head to head · open source
DBeaver vs mysql
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars, 4,372 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped today. mysql has 15,284 stars, 2,334 forks, 57 open issues and last shipped yesterday. DBeaver leads on adoption by 239% (51,797 vs 15,284 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; mysql is written in Go under MPL-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, mysql 15%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (database, mysql), 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| DBeaver | mysql | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 15K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 2.3K |
| 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 mysql if
- You want the mysql feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and mysql 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 mysql
Go MySQL Driver is the pure Go MySQL driver that implements the database/sql interface for Go applications, and it is aimed at Go developers who need to connect services to MySQL, MariaDB, or TiDB without cgo or C bindings.
read the full mysql overview →
More in Infrastructure & Operations
Related comparisons
More Databases projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Databases field.
Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or mysql more popular?
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars and mysql has 15,284. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and mysql free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and mysql under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and mysql?
DBeaver is written in Java and mysql 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 mysql?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose mysql if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.