head to head · open source
NocoDB vs HeidiSQL
NocoDB has 65,002 GitHub stars, 5,055 forks, 710 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HeidiSQL has 6,276 stars, 588 forks, 324 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. NocoDB leads on adoption by 936% (65,002 vs 6,276 stars). NocoDB is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; HeidiSQL is written in Pascal under GPL-2.0. NocoDB has attracted 8% as many forks as stars, HeidiSQL 9%. HeidiSQL was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (postgresql), 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
| NocoDB | HeidiSQL | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 65K | ★ 6.3K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Pascal |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 588 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick NocoDB if
- You weight community size — 65K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick HeidiSQL if
- You want the HeidiSQL feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Pascal
- You evaluated both and HeidiSQL fits your workflow better
About NocoDB
NocoDB is a free and self hostable open source Airtable alternative that turns an existing relational database into an intuitive spreadsheet interface, built for teams who want no code data management without moving their data into a hosted SaaS product.
read the full NocoDB overview →
About HeidiSQL
HeidiSQL is a free, GPL 2.0 licensed graphical client for managing MariaDB, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Interbase and Firebird databases, aimed at developers and database administrators who need to browse, edit and export data without working from a command line.
read the full HeidiSQL overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is NocoDB or HeidiSQL more popular?
NocoDB has 65,002 GitHub stars and HeidiSQL has 6,276. NocoDB has the larger community by that measure.
Are NocoDB and HeidiSQL free?
Both are open source. NocoDB has no licence declared in this registry, and HeidiSQL is licensed under GPL-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between NocoDB and HeidiSQL?
NocoDB is written in TypeScript and HeidiSQL in Pascal. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, NocoDB or HeidiSQL?
Choose NocoDB if you want the larger community (65,002 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose HeidiSQL if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.