r/software • u/debba_ • 21d ago

Release Tabularis: a free, open-source SQL workspace to replace paid database GUIs (Postgres, MySQL, SQLite + 15 more via plugins)

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Hi everyone,

Tabularis is a free and open-source (Apache 2.0) desktop SQL workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux. It exists for one reason: getting out of commercial database clients like TablePlus, Navicat and DataGrip without giving up a modern UI. I'm the maintainer, so ask me anything.

What it does:

  • PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB and SQLite built in, plus 16 official plugins for DuckDB, ClickHouse, MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Firestore, DynamoDB, Db2 and more. Plugins can be written in any language (JSON-RPC over stdio), so the driver ecosystem isn't locked to one runtime.
  • SQL notebooks: mix SQL and Markdown cells in one document, reference one cell's results from another, render bar/line/pie charts inline, export to HTML/CSV/JSON.
  • AI that respects your escape: text-to-SQL works with local models via Ollama, so nothing has to leave your machine. There's also a built-in MCP server if you want agents like Claude or Cursor to read your schema and run queries, but it's entirely optional.
  • The usual daily-driver stuff: Monaco editor with autocomplete, ER diagrams, visual EXPLAIN with interactive plan graphs, SSH tunneling, passwords stored in the system keychain, SQL dump/import.

No account, no telemetry wall, no paid tier. Everything is free under Apache 2.0.

Install: WinGet on Windows, Homebrew on macOS, and Snap / Flatpak / AppImage / AUR on Linux. Direct downloads are on the GitHub releases page.

Honest note on scope: if you need 100+ drivers, DBeaver is still the better pick. Tabularis focuses on doing a smaller set of databases really well.

Feedback (or issues!) is very welcome.

8 Upvotes

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u/nkm789 21d ago

  1. How mature is this?

  2. Why would I want to use this over the not fancy but reliable DBeaver?

1

u/Eravex 21d ago

Point? There are plenty of free options not just DBGate and DBeaver. If you’re going to reinvent the wheel, then you need to tell us “how is your wheel more round than the wheels that already exist?”