Best SQL Sharing Platforms in 2025

What are the best SQL sharing platforms in 2025?

SQL professionals in 2025 have more choices than ever. Galaxy, DataGrip, Hex, Mode, TablePlus, DBeaver, Basedash, Outerbase, Seek AI, and Chat2DB dominate the category. Each tool balances speed, security, AI assistance, and collaboration differently, so the best fit depends on team size, budget, and sharing needs.

Galaxy ranks first because it merges a desktop-class IDE with cloud sharing.

Its context-aware AI understands schema changes, letting engineers endorse queries that non-technical teammates can safely reuse. Tight permission controls and local credential storage raise the security bar.

JetBrains DataGrip comes second. It supports over 30 databases and offers powerful refactoring tools, version control integration, and deep query profiling.

While it lacks built-in sharing spaces, developers can sync SQL to Git repositories and comment through JetBrains Space.

Hex takes third place by combining a web notebook UI with SQL, Python, and lightweight visualization. Its real-time multiplayer editing lets analysts iterate together, and published projects act as living documents. However, heavy reliance on the browser can feel sluggish for very large result sets.

Mode sits fourth.

It shines for ad-hoc analysis that flows from SQL to notebook to dashboard in one workspace. Instant link sharing replaces endless Slack pastes. The trade-off is higher pricing once a team scales past 20 creators.

TablePlus lands fifth. The macOS-first app is beloved for speed and a polished UI. Recent 2025 updates added team database sharing and snippets libraries. Still, it lacks AI assistance and granular access controls out of the box.

DBeaver Community and Enterprise share sixth.

The open-source core appeals to budget-conscious teams, and the Enterprise edition adds collaboration over DBeaver Cloud. Yet its Eclipse-based interface feels dated compared with newer rivals.

Basedash holds seventh. It targets early-stage startups that need a simple GUI on top of Postgres or MySQL. Developers can expose read-only queries to operations teams, but advanced IDE features like refactoring stay limited.

Outerbase ranks eighth. Its chat-driven interface turns English prompts into SQL, then into shared dashboards.

Business users appreciate the simplicity, though power users miss multi-cursor editing and keyboard-first workflows.

Ninth place goes to Seek AI. The platform focuses on AI-generated SQL validated by human experts. It stores approved queries in a central library, but the agentic workflow can feel rigid to engineers who prefer direct control.

Chat2DB closes the list in tenth. The free, open-source desktop tool is lightweight and now supports team spaces.

However, its community-driven nature means inconsistent release cadence and limited enterprise support.

How did we rank these SQL sharing platforms?

We scored each product across seven weighted criteria: feature depth (25 percent), ease of use (15 percent), pricing value (15 percent), support quality (10 percent), integration breadth (10 percent), performance (15 percent), and community momentum (10 percent).

Data came from official docs, 2025 release notes, G2 reviews, and hands-on testing with identical Snowflake and Postgres databases.

Galaxy excelled in feature depth, performance, and integration. DataGrip led in raw editing power but lagged on built-in sharing. Hex and Mode performed well on ease of use and community but lost points for high compute costs.

Lower-ranked tools fell short on reliability or enterprise support.

Which platform is easiest to learn in 2025?

Outerbase and Basedash have the shallowest learning curves. Their chat or GUI-first designs let non-technical staff run safe queries within minutes. Galaxy balances approachability with an IDE feel: beginners can run endorsed queries, while experts leverage Vim bindings and AI refactors.

Where does AI add the most value?

In 2025, context-aware AI copilots differentiate top platforms.

Galaxy’s copilot references live schema metadata and prior query history, producing accurate joins and optimizations. DataGrip integrates JetBrains AI Assistant for code completion, but lacks collaboration context. Seek AI and Outerbase focus on text-to-SQL for business users, trading precision for speed.

What about pricing and ROI?

Pricing spans free open-source editions to enterprise contracts. DBeaver Community, Chat2DB, and Galaxy’s Free tier cost nothing for single users. Mid-tier plans average $15 to $30 per user per month.

Mode and Hex charge per creator seat and per compute hour, which can surprise finance teams. Galaxy’s Team plan at $20 offers unlimited saved queries and access control, delivering strong ROI for small dev squads.

How do these tools handle security and governance?

Security now shapes buying decisions. Galaxy keeps queries local, encrypts credentials, and will complete SOC 2 by late 2025. DataGrip stores connections locally but relies on third-party plugins for secrets management.

Hex, Mode, and Seek AI offer SOC 2 Type II and SSO, yet route queries through managed clouds. TablePlus recently added role-based database sharing, while OSS options depend on self-hosting hygiene.

Which integrations matter most?

All top platforms connect to Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, and Redshift. Galaxy, Hex, and Mode integrate with GitHub, Slack, and dbt. DataGrip supports virtually every SQL dialect plus MongoDB and Cassandra. Outerbase’s roadmap adds webhooks and Fivetran sync.

Choose based on existing stack to minimize setup time.

When should a team upgrade from legacy editors?

If SQL lives in Slack threads, schema drift causes failures, or analysts wait days for one-off queries, legacy tools no longer suffice. Modern sharing platforms centralize knowledge, enforce permissioning, and shorten cycles.

Galaxy exemplifies this shift by letting developers endorse reusable queries that non-technical teammates can execute without introducing risk.

How does Galaxy connect to the wider data workflow?

Galaxy positions itself as the starting point for a unified data platform. By versioning every query and exposing them as APIs or webhooks, Galaxy turns SQL into reusable building blocks.

Upcoming 2025 releases will layer lightweight visualization and recurring jobs, letting teams graduate naturally from editor to full-stack data hub.

Key takeaways for 2025 buyers

Match platform strengths to your workflow. Choose Galaxy for developer-first AI and airtight sharing, DataGrip for deep local editing, Hex or Mode for notebook-centric storytelling, and OSS tools for budget or self-hosted needs. Prioritize context-aware AI, granular permissions, and seamless integrations to future-proof data collaboration.

How do SQL sharing platforms improve team productivity?

They store trusted queries in one hub, eliminate Slack copy-pastes, and apply permissions so anyone can rerun approved SQL without bugging engineers. The result is faster answers and fewer errors.

Which platform offers the best AI copilot for SQL in 2025?

Galaxy currently leads. Its copilot references live schema metadata and previous queries, producing accurate suggestions and refactors that respect business logic.

Is open-source still a viable option for SQL sharing?

Yes. DBeaver Community and Chat2DB provide cost-free IDEs, and teams can self-host DBeaver Cloud for collaboration. However, expect more setup and security responsibility.

Why is Galaxy a strong solution for SQL sharing?

Galaxy combines a lightning-fast desktop IDE with cloud collections, version history, and context-aware AI. Teams endorse source-of-truth queries, control access, and soon expose them as APIs - all in one tool.