head to head · open source
DBeaver vs rqlite
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars, 4,372 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped today. rqlite has 17,742 stars, 810 forks, 79 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 192% (51,797 vs 17,742 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; rqlite is written in Go under MIT. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, rqlite 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| DBeaver | rqlite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 18K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 810 |
| 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 rqlite if
- You want the rqlite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and rqlite 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 rqlite
rqlite is an open source, fault tolerant distributed relational database built on SQLite, intended for developers and operators who want etcd style availability while keeping full SQL and relational modeling.
read the full rqlite 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 rqlite more popular?
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars and rqlite has 17,742. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and rqlite free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and rqlite under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and rqlite?
DBeaver is written in Java and rqlite 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 rqlite?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose rqlite if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.