Client (Basic or Basic Light) when it connects. If it is not installed, Test Connection tells you exactly what to install and where SQLly looks for it; you can also point the SQLLY_ORACLE_CLIENT_DIR environment variable at its folder.
Can I connect to Oracle with a SID or as SYSDBA?
Yes. The Database field takes a service name, or SID: followed by the SID to connect by SID. Add AS SYSDBA or AS SYSOPER after the username for an administrative session, or put a full connect descriptor in the Server field for TCPS or wallets.
Can I run PL/SQL blocks and see DBMS_OUTPUT?
Yes. End each PL/SQL block with a / on its own line and run the script as usual; DBMS_OUTPUT lines appear in the Messages pane and Cancel interrupts a running statement.
What does SQLly not do on Oracle yet?
Row editing, the Security editor, Backup / Restore, the Schema and Data Compare and Data Transfer tools, actual (executed) plans, and SSH tunnels or proxies are not available on Oracle yet. Each is marked unavailable in the app with the reason.
Read more
In the docs
Other databases
Bring your Oracle Database home to the pig
SQLly is free to start on macOS, Windows and Linux, with no account required.