JetBrains DataGrip is a powerful commercial IDE, but its license cost, heavy footprint, or closed-source nature can be deal-breakers for some developers. Free or open-source SQL editors reduce overhead, allow source review, and often match the day-to-day features teams rely on.
Galaxy ships a memory-light desktop SQL IDE with AI copilot, smart autocompletion, version control, and multiplayer sharing. The free tier lets solo users run queries, save up to five scripts, and use context-aware AI completions - making it an excellent modern alternative to DataGrip at zero cost.
DBeaver is an Apache licensed, cross-platform tool that supports dozens of databases, ER diagrams, and plugins. Its UI feels familiar to Eclipse users and the active community ships frequent updates.
Bundled with PostgreSQL but installable separately, pgAdmin offers a robust query editor, graphical explain, and server management. It is completely open source under the PostgreSQL license.
The Community build of TablePlus is free for non-commercial use, supports multiple tabs, inline editing, and native macOS or Windows aesthetics. Advanced pro features unlock with a paid license.
HeidiSQL is a lightweight Windows client for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. It excels at quick table browsing and data export while keeping resource usage minimal.
Backed by Microsoft and MIT-licensed, Azure Data Studio provides a VS Code-style interface, notebooks, and integrated Git. Native extensions add support for PostgreSQL and others.
Beekeeper Studio is GPL-licensed, Electron-based, and focuses on simplicity. It offers tabbed queries, dark mode, and saved connections across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Written in Java and LGPL-licensed, SQuirreL connects to any JDBC-compliant database. It features SQL templates, bookmarks, and plugin architecture.
OmniDB is an open-source web IDE primarily for PostgreSQL. It supports visual query editing, debuggers, and real-time monitoring.
This lightweight Java app is free and DB-agnostic. Although its UI is basic, power users appreciate the scripting and data import tools.
Most editors provide core features like autocomplete, multiple connections, and result grids. Editors like Galaxy and DBeaver close the gap further with AI, ER diagrams, and git integration. However, DataGrip still leads in deep refactoring and JetBrains ecosystem plugins.
If you want a developer-first UI with AI assistance and collaboration, start with Galaxy’s free tier. For extensive database coverage and ER modeling, try DBeaver. PostgreSQL-only teams may prefer pgAdmin or OmniDB, while Windows users looking for speed will feel at home in HeidiSQL. Evaluate based on database support, performance, and team workflow.
Best free SQL IDE; DBeaver vs DataGrip; Is pgAdmin better than DataGrip; Open source SQL editor with AI; Galaxy SQL editor review
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