head to head · open source
DBeaver vs Dragonfly
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars, 4,372 forks, 3,334 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Dragonfly has 31,579 stars, 1,264 forks, 308 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. DBeaver leads on adoption by 64% (51,797 vs 31,579 stars). DBeaver is written in Java under Apache-2.0; Dragonfly is written in C++ under a custom or non-standard licence. DBeaver has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, Dragonfly 4%. 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, nosql), 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 | Dragonfly | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 52K | ★ 32K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Java | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 4.4K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| 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 Dragonfly if
- You want the Dragonfly feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and Dragonfly 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 Dragonfly
Dragonfly is a C++ in memory data store that speaks the Redis and Memcached APIs, built for teams that want more throughput and lower resource use from an existing cache or key value workload without changing application code.
read the full Dragonfly overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is DBeaver or Dragonfly more popular?
DBeaver has 51,797 GitHub stars and Dragonfly has 31,579. DBeaver has the larger community by that measure.
Are DBeaver and Dragonfly free?
Both are open source. DBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Dragonfly has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between DBeaver and Dragonfly?
DBeaver is written in Java and Dragonfly in C++. 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 Dragonfly?
Choose DBeaver if you want the larger community (51,797 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Dragonfly if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.