head to head · open source
DBeaver vs mcp-toolbox
DBeaver has 52,266 GitHub stars, 4,441 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. mcp-toolbox has 16,792 stars, 1,787 forks, 292 open issues and last shipped yesterday. DBeaver leads on adoption by 211% (52,266 vs 16,792 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; mcp-toolbox is written in Go under Apache-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, mcp-toolbox 11%. mcp-toolbox 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 | mcp-toolbox | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 17K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 1.8K |
| 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 mcp-toolbox if
- You want the mcp-toolbox 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 mcp-toolbox 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 mcp-toolbox
MCP Toolbox for Databases MCP Toolbox for Databases is an open source Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects your AI agents, IDEs, and applications directly to your enterprise databases. It serves a dual purpose : 1. Ready to use MCP Server (Build Time): Instantly connect Gemini CLI, Google Antigravity, Claude Code, Codex, or other MCP clients to your databases using our prebuilt generic tools . Talk to your data, explore schemas, and generate code without writing boilerplate. 2. Custom Tools Framework (Run Time): A robust framework to build specialized, highly secure AI tools for your production…
read the full mcp-toolbox overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or mcp-toolbox more popular?
DBeaver has 52,266 GitHub stars and mcp-toolbox has 16,792. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and mcp-toolbox free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and mcp-toolbox under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and mcp-toolbox?
DBeaver is written in Java and mcp-toolbox 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 mcp-toolbox?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (52,266 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose mcp-toolbox if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.