Best 10 Database Management Software For Developers and DBAs (2026)

• KeeperDB opens several database connections at once in separate tabs, and runs one query across connections of the same database type
• KeeperDB signs in to Azure SQL and SQL Server with Entra ID
• The desktop app retrieves credentials from the Keeper Vault through Secrets Manager and holds them in memory only for the session
• A per-session audit log captures every query action
• With KeeperPAM, users request ephemeral accounts with time-limited access, approved through Slack, Jira, ServiceNow or Teams
• KeeperPAM records every keystroke and visual interaction of a database session
• KeeperPAM’s Tunnel feature lets users connect a locally installed database application, and revoking the vault share ends a contractor’s access

We think KeeperDB is a strong option for teams that want secure database access and that need recorded, time-limited sessions for production databases.

The free desktop app works as an everyday client on its own, even without a Keeper account. Credential injection, session recording, read-only permissions and time-limited access need KeeperPAM, which Keeper prices on request.

Keeper is a trusted security platform, with a popular, easy-to-use password manager and enterprise PAM solution used by more than 100,000 organizations globally. If you want enterprise password management or PAM alongside your database client, Keeper is well worth considering.

• MongoShell provides an interactive JavaScript shell for MongoDB, with syntax and functionality close to the native shell
• Built-in version control manages your SQL scripts and other database files
• Aqua Data Studio integrates with Active Directory, LDAP and single sign-on providers
• Credentials in connection profiles are encrypted in the application’s configuration store, and teams share connection configurations without seeing the underlying secrets
• Administrators can monitor active sessions, track resource usage, and end suspicious connections
• SQL history tracking and logging record which user ran which query, and when
• The Ultimate edition adds task scheduling, synthetic data generation, and JSON import and export with MongoDB

We think Aqua Data Studio is a strong option for analysts and developers who work across many database platforms and want query, modeling, compare, and charting tools in one IDE.

Standard costs $499 per user and Ultimate costs $699 per user, both on annual licensing, and Enterprise Ultimate is priced on request. There’s no free edition, but a 14-day trial covers Ultimate features except import and export.

• Cloud workspaces assign Member, Admin, and Owner roles, and per-item permissions let you share queries with different teams
• Saved connection passwords are encrypted, and database credentials stay on your device and are never sent to Beekeeper Studio
• In cloud workspaces, saved passwords are encrypted by the application before they’re stored
• Paid editions support AWS IAM passwordless connections and plugin admin controls with allowlists and lockdown
• Beekeeper Studio connects to PostgreSQL and MySQL with Microsoft Entra ID authentication
• Folders and read-only mode are available in the free edition
• Telemetry is opt-in only, and Windows installs can be deployed through an MSI package

We think Beekeeper Studio is a strong option for small teams that want a modern, open-source client on every operating system. The Community Edition is free, and paid plans cost $9, $14, or $18 per user per month, billed yearly, with a 14-day trial.

Beekeeper Studio’s documentation doesn’t describe schema compare or audit logging, so if your team has governance requirements, we recommend you check those with the vendor before you buy.

• Local History and Git integration track changes to your scripts
• Project data source definitions can be stored in version control so your team shares them, and the shared file excludes passwords
• DataGrip keeps no password store of its own; it uses your operating system’s password manager or KeePass
• Data source templates sync through your JetBrains Account, without your database credentials
• AI agent skills, MCP tools, and CLI commands let agents manage data sources
• JetBrains AI comes in AI Free, AI Pro, AI Ultimate and AI Enterprise tiers, and AI Pro is included with the All Products Pack

We think DataGrip is a strong option for developers who want IDE-grade SQL editing and AI agents in a database tool.

DataGrip is free for non-commercial use, and commercial licenses come with a 30-day trial. Team sharing works through connection files in version control, and DataGrip has no built-in roles, so if your organization needs central access controls, we recommend you plan for that separately.

• Schema compare shows how two database structures differ, using Liquibase snapshots
• Lite, Enterprise, and Ultimate store connection credentials in external secret managers, including AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, HashiCorp Vault, CyberArk, and Google Cloud Secret Manager
• A master password protects saved credentials in PRO editions
• DBeaver can route queries through a central server, so passwords stay hidden and queries are logged
• Team Edition’s audit logging panel records API activity, and Team Edition and CloudBeaver keep query history for all users
• The AI Assistant connects to external MCP servers and tools
• The dbvr standalone CLI runs database operations from the command line

We think DBeaver PRO is a strong option for teams that want over 100 data sources in one tool, with a free Community Edition to start from.

Pricing is per named user per year: Lite costs $113, Enterprise $255, and Ultimate $510, and you can evaluate DBeaver PRO with a 14-day trial.

Schema compare and team controls depend on the edition, so we recommend you map each edition to the features your team needs before you buy.

• The dbForge AI Assistant generates, explains, optimizes and troubleshoots SQL using models from OpenAI and Anthropic
• The AI Assistant sees only your database metadata, never the data itself, and it’s switched off by default
• The AI Assistant needs its own license, with a free Express tier of 200,000 tokens a month
• Security Manager handles database user accounts and privileges for SQL Server, MySQL, and Oracle
• Server Monitor tracks SQL Server, and Session Manager monitors active connections and traces user sessions for MySQL, MariaDB, and Oracle
• The PostgreSQL studio includes an integrated debugger, with no extensions to install
• SQL Server connections support Active Directory Universal authentication with MFA

We think dbForge Edge is a strong option for Windows-based teams that want deep tooling for SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL in one platform.

Subscriptions start at $749.95 per license per year, or $899.95 with premium support, and Devart also sells perpetual licenses, with a 30-day trial.

dbForge Edge doesn’t support NoSQL databases, and if your team works on macOS or Linux, you’ll need CrossOver to run it.

• Pro teams share database connections by mounting an external connections folder
• Client-side audit logging in Pro records executed SQL statements, database metadata calls, and connection state changes
• Administrators can enforce global audit policies
• Saved passwords are encrypted with an auto-generated key, and an optional master password encrypts all passwords and passphrases instead
• Git integration supports three-way merges
• You can disable AI at the client level

We think DbVisualizer is a strong option for cross-platform teams that want a simple per-user license and a free edition to start with.

Pro costs $199 per user for the first year and $89 a year after that, and every subscription includes a perpetual license, so you can keep using the version you have if you stop renewing. There’s also 21-day Pro free trial available.

Something to be aware of is that schema comparison checks one aspect of a schema at a time, so we recommend you test it against your release process during the trial if you compare whole schemas often.

• Navicat’s AI tools let you compare and contrast responses from multiple AI models
• Data masking supports substitution, variance, shuffling, hashing, and nulling
• Standard and Enterprise import data from ODBC, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, DBF, and Parquet
• Navicat Cloud and the self-hosted Navicat On-Prem Server let you assign a role to each coworker for each project
• On-Prem Server applies access rights to local users or external LDAP and Active Directory users, and logs collaboration activity in real time
• Saved database passwords are encrypted, and Navicat Cloud doesn’t store your database passwords or data

We think Navicat Premium is a strong option for teams standardizing on one client for relational and NoSQL databases. It also offers strong AI capabilities if you’re looking for these features.

The Enterprise Edition costs $1,999 per user as a perpetual license with a year of maintenance, and paid editions come with a 14-day trial. Navicat Premium Lite is free for up to five users per organization.

Team collaboration needs Navicat Cloud or On-Prem Server on top of the desktop license, so we recommend you include it in your budget if you plan to share projects.

• The AI assistant asks for your approval before running anything other than a read query, and Safe Mode still applies after you approve
• Query results the AI assistant reads, including data rows, are sent to your chosen provider
• On macOS, the TablePlus MCP server issues read-only tokens that reject anything other than read queries, and accepts connections only from your own Mac by default
• Database and SSH passwords are saved in your Mac’s Keychain
• Teams share connections through a synced folder, and passwords stay in each computer’s Keychain
• A built-in native SSH client handles tunneled connections
• Metrics Board builds internal dashboards

We think TablePlus is a strong option for individual developers who want a native client with a one-time license.

A Basic license costs $99 for one device plus two iOS devices, with a year of updates, and you keep using the app without limits after that year.

Team seats cost $79 each, with a minimum of three. Feature and database coverage is fullest on macOS, so if your team works on Windows or Linux, we recommend you check the drivers you need during the free trial.

• Automations run on the desktop or publish to a server environment, and published automations can be shared with other users
• Session Browser monitors live database sessions for SQL Server and DB2
• Toad Data Studio includes a debugger and admin tools for SAP databases
• Group Connections let you organize database connections into groups
• Licenses are tied to your Quest account, so you can use Toad Data Studio from multiple computers
• Offline Subscription licensing activates the product in restricted and air-gapped environments
• AI features need online sign-in with a Quest account at the time of use, and aren’t available in air-gapped installs

We think Toad Data Studio is a strong option for teams that manage mixed relational, NoSQL, and SAP databases from Windows desktops.

Quest prices Toad Data Studio on request, and a subscription starts with a fully functioning 30-day trial. Toad for Oracle license holders can also use Toad Data Studio, although their license doesn’t cover its AI features.

Toad Data Studio runs on Windows 8.1, 10, and 11 and Windows Server, so if parts of your team work on macOS or Linux, we recommend you plan how they’ll connect before you commit.