head to head · open source
DBeaver vs bun
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars, 4,442 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. bun has 5,004 stars, 316 forks, 38 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 945% (52,273 vs 5,004 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; bun is written in Go under BSD-2-Clause. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, bun 6%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (database, mysql, oracle), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| DBeaver | bun | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 5.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | BSD-2-Clause |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 316 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick DBeaver if
- You weight community size — 52K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick bun if
- You want the bun feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-2-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and bun fits your workflow better
About DBeaver
DBeaver Free multi platform database tool for developers, SQL programmers, database administrators and analysts. Has a lot of features including schema editor, SQL editor, data editor, AI chat, ER diagrams, data export/import/migration, SQL execution plans, database administration tools, database dashboards, Spatial data viewer, proxy and SSH tunnelling, custom database drivers editor, etc. Out of the box supports more than 100 database drivers . Supports any database which has JDBC or ODBC driver (basically almost all existing databases). Integrates AI tools for work with data, SQL and database structure…
read the full DBeaver overview →
About bun
Bun: SQL first Golang ORM Lightweight, SQL first Golang ORM for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, SQLite, and Oracle Bun is a modern ORM that embraces SQL rather than hiding it. Write complex queries in Go with type safety, powerful scanning capabilities, and database agnostic code that works across multiple SQL databases. ✨ Key Features SQL first approach Write elegant, readable queries that feel like SQL Multi database support PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, MSSQL, SQLite, and Oracle Type safe operations Leverage Go's static typing for compile time safety Flexible scanning Query results into structs, maps, scalars, or…
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or bun more popular?
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars and bun has 5,004. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and bun free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and bun under BSD-2-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and bun?
DBeaver is written in Java and bun in Go. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, DBeaver or bun?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (52,273 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose bun if its feature set, stack or BSD-2-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.