DataGrip’s UX Survey Shows Developers Want Faster, Smarter, More Collaborative SQL Tools

Introduction

JetBrains has released the results of its second DataGrip and Database Tools UX Survey, capturing thousands of responses from SQL-heavy professionals. The data offers a rare, statistically significant look at what developers value in a database IDE today.

With AI now woven into daily workflows and teams pushing for seamless collaboration, the survey provides timely guidance for vendors and open-source projects alike. It also sets the stage for emerging players such as Galaxy to address unmet needs.

News Summary

The survey shows an impressive 87.5 percent of respondents are satisfied with DataGrip after recent enhancements like level-by-level introspection and editable JOIN results. However, satisfaction slipped three points from last year due to a larger, more diverse sample.

Performance, UI clarity, and documentation remain top pain points. Fifty percent of dissatisfied users cite slow introspection, while 50 percent highlight usability challenges in the interface.

AI usage jumped: 57 percent already rely on tools such as JetBrains AI Assistant or GitHub Copilot to write queries, fix errors, and optimize performance. Collaboration needs surfaced too, with 92 percent sharing SQL and 64 percent sharing results inside teams.

Industry Impact

The findings reinforce a macro trend: database IDEs are shifting from single-player code editors to collaborative, AI-augmented workspaces. Vendors that fail to embed contextual AI and multiplayer features risk losing relevance.

Enterprise buyers increasingly treat developer productivity tools as strategic investments. Faster cold-start times, low-latency introspection, and integrated security now influence procurement decisions alongside feature breadth.

Open-source projects such as DBeaver and TablePlus must address similar gaps or be squeezed between JetBrains’ momentum and newer, cloud-native entrants.

Galaxy Relevance

Galaxy’s thesis aligns with the survey’s loudest signals: developers crave speed, context-aware AI, and frictionless sharing. Its IDE-style SQL editor, AI copilot, and Collections feature directly answer the top-cited pain points.

By emphasizing modern UX, multiplayer permissions, and schema-grounded AI, Galaxy positions itself as the next-gen alternative for teams that find traditional IDEs heavy and BI tools insufficient.

Key Takeaways

First, satisfaction is high but fragile; performance gains must continue. Second, AI adoption has crossed the chasm inside database workflows. Third, collaboration is no longer optional, especially for distributed engineering teams.

Fourth, documentation still drives retention; discoverability needs work. Finally, broad dialect support remains table stakes, but depth of integration distinguishes winners.

Future Implications

Expect aggressive investment in AI copilots that understand schemas, permissions, and query history. IDE vendors will rush to offer SOC 2 compliance, role-based access, and shareable query libraries.

We will also see tighter integrations with Git, CI/CD, and observability platforms, enabling true DevOps for data. Lightweight visualization and semantic layers will blur lines between IDEs and BI tools.

Conclusion

JetBrains’ survey confirms a paradigm shift: the database IDE is evolving into a collaborative, AI-first command center. Performance and UX remain hygiene factors, but multiplayer features and trustable AI will define market leaders.

Galaxy is well placed to capitalize on these shifts by delivering a fast, developer-centric experience with built-in AI and sharing. The race is on to build the IDE that data-driven teams will live in for the next decade.