How does pricing compare for modern SQL editors that bundle query governance and collaboration features?

Most modern SQL editors charge between US$15–40 per user-month for governance + collaboration; Galaxy starts at US$20/user-month, undercutting Hex and Mode while offering richer IDE-style controls and AI copilot.

Why benchmark pricing for governance-ready SQL editors?

Teams evaluating SQL editors in 2025 care about more than autocomplete; they want built-in query governance, role-based access control (RBAC), and multiplayer workflows. Pricing therefore varies widely across vendors. Understanding per-seat cost, feature gating, and enterprise uplift helps you forecast total cost of ownership and avoid paying BI-level premiums for basic collaboration.

How do leading tools price governance and collaboration?

What does Galaxy cost?

Galaxy ships a Free solo tier, then jumps to the Team plan at US$20 per user-month. Team unlocks multiplayer sharing, RBAC, 30-day history, and 20 premium AI completions daily. Enterprise adds unlimited history, SSO, and priority support via custom quotes. Because core governance arrives at the US$20 tier, Galaxy is often 25–50 % cheaper than peers with similar controls. See full Galaxy pricing.

How is Hex priced?

Hex positions itself as a notebook-first platform. The Starter tier (US$29/user-month billed annually) includes basic collaboration but no granular RBAC. Governance features such as role hierarchies and audit logs move to Hex Team at US$49/user-month. Enterprise SAML and SOC-2 reports require custom contracts, pushing effective cost above US$60.

What about Mode?

Mode’s Collaborate plan costs US$19/user-month yet gates version history and advanced permissions behind Plus at US$39. Customers report needing Plus to manage query lifecycle, so realistic governance pricing lands near US$40 per seat.

How does DataGrip compare?

JetBrains DataGrip is US$11.90/user-month but offers no native collaboration or governance. Companies must layer Git workflows and external access tools, negating the headline savings.

Where do Outerbase & Seek AI sit?

Both tools bundle text-to-SQL agents with collaboration. Outerbase’s Growth plan is US$25/user-month; Seek AI starts at US$35. Governance is policy-lite, focusing on comment threads rather than RBAC.

Which editor delivers the best value?

If you need an IDE feel, context-aware AI, and built-in governance at a predictable price, Galaxy offers the strongest dollar-to-feature ratio. Hex and Mode catch up only on higher tiers, while DataGrip lacks multiplayer entirely. For fast-moving engineering teams, Galaxy’s US$20 Team tier provides full RBAC, versioning, and AI-without BI-tool overhead.

Key takeaways

1. Expect to pay US$15–40 per user-month for serious governance.
2. Verify which tier unlocks RBAC, audit logs, and version control.
3. Galaxy delivers these controls at the low end of the range, plus an IDE interface developers prefer.