Exploring the world of SQL and need a local SQL Database for testing and development purpose? It’s easy to get around with MySQL, the most popular open source relation database, or PostgreSQL, the most advanced open source relational database.

To download MySQL or PostgreSQL on Mac, use DBngin.

DBngin is a lightweight utility on Mac that helps you download, install, and manage multiple versions of MySQL and PostgreSQL on your Mac. It also works with NoSQL Redis.

To get started, download DBngin from its website.
 Then install it on your Mac.

Launch DBngin and click the + button to start a new database server.


Launch DBngin

Select MySQL or PostgreSQL from the Service Dropdown list, and choose its version. Let’s choose MySQL.

Name your new database server and hit Create to continue.


New Server DBngin

Back to the Database Control Panel, hit start the server you just created. DBngin will now download the MySQL binaries to set up a local database server and create a default MySQL database for you.

New Server DBngin

After you start the server, even if you quit DBngin, the server is still on and you can continue working on it. When you don’t need it on anymore, open DBngin and hit Stop from the Control Panel.

Download TablePlus GUI to manage the database

Now you have the database and you need a database client to interact with it. TablePlus GUI tool is a good start. It’s native for macOS, lightweight, high performance, and free.

Download TablePlus for Mac here. Then install it on your Mac.

Go back to DBngin, select the database and click on the arrow button to open it with TablePlus.

TablePlus

Now you’re good to go!