--- title: Best Database Client Software canonical: https://saasranked.com/best/database-client-software/ facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Best Database Client Software Connect to your databases, write and run queries, browse tables and edit data from a desktop app. 12 database clients ranked by points out of 100 from 18 published rules. Method: https://saasranked.com/best/database-client-software/how-we-score/ | # | Product | Points | Systems | Databases | Connections and trust | Tools | Price | Cheapest paid plan | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | [DBeaver](https://saasranked.com/software/dbeaver.md) | 91 | 6/6 | 27/27 | 17/17 | 29/29 | 12/21 | $113/yr | | 2 | [DbVisualizer](https://saasranked.com/software/dbvisualizer.md) | 84 | 6/6 | 27/27 | 11/17 | 25/29 | 15/21 | $199/yr | | 3 | [Beekeeper Studio](https://saasranked.com/software/beekeeper-studio.md) | 81 | 6/6 | 23/27 | 17/17 | 18/29 | 17/21 | $108/yr | | 4 | [DataGrip](https://saasranked.com/software/datagrip.md) | 81 | 6/6 | 27/27 | 11/17 | 26/29 | 11/21 | $121.93/yr | | 5 | [DbGate](https://saasranked.com/software/dbgate.md) | 79 | 6/6 | 19/27 | 17/17 | 25/29 | 12/21 | $120/yr | | 6 | [Navicat Premium](https://saasranked.com/software/navicat-premium.md) | 78 | 6/6 | 21/27 | 11/17 | 29/29 | 11/21 | $749.99/yr | | 7 | [Valentina Studio](https://saasranked.com/software/valentina-studio.md) | 75 | 6/6 | 14/27 | 11/17 | 25/29 | 19/21 | $79.99/yr | | 8 | [pgAdmin](https://saasranked.com/software/pgadmin.md) | 71 | 6/6 | 3/27 | 17/17 | 24/29 | 21/21 | $0 | | 9 | [HeidiSQL](https://saasranked.com/software/heidisql.md) | 66 | 6/6 | 12/27 | 17/17 | 10/29 | 21/21 | $0 | | 10 | [TablePlus](https://saasranked.com/software/tableplus.md) | 65 | 6/6 | 19/27 | 11/17 | 10/29 | 19/21 | $99/yr | | 11 | [SQL Server Management Studio](https://saasranked.com/software/sql-server-management-studio.md) | 56 | 0/6 | 3/27 | 3/17 | 29/29 | 21/21 | $0 | | 12 | [MySQL Workbench](https://saasranked.com/software/mysql-workbench.md) | 55 | 6/6 | 3/27 | 17/17 | 23/29 | 6/21 | Not published | ## 1. DBeaver Best for: Developers and analysts who work with many database engines. DBeaver suits people who want one client for many engines and a free edition with open code. Lite includes a visual query builder, ER diagrams and AI help for $113 a year. The catch: pricing lists only subscriptions, and schema compare needs a higher edition. ## 2. DbVisualizer Best for: Developers who connect to many engines and want a free edition for basic work. DbVisualizer suits developers who need one client for many engines, and the free edition covers basic work with SSH, completion and a references graph. Pro at $199 for the first year adds the query builder, explain plans, import, more export formats and the AI assistant. The catch: the compare feature covers editor text and grids rather than databases, and free export is limited to CSV and HTML. ## 3. Beekeeper Studio Best for: Developers who want a multi-engine client with a free open-source edition. Beekeeper Studio suits developers who want one client for many engines, with a free edition they can read the code of. Indie is $108 a year and keeps working on the versions you paid for if you stop. The catch: import, the ER diagram and the AI Shell need a paid plan, and the vendor's pages show no query plan viewer, schema compare or visual query builder. ## 4. DataGrip Best for: Developers who write a lot of SQL and want an IDE-style editor. DataGrip suits professionals who want SQL editing, diagrams, schema compare and query plans in one IDE. The individual plan costs €109 in the first year and falls to €87 and €65 in later years. A perpetual fallback licence applies after 12 months of uninterrupted payments. The catch: the free version covers non-commercial use only. ## 5. DbGate Best for: Developers who want a free open-source client, with paid tools for query design and compare. DbGate suits developers who want a free open-source client that also covers MongoDB and Redis, and who may pay $120 a year for the query designer and compare tools. The catch: the vendor's pages name no BigQuery or Snowflake support, no query plan viewer and no perpetual licence for Premium, and the vendor's GitHub lists seven security advisories. ## 6. Navicat Premium Best for: Developers who work across many database engines and want editor tools in one client. Navicat Premium suits people who query many engines from one desktop client and are willing to pay for editor tools. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, with a free Lite edition. The catch is price: the cheapest paid commercial plan is $749.99 a year, and the feature matrix does not mention JDBC. ## 7. Valentina Studio Best for: People who want a free client for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite and MongoDB. Valentina Studio suits people who want a free client with a diagram editor, SQL editor and CSV, JSON and Excel export across MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, SQLite and MongoDB. The catch: each paid licence includes 12 months of updates, Oracle, Redis, BigQuery and Snowflake are not named, and the product pages do not list a query plan viewer. ## 8. pgAdmin Best for: PostgreSQL developers and administrators who want a free, open-source tool. pgAdmin suits anyone who works with PostgreSQL and wants a free, open-source tool with ERD, Schema Diff, graphical query plans and SSH tunnels. The catch: it is a single-engine tool, with no JDBC or ODBC route to other databases in the docs, and its results export is CSV only. ## 9. HeidiSQL Best for: Developers who want a free desktop client for MySQL-family and a few other engines. HeidiSQL suits developers who want a no-cost client for MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server or SQLite. It is open source, runs on three systems and was updated in August 2026. The catch: it lists no Oracle, MongoDB or Redis support, and its published pages do not mention a query plan viewer, ER diagrams, schema compare or an AI assistant. ## 10. TablePlus Best for: Developers who want a multi-engine client and prefer buying once. TablePlus suits developers who work across several SQL engines and want a one-time $99 licence instead of a subscription. It has SSH, autocomplete and CSV or JSON export. The catch: the docs show no query plan view, ER diagram or schema compare, and MongoDB support is labelled beta. ## 11. SQL Server Management Studio Best for: SQL Server and Azure SQL administrators and developers on Windows. SSMS suits anyone who works only with SQL Server or Azure SQL and wants a free tool with plans, diagrams and schema compare. It scores low on the engine lines by design, because it connects only to Microsoft engines. The catch: Windows only, closed source, and the Copilot assistant is a separate install. ## 12. MySQL Workbench Best for: MySQL developers and administrators who want a free, official tool. MySQL Workbench suits people who work only with MySQL and want a free tool from the server's maker. It covers modelling, synchronisation, visual query plans and SSH connections. The catch: it is not a general client, since other databases are migration sources only, and Oracle publishes no price for the Commercial edition.