head to head · open source
DBeaver vs GRDB.swift
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars, 4,372 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. GRDB.swift has 8,650 stars, 1,046 forks, 15 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 499% (51,797 vs 8,650 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; GRDB.swift is written in Swift under MIT. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, GRDB.swift 12%. 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 | GRDB.swift | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 8.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 1.0K |
| 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 GRDB.swift if
- You want the GRDB.swift feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and GRDB.swift 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 GRDB.swift
GRDB.swift is an MIT licensed Swift toolkit for SQLite databases, focused on application development, for Swift developers who need to store an app's permanent data on iOS, macOS, tvOS, or watchOS without hand writing SQL and raw row handling.
read the full GRDB.swift overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or GRDB.swift more popular?
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars and GRDB.swift has 8,650. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and GRDB.swift free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and GRDB.swift under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and GRDB.swift?
DBeaver is written in Java and GRDB.swift in Swift. 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 GRDB.swift?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose GRDB.swift if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.