In this post, we are going to have a quick review of three database tools: HeidiSQL, phpMyAdmin, TablePlus; and compare the pros and cons to see which is the best GUI client for your database management tasks.

1. HeidiSQL

HeidiSQL provides a powerful graphical interface for managing tables, logs, and users of a MySQL database, as well as Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL.

  • Supported Platforms: HeidiSQL was built for the Windows platform, and it only works on Windows.

  • Supported Drivers: Initially, HeidiSQL offered support for MySQL, then extended to MS SQL Server, and now it also includes PostgreSQL support.

  • Pricing: HeidiSQL is a free and open-source client. Its codebase was originally taken from Ansgar Becker’s own MySQL-Front 2.5 software. Anyone can download and use the app for free with no limitation, but it also accepts the donation.

HeidiSQL

Pros:

  • It’s lightweight.
  • Connect to multiple servers in one window
  • Free to use – Licensed under GNU GPL.
  • Portable. Alongside the possibility of downloading the installer and source code, a portable version of the software is available.
  • Full database user management and privileges management options.
  • Write queries with customizable syntax-highlighting and code-completion
  • Data synchronization. HeidiSQL can compare and synchronize your data and structure between local and remote databases.
  • SSH tunneling support

Cons:

  • Low stability. HeidiSQL is known to have a lot of bugs that result in frequent crashes
  • It’s only available for Windows and it doesn’t look like a cross-platform is coming anytime soon
  • No built-in debugger included
  • Low DPI display. The author attempted to add the high DPI but dropped it eventually.

2. phpMyAdmin

With a web-based build, phpMyAdmin offers a handy tool to handle the administration of a MySQL database in a web browser.

  • Supported platforms: phpMyAdmin is a web-based administration tool, so you can get it run from any platforms with a web browser.

  • Supported Drivers: phpMyAdmin works with MySQL only. It supports MySQL 5.5 and newer.

  • Pricing: phpMyAdmin is free and open source. It’s available on almost every hosting service.

phpMyAdmin

Pros:

  • It’s portable. It can run on any computer and on any OS with a web browser.
  • Easy installation. You need to have PHP and MySQL installed on your server, extract the files to a specified directory and run the install script.
  • Stable due to its maturity.
  • Comprehensive management of user accounts and permissions.

Cons:

  • It’s web-based, so it runs slow and depends too much on the browser.
  • Confusing and outdated interface. It may take some time to get used to it.
  • No schema visualization.
  • Does not have smart code highlighting or auto-completion capabilities.

3. TablePlus

With a native build and a lightweight size, TablePlus offers a fast and easy solution for managing multiple databases.

  • Supported platforms: TablePlus is built native for each platform. It started out with a native version for Mac, then another version for Windows, and a version for Linux was introduced recently as an alpha release. It also has an iOS version.

  • Supported Drivers: TablePlus supports a handful of relational databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, MariaDB, CockroachDB, Vertica, Oracle; and two popular NoSQL databases: Cassandra and Redis.

  • Pricing: TablePlus has a free version with full set of features which you can download and use forever, but there are some usage limitations. If you use it heavily, the license costs $59 to remove all those limitations.

TablePlus

Pros:

  • Native build for each platform so it’s fast, lightweight, and stable.
  • Clean and simple interface.
  • Multiple drivers support
  • Multiple conditions data filter
  • Queries history and keyword binding favorite.
  • Streaming results and async loading to show queries results faster and doesn’t block the UI.
  • Very quick inline editing for table data and structure, you also can edit query results directly.
  • Smart query editor with highlight syntax, instant autocomplete, SQL reformat.
  • A plugin system to extend the app.
  • Quick support. TablePlus releases new updates regularly and responds to users’ requests almost immediately.

Cons:

It currently lacks of some advanced features such as ER Diagram, database compare tool to Diff and Sync, etc.

4. Conclusion

Go with phpMyAdmin if you:

  • Prefer a web-based app
  • Work with MySQL only

Go with HeidiSQL if you:

  • Prefer the old-fashioned design with loads of buttons in the UI.
  • Work on Windows only
  • Need a tool that is feature rich.

Go with TablePlus if you:

  • Are a fan of native experience
  • Work with multiple databases
  • Want a modern design with better usability
  • Want quick support & development cycle.