Essential Mac Apps

Beekeeper Studio

Free SQL client for Mac for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and SQL Server with an autocomplete editor.

Alternative toTablePlus
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Beekeeper Studio is a SQL editor and database manager for Mac, Windows and Linux from Beekeeper Studio, Inc. The free Community Edition is open source and needs no sign-up, registration or credit card.

The query editor has autocomplete and syntax highlighting, and each query or table opens in its own tab. You can sort and filter table data, edit rows, change schemas, save queries and look back through your query history. Connections can run through SSH tunnels. Community connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, TiDB, Google BigQuery and Redis.

Paid editions (Indie, Professional and Business) add a JSON sidebar, import and export, backup and restore, editing of query results, an AI Shell and more databases, such as Oracle, MongoDB, DuckDB, ClickHouse and Snowflake. The pricing page says Community is meant for students, individuals, non-profits and small businesses, and asks larger companies to buy a license.

The Community code is licensed under GPL-3.0; paid features sit in the same repository under a commercial source-available license. It is one download, with premium features unlocked in the app. It needs macOS 12 or later and has separate Apple silicon and Intel builds.

Frequently asked questions

Is Beekeeper Studio free?

The Community Edition is free, with unlimited connections, queries and tabs. Paid editions start at $9 a month on yearly billing and add features such as import and export, backup and restore, and more database types.

Is Beekeeper Studio safe and open source?

The Community Edition is open source under GPL-3.0 and you can use it without creating an account. Code for the paid features is in the same GitHub repository under a commercial source-available license.

How do I install Beekeeper Studio?

Download it from beekeeperstudio.io, or run brew install --cask beekeeper-studio in Terminal. Paid features are unlocked inside the same app.

What macOS version does Beekeeper Studio need?

It needs macOS 12 Monterey or later, according to the Homebrew cask. There are native builds for Apple silicon and for Intel Macs.

How does Beekeeper Studio compare to TablePlus?

TablePlus is a native database app sold as a one-time license from $99 for one device; its free trial limits you to 2 open tabs and 2 windows. Beekeeper Studio Community is free with no tab limits and is open source, but some databases and features need a paid edition.

Can Beekeeper Studio connect through an SSH tunnel?

Yes. SSH tunnels are part of the free Community Edition, so you can reach a database server that is only open over SSH.

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