TablePlus vs DBeaver

Pick TablePlus if you want a native Mac app with a simple interface and are willing to pay for a license. Pick DBeaver if you want a free, open source tool that connects to more databases and does more, and you can live with a busier, IDE-style interface. Both run on macOS, Windows and Linux, and only TablePlus has an iOS app.

We make a Mac database client of our own, which gets one mention near the end. Neither TablePlus nor DBeaver is ours, and everything below comes from their own sites and documentation.

At a glance

	TablePlus	DBeaver
Price	Perpetual license from USD 99 (one device, one year of updates)	Community free; PRO from USD 113 a year
Free version	2 tabs, 2 windows and 2 advanced filters at a time	Community has no usage limits
Source code	Closed source	Community is open source (Apache 2.0)
Databases	Around 16 named, including Redis, Cassandra, Snowflake and MongoDB (beta)	More than 100 drivers in Community; NoSQL in PRO
Platforms	macOS 12 or later, Windows, Linux, iOS 15 or later	macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux
Built with	Native app on the Mac	Java on Eclipse RCP, with a bundled Java runtime
Pending edits	Commit or discard, with Code Preview	Save or Cancel, with a script preview
Production safety	Connection tags, colors, five Safe Mode levels	Connection types with confirmations and manual commit
ER diagrams	Not described in its docs	Yes
AI	LLM plugin using your own provider	AI Chat in Community

Price

TablePlus sells perpetual licenses. On its pricing page in October 2026, Basic costs USD 99 for one device, Standard USD 129 for two devices, and Team USD 79 per seat with a three-seat minimum. Each includes a year of updates. After that you keep the version you have, or renew updates for USD 59 per device. A desktop license also covers the iOS app, and TablePlus is included in the Setapp subscription.

The free TablePlus download never expires, but it allows two open tabs, two open windows and two advanced filters at a time. On Windows, the free version has no filters. That is enough for an occasional query and tight for daily work.

DBeaver Community is free under the Apache 2.0 license, with no tab or connection limits and no restriction on commercial use. The PRO editions on DBeaver's comparison page cost USD 113 a year for Lite (or USD 12 a month), USD 255 a year for Enterprise, USD 510 a year for Ultimate, and from USD 1,630 a year for Team Edition. There is a 14-day trial.

If your budget is zero, DBeaver wins outright. If you will pay something, compare a one-time USD 99 for TablePlus with USD 113 every year for DBeaver Lite. TablePlus costs less over time unless you need what DBeaver PRO adds.

Supported databases

TablePlus's documentation lists PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, Oracle, CockroachDB, Snowflake, Cassandra, Redis, Vertica and MongoDB (in beta). Its homepage adds BigQuery, ClickHouse and TursoDB. Some support depends on the platform: Oracle works only on macOS, and Snowflake only on macOS and Windows. Databases that speak a supported protocol, such as Percona or YugabyteDB, should also work.

DBeaver connects through JDBC, and its README says Community supports more than 100 database drivers out of the box. If a database has a JDBC driver, DBeaver can usually reach it. NoSQL sources such as MongoDB, Redis, Cassandra and DynamoDB need a PRO edition.

That creates an interesting split. For relational databases, DBeaver Community covers far more for free. For Redis or MongoDB, a TablePlus license includes them, while DBeaver needs a yearly PRO subscription.

Platforms and how each one feels

TablePlus is a native Mac app for macOS 12 or later on Intel and Apple silicon. It also has Windows and Linux versions and an iOS app. The versions are not identical: Oracle works only on the Mac, Snowflake is missing on Linux, and the free Windows version has no filters. On the Mac, TablePlus looks and behaves like a Mac app.

DBeaver is written mostly in Java on the Eclipse RCP platform. Its download page offers builds for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, Windows and Linux, each with a bundled OpenJDK runtime, and a Homebrew cask (brew install --cask dbeaver-community). It behaves the same on every system, which is useful for mixed teams, but on a Mac it feels like an IDE: panels, toolbars and many preference pages. If you know Eclipse, you will feel at home. If you mostly use Mac apps, expect a learning period.

Editing data and production safety

Both apps hold grid edits until you confirm them.

In TablePlus, changes you make in the data grid stay pending until you commit with the Commit button or ⌘S. Discard throws them away, and Code Preview (⌘⇧P) shows the SQL generated for uncommitted changes. Every connection gets a tag (Local, Testing, Development, Staging or Production) and a color. Safe Mode has five levels, from Silent, through warnings before each query, to a password prompt before each query, with variants that skip SELECT and EXPLAIN. Changing the level can require the database password, or Touch ID if you allow it in preferences.

In DBeaver, edits stay pending until you click Save, Cancel discards them, and the Script button previews the SQL. DBeaver's connection types are its main safety tool. Development commits automatically and asks nothing. Test asks before saving data changes. Production turns auto-commit off, asks before running INSERT, UPDATE or DELETE, asks before saving data changes, and colors the connection brick red. A separate setting makes a connection read-only.

Both approaches work. TablePlus's password prompt is the firmer barrier, and DBeaver's manual commit on Production gives you a rollback window. Neither replaces a database user with read-only permissions, which our guide to editing production data safely explains.

Query editor and other tools

TablePlus keeps its query editor focused. It has several cursors, SQL beautify and minify, a split editor, run current or run all, query history, and favorite queries you call up with a keyword. It exports table data to CSV, JSON or SQL, imports CSV files and SQL dumps, and has backup and restore. You can copy rows as JSON, HTML, Markdown, CSV or SQL inserts. JavaScript plugins are available in beta.

DBeaver does more. Community has ER diagrams, execution plans as a graph or a table (for some databases, such as SQL Server, plans need PRO), data transfer between databases, task management and exports to formats including CSV, JSON, SQL, XML, XLSX, Markdown and HTML. PRO editions add a visual query builder, and Enterprise adds tools such as schema compare and ERD editing. If you want one app for diagrams, data transfer and queries, DBeaver is the stronger choice.

Both support SSH tunnels. TablePlus reads ~/.ssh/config when you leave the key field empty. For a walkthrough, see how to connect to a database through an SSH tunnel on Mac.

Privacy and AI

TablePlus says it never sends or stores your database data on its servers and keeps credentials in the macOS Keychain. It stores your email address for license management, and sends crash reports through Microsoft App Center unless you turn that off. Its LLM plugin is on by default: rows are never sent, but table structure may be shared with the AI provider you configure, and you can disable it.

DBeaver Community includes an AI Chat with an @ai command in the SQL editor. As with any AI feature, check which provider receives your schema before you use it on a client's database.

Pick TablePlus if

• You work mainly on a Mac and want an app that feels native.
• You prefer a one-time license to a yearly subscription.
• You use Redis or MongoDB and do not want to pay yearly for them.
• You want an iOS app for quick checks.
• You like a simple editor without IDE weight.

Pick DBeaver if

• You want a full-featured client that costs nothing, with no tab limits.
• You need a relational database TablePlus does not list.
• You want ER diagrams, data transfer and many export formats.
• Your team uses Windows, Linux and Mac and wants the same tool everywhere.
• You want open source code.

A third option

If you work only on a Mac with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite or SQL Server, there is a third option: dbPlus, which we make. It is a native Mac client that stages edits and commits them in one transaction, asks before writes to production connections, and can import TablePlus connections. It is coming to the Mac App Store and is not released yet, with Premium at USD 19 a year; details are on its product page. For a wider view, see our list of TablePlus alternatives for Mac and the best free database clients for Mac.

Prices and features were checked on the vendors' sites in October 2026.

FAQ

Is DBeaver better than TablePlus?

It depends on what you value. DBeaver is free, open source and supports more relational databases, with tools such as ER diagrams. TablePlus is a native Mac app with a simpler interface and includes Redis and MongoDB in its license. Using both is also reasonable: TablePlus for daily work, and DBeaver Community for databases TablePlus does not list.

Is TablePlus worth paying for when DBeaver is free?

If you spend hours a day in a database client on a Mac, the native interface and focused editor are what you pay for, and USD 99 once is a modest cost. If you only need a client now and then, or need databases TablePlus does not list, DBeaver Community is enough. The free TablePlus version lets you try it with no time limit.

Can TablePlus and DBeaver connect to MongoDB?

TablePlus supports MongoDB in beta, included in its license. DBeaver supports MongoDB only in its PRO editions, starting with Lite at USD 113 a year. DBeaver Community does not include NoSQL sources.

Do TablePlus and DBeaver run on Apple silicon?

Yes. TablePlus runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs with macOS 12 or later. DBeaver publishes a separate Apple silicon build that includes its own Java runtime.