Top 7 MySQL GUI Tools in 2021

1 - DBeaver

Pros:

• Multi-Platform Databases
• Intuitive and very easy-to-use user interface.
• Free to download, licensed under GPL.
• You can Render ERDs to visualize your database
• Easy Import/Export/Backup
• Mock Data Generator
• NoSQL and BigData database support (Enterprise Edition Only)
• Visual Query Builder (Enterprise Edition Only)
• Analytical charts (Enterprise Edition Only)
• Query History (Enterprise Edition Only)
• Cross-platform - versions available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
• Easy way to export your schema and perform Automatic Database Tuning with EverSQL

Cons:

• Sometimes large queries can’t be stopped and have to be forcefully killed. In some cases, the entire application has to be killed.

Price: Free for basic usage. Enterprise Edition starts at $199

2

- DataGrip by JetBrain

Pros:

• Very fast auto-complete
• Plug-ins available - Large marketplace with many useful add-ons
• Notifications when long queries have completed
• Refactorings that work in SQL files and schemas - Enable you to change column names and perform mass updates
• Version control integration
• Multi-Platform Databases, Including MongoDB
• Built-in support for all popular databases
• Easy flow to download relevant drivers
• Diff viewer for routines
• Introspection - You can observe collections and fields in the database explorer.
• Cross-platform - versions available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS.
• Easy way to export your schema and perform Automatic Database Tuning with EverSQL

Cons:

• No Free version. Only 30 days trial

Price: Starts at $199.00

3

- MySQL Workbench

Pros:

• Intuitive and very easy-to-use user interface.
• Free to download, licensed under GPL.
• Cross-platform - versions available for Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
• Visual schema and query builder.
• This is the only SQL client which is supported and developed by MySQL, so you can be sure that it will contain all recent features to match the updates for MySQL's server.
• Allows optimizing SQL queries directly from the IDE, using a plugin developed by EverSQL.

Cons:

• The software is sometimes buggy some users report software crashes.
• Sometimes large queries can’t be stopped and have to be forcefully killed. In some cases, the entire application has to be killed.

Price: Free.

4

- HeidiSQL

Pros:

• Easy to use and very intuitive user interface.
• Free to use - Licensed under GNU GPL.
• The portable version is available for download, so you can use it without administrative privileges, nor requiring installation.
• Full database user management and privileges management options.
• Automate connections via a command-line utility.
• Ability to connect to MySQL database via an SSH tunnel, in case you don’t have the default port open for remote connections.
• Great syntax checks and auto-completion features.
• Can work with Linux distributions, but will require the Wine platform

Cons:

• Some users are reporting sudden crashes/bugs, but nothing that significantly interrupts the daily usage.
• Requires Wine for Linux.
• No official support for Mac OS.

Price: Free

5

- dbForge Studio for MySQL

Pros:

• Comfortable user interface for both beginner and advanced users.
• Built-in query profiler that allows to profile the query and compare it with other queries.
• Debug your query, step by step, using the known watch, call stack, and breakpoint concepts.
• GUI query builder and database builder. Drag and drop to build your own custom queries and database schema.
• Good syntax completion and checker.
• Full database user management and privileges management options.
• The backup wizard allows to schedule database backups.
• Allows storing code snippets.
• Good support for running large SQL files (without opening them).

Cons:

• The full version has a high price tag on it, so not everyone will be able to afford it.
• Very basic JSON viewer (for example, no ways to collapse or expand blocks of data).
• Users report that in some cases the autocomplete feature stops working, whenever many connections are opened.

Price: up to $249.95.

6

- Navicat for MySQL

Pros:

• Intuitive, easy-to-use UI.
• Ability to connect to MySQL database via an SSH tunnel, in case you don’t have the default port open for remote connections.
• Schedule database jobs - backup, restore, run reports, and more.
• Import data from: ODBC, Excel, Access, DBF, TXT, CSV, XML, JSON.
• Export data to: Excel, Access, DBF, TXT, CSV, XML, JSON.
• Visual schema and query builders.
• Cross-platform - Windows, Linux, and Mac OS versions are available.
• Syntax completion and checker.
• The premium version allows collaboration with teammates - share queries, connections, and more.

Cons:

• The high price point for the professional version.
• Uses Wine to be executed on Linux, which slows down the IDE.
• Some of the use cases require opening a new tab/window, which users report as a cumbersome process.

Price: up to $259.

7

- SQLyog

Pros:

• The very innovative and elegant user interface, the best one we’ve seen.
• Visually design the schema tables, constraints, and queries.
• Schedule tasks like backup, restore email notifications, and more.
• Personalize the look and feel with themes.
• The user interface is very customize-able.
• Fast and stable.
• Good data and schema sync tools.
• Ability to connect to MySQL database via an SSH tunnel, in case you don’t have the default port open for remote connections.
• The Ultimate version comes with a good data comparison tool.

Cons:

• The high price point for the professional version.
• Some users report occasional software crashes.
• Lack of support for databases other than MySQL.
• No native support for Linux or Mac.
• No drag and drop support between multiple tabs.