DataGrip is an IDE (integrated development environment) for databases. It's developed by JetBrains (the same company behind popular IDEs IntelliJ and PyCharm) and designed to provide a unified interface for working with different relational databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server, and others.
DataGrip is part of the JetBrains ecosystem, offering integration with other JetBrains tools and frameworks so that users have a consistent experience with other JetBrains IDEs. So it's perfect if you prefer an IDE with database management features.
If you are not familiar with the JetBrains ecosystem or prefer a dedicated database GUI for database management and administration tasks, this post highlights FIVE alternatives to DataGrip.
DBeaver
DBeaver is a universal database tool that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers both open-source (free) and commercial products (subscription-based). The open-source version provides basic support for relational databases such as MySQL, SQL Server, Postgres, etc.; while the commercial one offers further support for NoSQL and cloud databases.
Navicat
Navicat is another long-established database GUI tool, which supports a long list of databases. It is a great single-user SQL client that works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, it has a serious limitation in multi-user scenarios where team collaboration and centralized control are needed. Navicat is not open-source, nor does it offer a free version, it operates on a subscription-based model with a 14-day trial.
TablePlus
TablePlus is a modern and lightweight intuitive database management tool fit for macOS, Windows, Linux, and even iOS. It offers a simple and streamlined interface for managing various relational and a few NoSQL databases.
TablePlus offers two plans: a free tier with no trial time (but with limited features) and a paid subscription plan that provides extended features.
TablePlus is not open-source, but the team's other product is - DBngin, which can spin up a local Postgres, MySQL or Redis on your Mac, it can then be connected to TablePlus as a UI for your databases.
Beekeeper Studio
Beekeeper Studio is a modern and lightweight database manager and SQL GUI client that supports Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, CockroachDB, and a few others. And it runs on Windows, macOS (both M1 and Intel), and Linux.
It offers two editions: the open-source community version, which is free to use; and the full version with all the features that operates on a subscription-based model.
Beekeeper was designed with easy-to-use and minimalistic in mind, at the expense of some more complex functionalities, but it obviously has all the basics of a database GUI down: connect to databases, view data and structure, run SQL queries, export data, etc.
Bytebase
Of course, if you have multiple different databases at your organization and are looking for a universal tool that can handle them all while covering database change, query, security, and governance all in one, please check out Bytebase. Aside from the visual SQL Editor integrated with access control and data masking, it also provides a customizable change workflow to fit your data/database change requirements.
Summary
DataGrip is a powerful SQL tool, but whether it is the right option for you depends on your tasks. It is a great compliment to IntelliJ as a database IDE. However, as a database admin tool, DataGrip is not a comprehensive alternative to the other professional database GUIs.
Below is a summary for the aforementioned tools:
| Open Source | Free version | Paid version | Audience | Strength | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DataGrip | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Individual | Intuitive UX and integraiton with other JetBrains IDEs |
| DBeaver | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Individual | Comprehensive features |
| Navicat | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Individual | Comprehensive features |
| TablePlus | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Individual | Native and intuitive interface |
| Beekeeper Studio | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Individual | Mordern and sleek interface |
| Bytebase | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Entire engineering org for developer, DBA and data team | Centralized access control, data masking, change review workflow |
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