Top 8 (+1) PostgreSQL GUI software in 2021

When you start looking for a GUI for your database management, you’ll most likely find pgAdmin, a well-known GUI tool, and stop there. However, a few minutes of internet surfing and brief research might reveal a range of other GUI options for Postgres management.
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Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular GUI tools you can try today.

1. pgAdmin

An Open Source GUI for PostgreSQL. It can be used on most operating systems including Linux, macOS, Windows

Pros:

  • Cross-platform.

  • Can be included on any cloud server when you work with a distributed database.

  • Quite stable and fast in responding.

  • A very convenient SQL editor with shortcuts for better work efficiency.

  • CSV export.

  • Comprehensive documentation & large community.

Cons:

  • Installation requires the use of command lines, which leads to difficulties.

  • Rather heavy.

  • Not easy to onboard.

  • Working with several database instances simultaneously requires advanced skills.

2. DBeaver

An Open Source cross-platform GUI tool. It supports a range of other databases than PostgreSQL

Pros:

  • Desktop version.

  • CSV, HTML, JSON, XLS, and other data export.

  • Integration with MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and more.

  • Easy to kick off with no CLI knowledge.

  • Has a free version allowing you to taste the features before paying.

  • Editing column values is really easy.

Cons:

  • Desktop version (its performance depends on your machine capabilities).

  • Too frequent updates.

  • The need to re-launch the DBeaver application if you’ve been inactive in the app for some time since DBeaver becomes disconnected from your database.

3. Navicat

A MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB GUI that simplifies your communication with databases

Pros:

  • Easy installation process requiring a few command lines only.

  • Job Scheduler aimed at improving your team’s productivity.

  • Navicat Cloud that ensures team collaboration and easy connection to data sources.

  • Data visualization via a powerful in-built Data Modeling Tool.

  • Light and dark themes. 

Cons:

  • High prices (the cheapest plan starts from $119 per year).

  • Data Modeling Tool and Chart features are available only within the Enterprise plan.

  • Time-consuming manual refresh needed each time you add a new row.

  • Slow speed and performance.

4. DataGrip

An advanced database client supporting Windows, macOS, Linux operating systems

Pros:

  • Cross-platform.

  • Easy in use and configuration. 

  • Plugins and dialects for various databases.

  • One-command dependency installation.

  • DDL and DML automation tools.

  • Straightforward reports you can integrate with charts.

Cons:

  • Not Open Source, costs $199 a year.

  • Meant for querying, not suitable if you’re looking for an admin web app to be deployed in your cloud.

  • Not a good option for big companies and teams that need to manage several databases at a time.

5. HeidiSQL

An Open Source GUI created specifically for Windows. You can connect it to MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL

Pros:

  • Easy installation.

  • Free to use.

  • Syntax highlighting when writing queries.

  • Visibility into the backend that helps in troubleshooting.

  • 100% encrypted connection between Client and Server.

  • SSH support.

Cons:

  1. Doesn’t support other operating systems than Windows.

  2. Not very stable, has a lot of bugs.

  3. May miss features for advanced users due to being very lightweight. 

6. TablePlus

Native GUI software for managing MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB

Pros:

  • High performance and speed.

  • Customizable UI freeing you from the need to use Mojave.

  • Color-coded syntax support.

  • Standing out database security due to 100% encrypted connection to the database you use.

  • Shortcuts you can use to save time & increase productivity.

  • Built-in SSH support.

Cons:

  • May be hard to build a consistent UI.

  • Very limited free trial version.

  • Almost no support and frequently occurring problems when working with any databases other than PostgreSQL.

7. Beekeeper Studio

A cross-platform Open Source desktop GUI software for managing PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Redshift, and some other databases

Pros:

  • Easy-to-use interface with no unnecessary (for beginners) features.

  • Open and free with a permissive license (MIT).

  • High data privacy – no user tracking.

  • Offline working mode.

  • Diverse and highly inclusive tech community.

Cons:

  • Not feature-rich enough compared to DBeaver and some other competitors.

  • Not a good option for DBAs, more suitable for web developers.

  • No advanced database performance monitoring due to the tool simplicity. 

8. OmniDB

It’s a cross-platform simple Open Source GUI software for PostgreSQL database management

Pros:

  • Very responsive UI.

  • SQL autocomplete feature.

  • Customizable Charts to overview database metrics.

  • Rather powerful in debugging.

  • 100% data encryption.

Cons:

  • Supporting Postgres.

  • Better be used by one or two SQL developers only.

  • No high-level support.

  • Lack of documentation.

UI Bakery competing with traditional GUI software

Your choice of Postgres GUI will vary depending on your requirements, needs, budget.
There are Open Source and paid tools. There are GUI tools suitable for one or two users managing one database, and the tools ensuring the collaboration within a large team that works with multiple databases. There are GUI tools supporting PostgreSQL only and cross-platform ones.

And there’s UI Bakery, a low-code internal tool builder. Although not created for Postgres management initially, it’s very powerful if you need to connect multiple data sources (databases, third-party apps, REST APIs). You can visualize the data pulled from PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MySQL, MicrosoftSQL, Redis.

UI Bakery is web-based – no need to download and install anything. It’s affordable, and has a free trial. Thanks to ready-made UI components, you can create a very nice-looking web app UI and connect your data to it visually. The process takes minutes or hours depending on your tech skills.

Keep in mind that a low-code approach to managing your Postgres, MySQL, or another DB is more time-saving, flexible, and powerful than the use of traditional outdated GUI tools like pgAdmin.

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