Should I use TablePlus to browse and edit Postgres on Mac?
3 apps · 8 factors
Scored for the goal: Browse and edit a Postgres database on Mac
Quick answer
From the sourced cells below · nobody pays for a position
Best fit for this goal
Postico
100% fit
Free to use
DBeaver Community Edition
Free
Compare
One judgement per cell. Click a row to read every app’s answer; click a cell to open that answer’s sources.
 100%Database Compatibility unknown | 100%fit | 100%Database Compatibility unknown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | |||
| Database CompatibilityHas PostgreSQL★ | 10 engines | PostgreSQLGreenplumCockroachDB+1 | Basic relational support |
| Grid editingYes★ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Result Browsing | Filter · Stream · Page | Table filter bar supports… | – |
| Connection Options | Direct · SSH · SSL | TCPIPLocalhost+14 | Password · SSH tunnels |
| SQL Editor | Complete · Format · Run | Tab completionpgFormatterExecute all+5 | Formatting · scripts |
| Schema Management | Table structure editing | Table creationColumn editingData types+7 | ERD editing: PRO |
| Purchase | |||
| Current price | $79 once +5 | €27 once +6 | Free |
| Product | |||
| What it does | Modern | The native Mac app | Universal database tool and… |
Head to head
Two apps side by side, full answers, nothing truncated. Swap either side.
MySQL · PostgreSQL · SQLite · Microsoft SQL Server · Amazon Redshift · MariaDB · CockroachDB · Vertica · Redis · Cassandra; supported versions not specified.
PostgreSQL 8.0+; Amazon Redshift; Greenplum; CockroachDB. Recent release notes document PostgreSQL 18 and CockroachDB 26.2 compatibility work. Redshift/Greenplum version ranges are not stated. Vertica and other PostgreSQL wire-protocol databases may execute SQL, but most other features do not work because their catalogs differ.
Yes — edit PostgreSQL table cells or query-result rows by double-clicking inline or using the row sidebar; commit with ⌘S. JOIN-result editing is documented from v6.4.2; PostgreSQL partitioned-table updating was fixed in v6.4.4. Free use allows 2 open tabs, 2 workspace windows, 2 filters and 1 metrics board; a paid license removes these limits. Exact primary-key requirements and non-updatable table/view/query restrictions remain unverified.
Yes — add and edit rows in the table grid, with a foreign key picker and row detail sidebar. Tables without primary keys can be updated, as confirmed by a changelog fix. Read-only connections block changes. Query-result editing and further table/key restrictions remain unverified. Evaluation has no time limit; a paid license unlocks all features, but grid-specific evaluation limits are undocumented in the sources found.
Filter loaded rows by column/operator, with case matching; asynchronous streaming; Load more for paged drivers; configurable row limit. Sorting and numeric row/size limits unspecified.
Table filter bar supports custom SQL, “is in list,” and right-click actions to include/exclude matching values. Option-click column headers for multi-column sorting; choose NULLS FIRST/LAST from the header menu. Table browsing is paged; the export guide says full-table export includes rows beyond the displayed page, though that section is marked outdated. Multiple SQL statements expose separate result sets through a popup. Tables are counted by default; “always count rows” can be disabled for
Direct connections via form, URL import or CLI; SQLite files open directly. Username/password; command-generated passwords for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB and Redshift; SQL Server Entra ID (Token Only) via Get from CLI. SSH tunneling; SSL/client key, certificate and CA files for supported drivers. PostgreSQL SSL: PREFERRED, DISABLED, REQUIRED, ALLOW, VERIFY-CA, VERIFY-FULL; MySQL: PREFERRED, DISABLED, REQUIRED, VERIFY-CA, VERIFY-IDENTITY. Snowflake, BigQuery and libsql URLs additionally supported
Direct TCP/IP/local connections and SSL/TLS; connection URLs using postgres:, postgresql:, redshift:, postico:, postgres+ssh:, postgresql+ssh:, postico+ssh:. Passwords and .pgpass; SSH tunnels with password/private-key authentication, including rsa-sha2-256/512. Pre-connect scripts generate AWS IAM credentials for RDS/Redshift or Microsoft Entra ID tokens for Azure PostgreSQL and can override libpq connection parameters, including TLS certificate/key settings. Scripts require configured CLI/auth
Keyword autocomplete with saved-query expansion; auto-uppercase keywords and close braces/quotes; beautify/minify/uglify with Standard or tabular layouts; prompted parameters in six syntaxes; run current/all queries or saved SQL via Import SQL Wizard. Parameters default off and substitute literal input (quote strings yourself); tabular indentation fixed at 10 spaces.
Tab completion plus Ctrl-Space/Esc completion popup; local pgFormatter (Ctrl-F), configurable through ~/.pg_format; multiline indentation. Execute current statement/selection or all statements; multiple selected statements run in an implicit transaction and roll back together on failure; switch result sets with a popup. Multiple SQL files/folders, tabs/windows, autosave and Dash lookup. Development build 9788 adds positional ($1, $2) and named (:name) parameters; stable-channel availability is
Table/schema quick navigation; GUI table-structure editing with SQL preview and commit/discard. SQL Editor queries run directly, outside preview.
Graphically create/alter tables; add/edit columns, types, defaults, indexes and constraints, including primary keys, NOT NULL and foreign keys. Foreign-key picker and references to partitioned tables; NULLS NOT DISTINCT indexes; PostgreSQL 18 generated virtual columns. Function/stored-procedure editor. DDL view renders table/view creation SQL, pending ALTER statements and final-state previews. Limits: incomplete database-feature coverage; not suitable for backups (use pg_dump); omits public s
Website: Free indefinitely (2 tabs, 2 workspace windows, 2 advanced filters, 1 metrics board); Basic USD 99 once/1 device; Standard USD 129 once/2 devices (reduced from USD 198); Team USD 79 once/seat, 1 device/seat, minimum 3 seats (USD 237). Paid versions work forever with 12 months of updates; optional update renewal USD 59/device; extra device USD 79. Taxes may apply. Mac App Store (US): Mac purchase not established; the located listing sells the iPhone/iPad app. Setapp: Mac USD 14.99/month/
Website: free evaluation with no time limit; Personal USD 69 / EUR 62 once (one person, 3 devices); Student USD 29 / EUR 27 once (1 device); Commercial USD 99 / EUR 90 once per device; Team USD 799 / EUR 730 once (10 devices). Paid website licenses are perpetual for Postico 2.x; personal/student VAT included, commercial/team VAT additional where applicable. Mac App Store (US): USD 69.99 once under standard App Store licensing, with Family Sharing. No monthly/yearly plans listed. Discounted owner
Modern, native client with intuitive GUI tools to create, access, query & edit multiple relational databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Amazon Redshift, MariaDB, CockroachDB, Vertica, and Redis.
The native Mac app for PostgreSQL
Releases
Each dot is a release. The hatched bar runs from the last release to today; its color says whether that gap is normal for the app.
Score
A reference score weighted by the priorities set for this research. Nobody pays for placement.
Reference score
Priority-weighted · 100% evidence · 2 must-have · 0 important
| App | Score | Payment | Price | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10pts | Free · One-time | Free · $69 | 8 / 8 |
| 5pts | Free · One-time | Free · $99 | 8 / 8 |
| 5pts | Free | Free | 7 / 8 |
Sources
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How this report was made
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- Report ID
- TMA-1RTKJJY
- Sources
- 39
- Verified cells
- 23/24 (96%)
- Last checked
- Oct 18, 2026
- Reading saved
- ≈ 2.5 h
Scoring
Must-have factors weigh 5 and important ones 3; only these are scored, or the first five factors if none are marked. An app earns a factor's weight only when a cited source confirms it, and unknown cells count for no one. A pick is named only when the lead is larger than everything still unresolved could swing. Reading time assumes about 4 minutes per source. Full methodology
Corrections
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