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DataGrip alternative
The best DataGrip alternatives for Postgres work.
People leave DataGrip for one of two reasons: the subscription, or the weight. Both are real, and both come with a cost — DataGrip's SQL editor is the best of any tool in this category, and nothing below fully replaces it. Written by the PgDeck team, with that trade-off stated plainly for each option.
Short answer: DBeaver is the closest free replacement and keeps multi-engine breadth. TablePlus is the closest in speed and polish. PgDeck is the lightest option if PostgreSQL is your only engine. pgAdmin is free and best for administration. None of them match DataGrip's SQL completion and refactoring — if you write complex queries all day, that is what you are giving up.
Why developers use PgDeck
PgDeck is shaped around PostgreSQL tasks that happen every day: connect, inspect, filter, edit, query, manage structure, copy, and export.
DataGrip's SQL completion and refactoring have no free equivalent
DBeaver replaces the depth; TablePlus and PgDeck replace the speed
Only DataGrip and DBeaver offer serious cross-engine schema tooling
PgDeck and TablePlus can be bought once instead of annually
pgAdmin beats DataGrip on PostgreSQL server administration, and is free
Four DataGrip alternatives worth considering
DBeaver
Free Community Edition · paid PROBest for: Keeping IDE-level depth without the subscription
The most like-for-like swap: many engines, deep schema introspection, ERD, execution plans, and cross-engine data transfer, in a free and open source Community Edition. Also built on a Java IDE platform, so it does not solve the weight complaint — if start-up time is why you are leaving DataGrip, this is not the answer. If the subscription is why, it very much is.
Read the full comparisonTablePlus
Paid licence · tab-limited trialBest for: Trading IDE depth for native speed
Native, instant to start, covers several engines, and sold as a one-time licence rather than a recurring subscription. The opposite trade to DataGrip: far less depth on schema tooling, no ERD, and a much weaker SQL editor, in exchange for an app that opens immediately and stays out of the way.
Read the full comparisonPgDeck
Free tier · Pro from $6/moBest for: PostgreSQL-only teams who want the weight gone
Native, PostgreSQL only, and the lightest option here. Keeps multi-tab SQL, query history, ERD, SSH tunnels, and bundled pg_dump backups, and adds staged row edits committed as one reviewed transaction. Its SQL editor is not in DataGrip's league — no schema-aware refactoring, no code analysis — and it connects to no other engine. Ours, so weigh accordingly.
Read the full comparisonpgAdmin 4
Free, open sourceBest for: Free PostgreSQL administration
Free permanently with no paid tier, and stronger than DataGrip on PostgreSQL server administration — roles, tablespaces, configuration, and monitoring. It runs as a web application, so it is a downgrade on the editing experience that made DataGrip worth paying for. Best kept alongside something else rather than as a straight replacement.
Read the full comparison
Comparing PgDeck with DataGrip
PgDeck is an independent PostgreSQL desktop client. This page compares PgDeck with DataGrip to help developers understand differences in workflow, interface, and product focus.
DataGrip's SQL editor is the strongest in this category and no alternative here matches it
DataGrip is a subscription; PgDeck and TablePlus both offer a one-time purchase
DataGrip runs on the IntelliJ platform, so start-up carries JVM cost
PgDeck covers PostgreSQL only and has no code refactoring or version control integration
| PgDeck | DBeaver CE | TablePlus | DataGrip | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier, Pro paid | Free | Paid licence | Subscription |
| Free version you can work in | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| One-time purchase available | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Starts without a JVM | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Schema-aware SQL refactoring | No | Partial | No | Yes |
| ERD relationship diagram | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Staged edits reviewed before commit | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial |
| Backup and restore built in | Yes | Yes | No | Partial |
| Other database engines | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Version control integration | No | Partial | No | Yes |
Assessed September 2026 against each tool's freely available edition. JetBrains sets DataGrip's pricing and it falls in later subscription years. Neither JetBrains nor the other vendors are affiliated with PgDeck, who wrote this page.
Schema and data grid
Browse schemas and tables, search the table list, pin favorites, filter rows, sort columns, resize columns, and paginate results.
SQL workspace
Run SELECT and non-SELECT statements from multi-tab SQL editors with syntax highlighting and interactive query results.
Staged editing
Edit cells, add rows, duplicate rows, set NULL, stage deletes, review pending changes, and commit everything in one transaction.
Be honest about what you use it for
DataGrip is worth its price to people who write long, complex SQL against schemas they do not have memorised — completion that knows your columns, refactoring that renames across statements, and analysis that catches an error before you run it. If that describes your week, every alternative on this page is a downgrade and you should think carefully. If you mainly browse tables and run SELECTs you already know, you are paying IDE prices for a data grid.
The subscription is the usual trigger
DataGrip is sold as a recurring subscription rather than a purchase. The price falls in later years and there is a perpetual fallback licence, but it is still a line item that comes back annually and needs re-justifying. DBeaver Community Edition removes it entirely at no capability cost for most work; TablePlus and PgDeck replace it with a one-time option if you would rather buy once.
Weight is a different complaint with a different answer
If your problem is that DataGrip takes a while to start and holds a lot of memory, DBeaver will not help — it is built on the same kind of Java IDE platform. Only a native client fixes that, which narrows the list to TablePlus for multi-engine work or PgDeck for PostgreSQL alone. Work out which of the two complaints you actually have before choosing, because they point in opposite directions.
If you still use other JetBrains tools, think twice
Much of DataGrip's value is that the editor behaves exactly like the one in IntelliJ or PyCharm — same shortcuts, same search, same version control panel. Leaving DataGrip while staying in the JetBrains ecosystem means giving that up and holding two different sets of muscle memory. The database tooling inside IntelliJ Ultimate is largely DataGrip, which is worth checking before buying anything.
Related PostgreSQL guides
More on choosing, comparing, and running a PostgreSQL desktop client.
What is the best DataGrip alternative?
DBeaver Community Edition if you want comparable depth for free across many engines. TablePlus if you want native speed and a one-time licence. PgDeck if PostgreSQL is your only engine and you want the lightest option. pgAdmin if you need free PostgreSQL administration.
Is there a free alternative to DataGrip?
Yes. DBeaver Community Edition is free, open source, and the closest in capability. pgAdmin is free for PostgreSQL. Beekeeper Studio has a free Community Edition. PgDeck has a free tier with two saved connections and a 30-day Pro trial requiring no card.
Does anything match DataGrip's SQL editor?
Not really. Schema-aware completion, cross-statement refactoring, and code analysis are DataGrip's strongest features and no tool on this page equals them. DBeaver comes closest. If complex SQL authoring is most of your work, that is the cost of switching.
Is DataGrip worth it for PostgreSQL only?
It depends on whether you write SQL or read data. DataGrip is a general database IDE, so it has no PostgreSQL server administration to speak of — pgAdmin beats it there and is free. For authoring complex queries it remains excellent regardless of engine.
Can I buy a database client once instead of subscribing?
Yes. TablePlus sells a one-time licence covering a version window, and PgDeck offers a $99 one-time purchase alongside its monthly and yearly plans. DBeaver Community Edition and pgAdmin cost nothing at all.
PgDeck is not affiliated with pgAdmin, DBeaver, TablePlus, DataGrip, Beekeeper Studio, or their respective owners. All product names, trademarks, and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. Comparisons describe each tool as we understand it at the date noted on the table; if something here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.