head to head · open source
DBeaver vs HelixDB
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars, 4,442 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HelixDB has 6,266 stars, 393 forks, 26 open issues and last shipped yesterday. DBeaver leads on adoption by 734% (52,273 vs 6,266 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; HelixDB is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, HelixDB 6%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ai, 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 | HelixDB | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 6.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 393 |
| 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 HelixDB if
- You want the HelixDB feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and HelixDB 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 HelixDB
HelixDB : a graph vector database for knowledge graphs and AI memory. Built from scratch in Rust. website docs discord X/twitter HelixDB is a database that makes it easy to build all the components needed for AI applications in a single platform. You don't need a separate application DB, relational DB, vector DB, graph DB, or application layers to manage the multiple storage locations. HelixDB gives your agents federated access to company data, for memory, company brains, and applications. Helix primarily operates with a graph + vector data model, but it also supports KV, documents, and relational data. Getting…
read the full HelixDB overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or HelixDB more popular?
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars and HelixDB has 6,266. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and HelixDB free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and HelixDB under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and HelixDB?
DBeaver is written in Java and HelixDB in Rust. 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 HelixDB?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (52,273 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose HelixDB if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.