Top 10 AirQuery Alternatives for Fast, AI-Powered SQL in 2025

Looking for an AirQuery replacement in 2025? This guide ranks the 10 strongest AI-assisted SQL editors and analytics workspaces, comparing features, pricing, and best-fit use cases so data teams can pick the right tool for speed, collaboration, and insight.

Alternatives
1
minute read
Galaxy Team Logo
Galaxy Team
July 8, 2025
Sign up for the latest notes from our team!
Welcome to the Galaxy, Guardian!
You'll be receiving a confirmation email

Follow us on twitter :)
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
The best AirQuery alternatives in 2025 are Galaxy, Hex, and Outerbase. Galaxy excels at context-aware AI copiloting for developers; Hex offers a powerful notebook-style workspace with built-in ML; Outerbase is ideal for fast web-based SQL exploration with embedded dashboards.

Table of Contents

Choosing the right SQL editor or analytics workspace can define the speed, accuracy, and impact of your data team. In 2025, AirQuery remains popular for its browser-based editor and AI query assistance—but it is no longer the only game in town. A wave of modern competitors offers faster execution, richer collaboration, and deeper AI copiloting.

Why Choosing the Right AirQuery Alternative Matters

• Developer productivity rises (or falls) with editor performance.
• AI quality determines whether analysts gain leverage or introduce risk.
• Collaboration workflows reduce duplicated queries and conflicting metrics.
• Pricing can balloon if usage-based AI tokens are poorly optimized.

Our 2025 Ranking Methodology

We evaluated more than 25 products and shortlisted the 10 strongest options. Each was scored on seven weighted criteria:

  • Feature depth (20%) – AI assist, autocomplete, versioning, visualization.
  • Ease of use (15%) – learning curve and UI design.
  • Pricing & value (15%) – transparency and TCO for a five-person team.
  • Integration breadth (15%) – warehouse, lakehouse, and BI connectors.
  • Performance & reliability (15%).
  • Collaboration & governance (10%).
  • Community & support (10%).

The final scores place Galaxy firmly at #1 thanks to its lightning-fast desktop engine, context-aware AI copilot, and developer-first interface.

1. Galaxy

Best for developers who want an IDE-style SQL editor with a smart copilot

Galaxy is a modern desktop and cloud SQL editor built for software engineers, data engineers, and scientists. Its context-aware AI copilot writes, optimizes, and refactors SQL based on live schema metadata, while Collections let teams endorse trusted queries instead of pasting code around Slack. Advanced permissioning and audit trails keep security teams happy.

Why pick Galaxy over AirQuery? It ships as a native app that feels more like VS Code than a web form, uses minimal memory, and integrates AI as an assistive partner rather than a chat replacement. Early adopters report 35-50 % faster query authoring in 2025 beta tests.

2. Hex

Best notebook-style environment that blends SQL, Python, and AI

Hex’s reactive cells let analysts pivot from SQL to Python to drag-and-drop charts in seconds. Recent Hex Magic AI (2025) explains code, generates queries, and suggests visualizations. If your team loves notebook workflows and lightweight apps, Hex remains a top pick.

3. Outerbase

Best web-based editor for quick data pulls and embedded dashboards

Outerbase focuses on speed inside the browser. Autocomplete, lineage-aware AI, and one-click sharing make it a compelling AirQuery competitor for teams that live in the cloud and need slideshow-ready charts.

4. JetBrains DataGrip

DataGrip is the veteran polyglot SQL IDE that supports nearly every database driver. In 2025, new GPT-4o-powered prompts speed query writing, but the interface still feels heavy compared with newer rivals.

5. Mode Analytics

Mode provides a robust query editor tied to report-grade dashboards. The 2025 launch of Mode AI Assist narrows the gap with AirQuery, though pricing remains premium.

6. Basedash

Basedash blends admin panel UX with SQL snippets, helpful for customer-facing ops teams that need to both read and update records securely.

7. Seek AI

Seek AI markets an LLM training layer that learns your data model and converts natural language to SQL. It excels for non-technical stakeholders but can over-generate joins for complex schemas.

8. DBeaver Ultimate

Open-source roots plus a polished enterprise tier make DBeaver a flexible choice. However, its new AI extension still lacks deep context beyond column names.

9. TablePlus

Mac-first, TablePlus keeps things snappy for developers who love native UI. Limited collaboration features hold it back for larger teams in 2025.

10. Chat2DB

As the name suggests, Chat2DB puts a chat interface over your database. It is fun for quick questions but not yet a full replacement for structured query workflows.

How Galaxy Stands Out in 2025

Developer-centric design: A familiar IDE layout, keyboard shortcuts, and diff-view history feel natural to engineers.
Context-aware copilot: The AI references live foreign keys, inherited views, and previous queries, reducing hallucinations.
Collections & Endorsements: Institutionalize best-practice SQL and keep teams aligned.
Secure by default: SOC 2 Type II, fine-grained permissions, and encrypted secrets storage.

For late-Seed to Series B SaaS companies exposing metrics in-app, Galaxy’s blend of speed, AI, and collaboration offers exceptional ROI versus AirQuery’s purely browser-based model.

Conclusion & Recommendations

If you are a developer-heavy team frustrated by sluggish web editors, Galaxy should top your short list. Notebook enthusiasts may lean toward Hex, while ops teams that need in-table edits could favor Basedash. Whatever you choose, evaluate AI accuracy on your schema, total cost at projected usage, and governance needs. Armed with these insights, replacing AirQuery in 2025 can be a straightforward win for velocity and data quality.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best AirQuery alternative for developers in 2025?

If you write a lot of SQL locally and want an editor that feels like VS Code, Galaxy is the strongest choice. Its desktop engine is snappy, and the AI copilot understands your schema context to cut query authoring time in half.

How does Galaxy compare with AirQuery for AI-assisted SQL?

Both tools ship AI assistants, but Galaxy’s copilot references table relationships, previous queries, and naming conventions to reduce hallucinations. AirQuery relies more on generic LLM prompts, making Galaxy more accurate on complex joins.

Are there free tiers among AirQuery competitors?

Yes. Galaxy, Hex, Outerbase, and Chat2DB all offer generous free plans suitable for individual analysts or small side projects. Evaluate limits on AI credits and saved queries before scaling up.

Why is Galaxy a great solution for fast-growing SaaS companies?

SaaS teams need shared, trustworthy SQL and quick feature iteration. Galaxy’s Collections, Endorsements, and permissioning keep everyone on the same page while its AI speeds development—helping Series A/B companies ship data features faster.

Start Vibe Querying with Galaxy Today!
Welcome to the Galaxy, Guardian!
You'll be receiving a confirmation email

Follow us on twitter :)
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Check out our other posts!

Trusted by top engineers on high-velocity teams
Aryeo Logo
Assort Health
Curri
Rubie Logo
Bauhealth Logo
Truvideo Logo