macOS & the Mac App Store

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Two ways to run SQLly on a Mac - the direct download and the Mac App Store edition - and exactly what the App Store edition does differently.

There are two ways to run SQLly on a Mac: the direct download from sqlly.app and the Mac App Store edition. They are the same app, with the same editor, object explorer, and result grid. The App Store edition runs inside Apple's App Sandbox, which every Mac App Store app must use, so a few features that need to reach outside SQLly work differently there. This page lists each one and what to do instead.

The two editions

	Direct download	Mac App Store edition
Where to get it	sqlly.app, as a signed and notarized DMG	The Mac App Store
Requires	macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon	macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon
Updates	SQLly checks for updates itself	Through the Mac App Store
Purchases	On sqlly.app	In the app, through Apple
Sandbox limits	None	A few, listed below

Both editions can sit on the same Mac, but each keeps its own settings and saved connections. See Settings and saved connections below to move connections between them.

Direct download

The direct download is the full, unrestricted app. It reads your SSH, Kubernetes, and database client configuration files where they already live, launches the command-line tools you have installed, and checks sqlly.app for updates on its own (SQLLY → Check for Updates…). None of the limits on this page apply to it.

Mac App Store edition: free download, one-time unlock

The Mac App Store edition is a free download. The free edition saves up to 2 connections.

SQLLY Lifetime License - a one-time in-app purchase, not a subscription. It unlocks unlimited saved connections and turns off the reminders on your Macs. The in-app purchase licenses SQLLY on macOS only; it does not unlock SQLLY on Windows or Linux.
Buying and restoring - both live in SQLLY → Unlock SQLLY…. Purchases in the App Store edition are made through Apple; use Restore Purchases there after reinstalling or on another Mac signed in to the same Apple Account.
Already have a license from sqlly.app? Sign in to your SQLly account in the App Store edition and that license unlocks it too.
SQLly Cloud and Cloud Business - not available yet. When they launch, they will also be available in the App Store edition as in-app subscriptions, at the same price: $3 and $7 per user per month.

What's different in the Mac App Store edition

Apple's sandbox stops App Store apps from launching other programs on your Mac and from reading files you haven't chosen. Everything that depends on either works differently. Inside the app, Help → Mac App Store Edition lists these same differences.

Feature	In the App Store edition	What you can do instead
Updates	There is no in-app update check.	Updates arrive through the Mac App Store, automatically or from its Updates page.
Open in Terminal	Unavailable.	Open Terminal yourself and connect with your usual command-line tools.
Local AI agents	Command-line AI agents that SQLly would launch on your Mac (such as the Claude Code or Codex command-line tools) are unavailable.	Cloud AI providers work, and so does a local Ollama server reached over HTTP.
MCP servers	Local MCP servers that SQLly would start as a program on your Mac are unavailable, and SQLly can't act as an MCP server for other apps.	MCP servers you reach over HTTP work as usual.
Kubernetes discovery	Finding databases through `kubectl` is unavailable.	Forward the database port yourself and connect to it like any other server.
External editors	Command-line and terminal editors are unavailable.	Editors that are Mac apps (`.app`) still open your files.
Git integration	The SQL Library git panel and git history in query history are unavailable, because they rely on the `git` command-line tool.	Use git from Terminal or a git app on the same folder; query history itself still works.
DuckDB extensions	Extensions are not downloaded or installed.	Everything built into DuckDB works; only extensions that need a download are unavailable.

Files and folders

SQLly can only read the files and folders you choose in an Open dialog, drag into the app, or open from Finder. It remembers those choices across launches, so you only grant access once.

Configuration files are not read automatically - your ~/.ssh/config, ~/.ssh/known_hosts, ~/.pgpass, ~/.my.cnf, and ~/.kube folder are left alone. Choose SSH key and certificate files in the connection editor instead.
SQLite databases - SQLly can read any database file you choose. Writing can fail if SQLly can't reach the file's folder, because SQLite creates a journal file next to the database. Open the folder that contains it with File → Open Folder… to grant access.

Settings and saved connections

The App Store edition keeps its own settings and saved connections, separate from the direct download. To move connections across, choose File → Export Credentials… in one edition and File → Import Connections… in the other. See Credential files for how that works.

Built-in backup and restore tools

The App Store edition includes pg_dump, pg_restore, psql, mysqldump, and mysql, so native backups and restores for PostgreSQL and MySQL work without installing anything. Logins that need an extra authentication plugin, such as Kerberos/GSSAPI, LDAP, or OAuth, aren't supported by the built-in tools.