head to head · open source
DBeaver vs Neon Postgres
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars, 4,442 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Neon Postgres has 23,292 stars, 1,132 forks, 558 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 124% (52,273 vs 23,292 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Neon Postgres is written in Rust under Apache-2.0. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Neon Postgres 5%. 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 | Neon Postgres | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 23K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Java | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-08-31 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 1.1K |
| 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 Neon Postgres if
- You want the Neon Postgres 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 Neon Postgres 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 Neon Postgres
Neon Neon is an open source serverless Postgres database platform. It separates storage and compute and substitutes the PostgreSQL storage layer by redistributing data across a cluster of nodes. Quick start Try the Neon Free Tier to create a serverless Postgres instance. Then connect to it with your preferred Postgres client (psql, dbeaver, etc) or use the online SQL Editor. See Connect from any application for connection instructions. Alternatively, compile and run the project locally. Architecture overview A Neon installation consists of compute nodes and the Neon storage engine. Compute nodes are stateless…
read the full Neon Postgres overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or Neon Postgres more popular?
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars and Neon Postgres has 23,292. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and Neon Postgres free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Neon Postgres under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and Neon Postgres?
DBeaver is written in Java and Neon Postgres 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 Neon Postgres?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (52,273 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Neon Postgres if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.