The short answer. The first question is which engines you actually connect to. If the database is a file on your disk, DB Browser for SQLite is the purpose-built answer and nothing else here replaces it. If you connect to many different servers and want one client for all of them, DBeaver. If you want a cross-platform SQL editor with a tabbed interface, Beekeeper Studio. If you want AI-assisted SQL editing across SQL and NoSQL engines, TablePro. If the data is in Redis rather than a SQL engine, Another Redis Desktop Manager. And if you want something lighter that still covers the common engines, Dataflare or Bdash.
This guide covers 10 database clients for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment. Last verified 2026-10-16.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Another Redis Desktop Manager | database client | Open source | MIT | 1.7.4 |
| Base 2 | database client | not published | not published | 3.3.0 |
| Bdash | database client | Open source | MIT | 1.35.2 |
| Beekeeper Studio | database client | Open source | not published | 6.1.5 |
| Chrome MySQL Admin | database client | Open source | Apache-2.0 | — |
| Dataflare | database client | not published | not published | 3.2.4 |
| DB Browser for SQLite | database client | Open source | GPL-3.0 | 3.13.1 |
| DB Pro | database client | not published | not published | 2.10.0 |
| DBeaver | database client | not published | not published | 1.2.0 |
| TablePro | developer tool | Open source | AGPL-3.0 | 0.77.1 |
What actually decides this
- A file, or a server. SQLite is a file you open; Postgres and MySQL are servers you connect to. Some clients do one and some do both, and a client that does both is not automatically better — it is a different tool with more surface area.
- Which engines it speaks. This is the axis that eliminates the most candidates. A universal client covers everything adequately; a purpose-built one covers its engine well and nothing else.
- What the client actually does. A database client sends SQL and renders the result. It does not tune the server, and no amount of interface polish changes that. Expecting a client to fix a slow query is the mistake this criterion exists to prevent.
- Licence and redistribution. GPL and AGPL are unremarkable for a tool you use yourself and consequential if you bundle or redistribute it. Several clients here are copyleft, and that is a fact about the software rather than a criticism of it.
- Where the query runs. The client runs on your Mac; the query runs on the server. That is why a client’s speed says almost nothing about how a query will perform in production.
Our picks
- DB Browser for SQLite — It is built for SQLite specifically, which is the one engine a universal client handles least naturally. Choose it when the database is a file on your disk rather than a server.
- DBeaver — Its record describes it as a universal SQL client, which is the broadest coverage in this group. Choose it when you connect to many different engines and want one client for all of them.
- Beekeeper Studio — Its record lists a cross-platform build, an autocompleting editor and a tabbed interface as the core of the product. Choose it when you want a cross-platform SQL editor with a tabbed interface.
- TablePro — Its record describes AI-assisted SQL editing across major SQL and NoSQL engines. Choose it when you want AI-assisted SQL editing and work with both SQL and NoSQL engines.
- Another Redis Desktop Manager — It is a Redis client specifically, and its record documents ongoing engine work including connection groups and additional Redis data types. Choose it when the data is in Redis rather than a SQL engine.
- Dataflare — Its record lists Postgres, MySQL, DuckDB, libSQL and Cloudflare D1 among the engines it supports. Choose it when you want a lightweight client covering the common engines and some newer ones.
The apps
Another Redis Desktop Manager
Another Redis Desktop Manager is a database client for macOS. A faster, better and more stable redis desktop manager. It is released under MIT.
What it does. 2026-08-15: TimeSeries\Vector\ARRAY Support && Test Connection Support. 2026-07-29: Connection Group Support! 2025-10-01: Long time no see! New features will coming soon! 2024-11-03: Import batch commands from files.
Another Redis Desktop Manager is listed with current version 1.7.4.
Full profile and verified facts for Another Redis Desktop Manager →
Base 2
Base 2 is a database client for macOS. Application for creating, designing, editing and browsing SQLite 3 database files. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Base is the SQLite database editor Mac users love. Designed for everyone, with a comfortable interface that makes database work so much nicer.
Base 2 is listed with current version 3.3.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Base 2 →
Bdash
Bdash is a database client for macOS. Modern SQL client application, supports MySQL, PostgreSQL (Redshift) and BigQuery. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Simple SQL Client for lightweight data analysis.
Bdash is listed with current version 1.35.2.
Full profile and verified facts for Bdash →
Beekeeper Studio
Beekeeper Studio is a database client for macOS. Smooth SQL editor and database manager. It is open source.
What it does. Truly cross-platform: Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Autocomplete SQL query editor with syntax highlighting. Tabbed interface, so you can multitask. Sort and filter table data to find just what you need.
Beekeeper Studio is listed with current version 6.1.5.
Full profile and verified facts for Beekeeper Studio →
Chrome MySQL Admin
Chrome MySQL Admin is a database client for macOS. Powerful Chrome app to manage your MySQL. It is released under Apache-2.0.
What it does. ChromeMyAdmin provides you the administration GUI of MySQL server. It is like phpMyAdmin, Sequel Pro.
Full profile and verified facts for Chrome MySQL Admin →
Dataflare
Dataflare is a database client for macOS. Simple database client supporting Postgres, MySQL, DuckDB, libSQL, Cloudflare D1, and more. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Fast, simple, cross-platform database manager with intuitive GUI to connect, query, and manage 27+ databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, ClickHouse, DuckDB, Redis, S3/R2, and more.
Dataflare is listed with current version 3.2.4.
Full profile and verified facts for Dataflare →
DB Browser for SQLite
DB Browser for SQLite is a database client for macOS. Create, edit and query SQLite database files, with a log of every SQL command issued. It is released under GPL-3.0.
Strengths. Free and open source under GPL-3.0, with no account and no paid tier. Examines a log of all SQL commands issued by the application, so a graphical change can be traced to the SQL behind it. Imports and exports whole databases as SQL dump files, not just individual tables.
Trade-offs. Deliberately leaves out convenience functions that would go beyond a simple database frontend, rather than implementing them badly. It handles SQLite files only — no Postgres, MySQL or other server databases. According to the developer, the project describes itself as a small team with limited time, so features are added slowly.
Not for. Spreadsheet work — the project states it is not meant to replace a spreadsheet application.
What it does. Create and compact SQLite database files. Create, define, modify and delete tables and indexes. Browse, edit, add and delete records. Import and export tables from and to CSV files.
DB Browser for SQLite is listed with current version 3.13.1.
Full profile and verified facts for DB Browser for SQLite →
DB Pro
DB Pro is a database client for macOS. Database client for querying and managing SQL databases. Its pricing is not published.
What it does. Query, explore, and manage your databases with a powerful yet intuitive interface. Built for developers who demand speed, reliability, and elegant workflows to export.
DB Pro is listed with current version 2.10.0.
Full profile and verified facts for DB Pro →
DBeaver
DBeaver is a database client for macOS. Universal SQL Client. Its pricing is not published.
DBeaver is listed with current version 1.2.0.
Full profile and verified facts for DBeaver →
TablePro
TablePro is a developer tool for macOS. Fast database client with AI-assisted SQL editing and support for major SQL/NoSQL engines. It is released under AGPL-3.0.
What it does. Free and open source database client built natively for developers - TableProApp/TablePro.
TablePro is listed with current version 0.77.1.
Full profile and verified facts for TablePro →
How to choose
- No licence fee, source available. Another Redis Desktop Manager, Bdash, Beekeeper Studio, Chrome MySQL Admin, DB Browser for SQLite and TablePro — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
- Pricing not published in our data. Base 2, Dataflare, DB Pro and DBeaver — check the developer’s own site before assuming anything about cost.
Open source: Another Redis Desktop Manager, Bdash, Beekeeper Studio, Chrome MySQL Admin, DB Browser for SQLite and TablePro (6 of 10).
Common mistakes
- Reaching for a universal client to open a SQLite file, or a SQLite browser to reach a server. The purpose-built tools are better at their own engine.
- Expecting the client to make a query faster. The client sends SQL and draws a table; the work happens on the server.
- Ignoring a copyleft licence until the day you want to bundle the client with something you ship.
- Editing rows directly in a production database through a GUI. The client makes it easy, and that ease is the whole risk.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Verified 2026-10-16.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these database clients?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 10 database clients: Another Redis Desktop Manager, Base 2, Bdash, Beekeeper Studio, Chrome MySQL Admin, Dataflare, DB Browser for SQLite, DB Pro, DBeaver and TablePro. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these database clients free?
Pricing across this group: open source (Another Redis Desktop Manager, Bdash, Beekeeper Studio, Chrome MySQL Admin, DB Browser for SQLite and TablePro) and not published (Base 2, Dataflare, DB Pro and DBeaver). Where we list pricing as not published, the developer does not state a model we could verify — check their own site before assuming anything about cost. We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these database clients are open source?
Another Redis Desktop Manager (MIT), Bdash (MIT), Beekeeper Studio (not published), Chrome MySQL Admin (Apache-2.0), DB Browser for SQLite (GPL-3.0) and TablePro (AGPL-3.0) are open source.
Do these database clients support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
Who should not use these apps?
DB Browser for SQLite each list an audience they are explicitly not aimed at. Those notes come from the same verified records as the rest of this guide, and they are worth reading before you install anything.
When was this data last verified?
The facts in this guide were last confirmed on 2026-10-16. Every app page carries its own verification dates and source list, so you can check any individual claim.
