head to head · open source
DBeaver vs usql
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars, 4,442 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. usql has 10,161 stars, 409 forks, 63 open issues and last shipped yesterday. DBeaver leads on adoption by 414% (52,273 vs 10,161 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; usql is written in Go under MIT. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, usql 4%. DBeaver was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 3 topic tags (database, mysql, oracle), 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 | usql | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 10K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Java | Go |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 409 |
| 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 usql if
- You want the usql feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and usql 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 usql
Installing Building Database Support Using Features and Compatibility Releases Contributing usql is a universal command line interface for PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle Database, SQLite3, Microsoft SQL Server, [and many other databases][databases] including NoSQL and non relational databases! usql works with [SQL and NoSQL databases][databases] from a command line modelled on PostgreSQL's psql . usql supports most of the core psql features, such as [variables][variables], [backticks][backticks], [backslash commands][commands] and has additional features that psql does not, such as [multiple database…
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or usql more popular?
DBeaver has 52,273 GitHub stars and usql has 10,161. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and usql free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and usql under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between DBeaver and usql?
DBeaver is written in Java and usql 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 usql?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (52,273 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose usql if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.