The best database clients, according to hackers
12 database clients were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 2 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The two most recommended database clients with the badge. Each figure is 2 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Stays useful to long-term users
Recommended for SQL work across most databases, with inline query results. Critics most often say it is heavy, slow and memory-hungry.
Modern, polished design and UX
Recommended for a fast, modern desktop client across Postgres, MySQL and SQLite, with polished design. Critics mostly object to the subscription pricing.
All 12 database clients, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DataGrip | 27 | 13 | 68% | 10 | — | Approved |
| 2 | sqlit | 19 | 2 | 90% | 2 | — | — |
| 3 | DBeaver | 17 | 10 | 63% | 8 | — | — |
| 4 | HeidiSQL | 16 | 2 | 89% | 2 | — | — |
| 5 | DB Pro | 12 | 3 | 80% | 8 | 10 mo3 owners | Approved |
| 6 | SQL Studio | 10 | 8 | 56% | 1 | — | — |
| 7 | Tusk | 9 | 1 | 90% | 1 | — | — |
| 8 | SQL Server Management Studio | 8 | 8 | 50% | 6 | — | — |
| Tied 9 | pgAdmin | 6 | 11 | 35% | 5 | — | — |
| Tied 9 | TablePlus | 6 | 1 | 86% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | Postico | 5 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Tied 11 | databow | 5 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same database client in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to database clients that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.