head to head · open source
DBeaver vs HelixDB
DBeaver has 51,791 GitHub stars, 4,371 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HelixDB has 5,915 stars, 350 forks, 26 open issues and last shipped yesterday. DBeaver leads on adoption by 776% (51,791 vs 5,915 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 | ★ 5.9K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 350 |
| 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 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 HelixDB
HelixDB is an Apache 2.0 licensed, Rust built OLTP graph database with native vector and full text search that lets teams building AI applications keep knowledge graphs, agent memory and application data in a single self hostable store rather than stitching together separate graph, vector, relational and application databases.
read the full HelixDB overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or HelixDB more popular?
DBeaver has 51,791 GitHub stars and HelixDB has 5,915. 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 (51,791 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.