head to head · open source
DBeaver vs FerretDB
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars, 4,372 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped today. FerretDB has 11,070 stars, 488 forks, 448 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 368% (51,797 vs 11,070 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; FerretDB is written in Go under Apache-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, FerretDB 4%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (database), 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 | FerretDB | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 11K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-06-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 488 |
| 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 FerretDB if
- You want the FerretDB feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and FerretDB fits your workflow better
About DBeaver
DBeaver is a free, multi platform database management tool built in Java, designed for developers, SQL programmers, database administrators, and analysts. It operates across Windows, macOS, and Linux and integrates with the Eclipse based plugin ecosystem via OSGi and Eclipse RCP frameworks.
read the full DBeaver overview →
About FerretDB
FerretDB is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed proxy written in Go that converts MongoDB 5.0+ wire protocol queries into SQL and stores the data in PostgreSQL with the DocumentDB extension, giving developers a drop in MongoDB compatible document database without MongoDB's SSPL licence.
read the full FerretDB overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or FerretDB more popular?
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars and FerretDB has 11,070. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and FerretDB free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and FerretDB under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and FerretDB?
DBeaver is written in Java and FerretDB 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 FerretDB?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose FerretDB if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.