SQLite Applications Comparison
2012-11-13 BareFeetWare -> SQLite -> Compare
Description Comparison of features of SQLite GUI application programs, mainly for Mac OS X. A work in progress and very rough at the moment.
Contact Email us if you have any corrections or comments on this page.
Developer SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Icon
URL http://www.sqlabs.net/sqlitemanager.php http://www.sqlgrinder.com/ http://www.dbsolo.com/ http://www.razorsql.com/ http://www.alwintroost.nl/?id=82 http://www.navicat.com/en/products/navicat_sqlite/sqlite_detail_mac.html http://www.navicat.com/en/products/navicat_sqlite/sqlite_detail_mac.html http://sqlite-manager.googlecode.com http://www.dbvis.com/products/dbvis/ http://menial.co.uk/software/base/ http://www.gaia-gis.it/spatialite/ http://www.desertsandsoftware.com/?realmesa_home http://www.oractotherescue.com/ http://www.software-by-mabe.com/software/freeware.html#sqlitequery http://www.malcolmhardie.com/sqleditor/
Developer SQLabs Advenio DB Solo LLC Richardson Software Alwin Troost PremiumSoft PremiumSoft Mrinal Kant Minq Software Menial Alessandro Furieri Rick Praetzel Arten Science Manfred Bergmann MalcolmHardie Company
Price US$49 US$59 US$99 US$59.95 €49.99. Approx US$60 US$99 or $69 non-commercial, for the SQLite only version US$10. SQLite only version Free US$149 £19.99 Free US$20 Beta Free US$79
Reviewed Version 3.5.1 2.0.8 3.0 4.5.8 2.2.2 B1937 10.1.1 10.1.6 0.2.39 6.0.8 2.0 2.2 3.0.6 1.0.0 beta 060509_2330 (1.0.1 according to macupdate.com, but devloper website has disappeared) 0.7.3 1.4b19
Reviewed Date 2011-02-09 2011-02-09 2011-02-09 2011-02-09 2011-02-09 2012-11-13 2012-11-13
Technologies SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Operating System Mac Mac Mac, others Mac, others? Mac Mac, Linux, Windows Mac (also available for Linux, Windows) Mac, others? Mac, others? Mac 10.6 (Base 1.4.2 for 10.5) Mac, Linux, Windows Mac Mac Mac Mac
Platform Cocoa, RealBasic Cocoa Java? Java Cocoa Cocoa Cocoa Firefox or oter Mozilla app Java (Mac theme) Cocoa Java? Cocoa, RealBasic RealBasic Cocoa? Cocoa?
Database SQLite JDBC gives SQLite and others. Fussy about driver. JDBC gives SQLite and others SQLite (Razor built in), others, or JDBC SQLite, Oracle, MySQL, others SQLite. Also available for MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL SQLite. Also available for MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL SQLite JDBC gives SQLite and others SQLite SQLite SQLite SQLite, Oracle, others? SQLite JDBC gives SQLite and others
Driver Built in Zentus JDBC v044 added Zentus JDBC added Mac OS X, or select SQLite program Zentus? JDBC built in Built in Built in Built in Zentus JDBC added Built in Built in Built in Built in Zentus JDBC added
SQLite version 3.6.23.1 3.5.8 3.5.6 3.6.13 or latest 3.6.14.2 3.7.11 3.7.11 3.3.5 3.5.6 3.7.5 3.6.2 3.6.20 3.4.2 3.5.6 3.5.6
Can open SQLite file from Finder Yes Yes
Can open database file on AppleShare volume Yes Yes using other JDBC. No using Zentus JDBC Yes using other JDBC. No using Zentus JDBC Yes Yes No No Yes Yes using other JDBC. No using Zentus JDBC Yes No Yes Yes No Yes using other JDBC. No using Zentus JDBC
Demo/shareware limit Query results limited to 20 rows. Disabled export, import, report generator, dump database. Limited print. 20 launches, with the ability to extend the trial period. 30 day limit 30? day eval period, thereafter can't launch. 25 day trial 30 day trial 30 day trial Free Free version doesn't allow editing of data, but doesn't explain that. Free 21 eval version on automated request, allows data entry. 15 minute sessions. 5 rows from custom SQL queries Beta Beta until June Free Beta
Data browse SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Resize columns Yes, manually Yes, manually Yes, manually Yes, manually Yes, manually Yes, manually. Double click border to autosize. Yes, manually. Double click border to autosize. Yes, drag Yes. Manual and autosize Yes, manually. Double click border to autosize. Yes, manually. Autosizes. Yes manually or via "Set to natural widths" button. Yes, manually No No
Reorder Columns No Yes Yes, drag Yes, drag. Yes, drag Yes, drag Yes, drag Yes, drag Yes No No Yes in tables via drag. No in views. No No No
Horizontal scroll through columns Yes, if preferences set to "Always add Horizontal Scroll" and "Columns can't be smaller than 80 pixel" Yes Yes? Yes Yes Yes Yes No, so too cramped when many columns. Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (option) Yes No
Show/hide columns No. Can manually shrink to zero width. No No No No Yes. Edit -> Show/Hide Columns Yes. Edit -> Show/Hide Columns Yes, via pop up menu on right of column headers Yes No No Yes, click on "Limit columns" button, or right click on column to choose "Hide column" from context menu. No No No
Quick sort columns No Yes, click single column header Yes, click single column header Yes. Double click column header. Or click "Sort Query Results" button to sort via popup menus. Yes, click single column header. Click "Sort" button to sort multiple. Yes. Sort by a column or custom sort Yes. Sort by a column or custom sort No Yes. Click on first sort column, control click on second. Yes. Click header to sort ascending/descending No Yes, click on single column header. Or click on "Set multiple sort" button to show dialog. Fails for column names that should be quoted. Yes. Click header to sort ascending/descending No No
Quick filter rows No Yes, match one or all columns Yes No. Can refine/add "where" clause Yes, extensive. Can also drag cell from result set to filter, hold option to filter out, or drag to table browser to search another table. Yes. Click "Filter Wizard" button, then File -> Apply Filter. Or right click on cell -> Filter For... Extensive. Slight bug with numeric inequalities? No Yes, one condition per column Yes, match one or all columns Yes, can also "send to SQL" to make select query. No Yes for tables. No for views. No No No
Show column info in data editing No No No No, not in column view, but entity browser can be expanded to show columns of a table, which includes type and PK. No, but can see column names and types in Info for table/view No No No Yes, key icon in header, tooltip shows column info. No No, but can select column in entity browser, pop up menu select "Geometries" No No No No
Modes for viewing data SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Column mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes "Grid view" Yes Yes Yes. Edits direct in cell if numeric, opens text in cell mode when double clicked. Yes Yes No
Line/form mode Yes, click pencil button to show "Record Editor". No No No Yes, with next/previous. Click "Info" button to show in pane over columns. Yes. Click "Form View" button. No Yes, for tables not views, as panel over column view without next/previous. Yes "Form view", initiated from hilighted row in column mode, but can't move to another record in form mode. No No Yes for tables, no for views. Click icon left of row. Yes, after double click row No No
Cell mode (large wrapped field) Yes. Selected cell shown in large field in line mode ("Record Editor") No Select cell in column mode appears in own text entry field Yes Yes, via right click on cell, choose "Edit Value" Yes. Form view text cells are large, or click "Text" button. Yes. Form view text cells are large, or click "Text" button. Yes, via expand button next to cell in line mode. Yes, via context menu or button Yes. Set the long text threshold in Preferences. No Yes. Opens in panel if cell is text. Yes, hover box No No
Other modes Generate saved "Report" in HTML or other text based format. No text column No No image or hex image or hex No No No No No No No No
Data entry SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Entry in tables Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes, via popup menu "Edit table rows" Yes No No No
Entry in views (with "instead of" triggers) Yes for update. no for insert. No No Yes. Asks for key field to use. No Yes Yes No Yes Yes, but only works if the view contains a "rowid" key column. No No No No No
Mark & submit No, immediate No, immediate No? Bug with data entry. Yes Yes, optional connection type for commit/rollback. Incorrectly updates whole row instead of just changes. Does have commit/rollback mechanism. Yes. Can use auto commit or manual commit. No No, immediate Yes No, immediate Yes? Changes not marked. Can autocommit or begin/end transaction via buttons. No No No
Null distinct from text No, but does have "Set to null" command in cell entry. No, but can set string to show No in column mode, NULL appears same as 'NULL' literal text. In Cell mode shows number of characters. Yes, pink (adjustable) cell color for nulls. No Yes. Shows as grey [Null] and has "Set Null" context menu. Yes. Shows as grey [Null] and has "Set Null" context menu. No, appears as "NULL" Yes, can choose string and cell color. No, but can set text to show (default 'NULL') No. NULL appears same as "NULL" Yes uses "NUL" graphic No No No
GUI Create SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Add Column Yes for tables. No for views. Yes. Right click table, choose "Alter", "Add Column" No Yes for tables and views but buggy. Drops and creates table, but doesn't bring triggers. Identifiers in views not quoted. Yes for tables and views but buggy. Drops and creates table, but doesn't bring triggers. Identifiers in views not quoted. Yes Yes. Click "Action" button under entity list, choose "Alter", then add column. Includes GUI for constraints. Mistakenly shows some table constraints as columns and an "Origin" column (which is only relevant for views). No. "Add New Column" popup menu just shows template SQL Yes in tables No
Drop Column Yes for tables. No for views. No since tries "alter table... drop column" syntax which SQLite doesn't support. No Yes for tables and views but buggy. Drops and creates table, but doesn't bring triggers. Identifiers in views not quoted. Yes for tables and views but buggy. Drops and creates table, but doesn't bring triggers. Identifiers in views not quoted. Yes Yes. Click "Action" button under entity list, choose "Alter", then select and delete column. Yes Yes in tables No
Reorder column definitions No No No Yes for tables and views (but buggy eg Fails for identifiers with spaces) Yes for tables and views (but buggy eg Fails for identifiers with spaces) Yes, via Action -> Alter popup button under entity list. Yes in tables, no in views. Buggy for some tables. No
GUI create table Yes (buggy?) Yes No Yes No, "Create Table" menu item disabled for SQLite. Yes. Great except fails for identifiers with spaces Yes. Great except fails for identifiers with spaces Yes Yes, right click on "Tables" in browser -> "Create Table" Yes No. "Create New Table" popup menu just shows template SQL Yes, via grid No No Yes
GUI create view No, just shows dialog with field for name and select statement No ("Create Table" panel offers "view" option but does same as table. No No. Dialog allows view name and SQL of select, but limited usefulness. No Yes. Great except fails for identifiers with spaces Yes. Great except fails for identifiers with spaces No, just shows dialog with field for name and select statement No No No. "Create New View" popup menu just shows template SQL Yes basic. Can save a GUI query on a table as a view. "Add View" button asks for SQL. No No No
Link tables No No (though "Foreign Keys" tab might be promising when it works) No No No Yes. Foreign keys and view definition Yes. Foreign keys and view definition No No No No No No No No, not in SQLite, requires support for "foreign key" in tables, wheras SQLite only links in views.
Entity browsing SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
Shows entities Tables, views, triggers, indexes Tables, views, indexes, triggers Tables and views but not indexes or triggers? Tables, views, triggers, indexes Tables, views, indexes, triggers Tables, views, indexes, triggers Tables, views, indexes, triggers Tables, views, indexes, triggers Tables, views, no triggers or indexes Tables, views, triggers. Indexes appear with selected table. Tables, views. Expanding a table/view reveals associated columns, triggers and indexes Tables and views in separate panes Tables, indexes, but not views or triggers No Tables only
Filter list No Yes, after customizing toolbar to have search field. No Yes. Right click, "Filter Navigator". Yes No No No Yes, with wildcards Yes No No No No No
Sorted list Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No
Refresh manually Yes, collapse/expand grouping Yes, "Reload" button Yes, right click on "Tables" -> "Refresh" Yes. Right click -> "Reload Navigator" Yes, "Reload Connection info" from "Connection" menu. Also auto every 30s. Yes. "Refresh Connections" popup menu Yes. "Refresh Connections" popup menu Yes, click "Refresh" toolbar icon Yes, right click -> "Refresh Objects Tree" Yes, via "Reload" toolbar button. Also refreshes automatically after each SQL execution. Yes. Popup menu "Refresh". Yes via "Refresh Tables" button No No No
Rename Yes for tables. No for views, but can double click, change name field (fails if name contains space). No No Yes No Yes. However, renaming views (and tables?) doesn't bring triggers Yes. However, renaming views (and tables?) doesn't bring triggers Yes No Yes. Also correctly alters triggers associated with renamed table/view. No. "Rename table" popup menu just shows template SQL Yes, double click on name to edit. No No No (not existing entities)
View/edit data of selected table/view (without need for explicit query) Yes, for tables, right click -> "Query". No for views. Yes, click "Data" tab and start button Yes, click "Execute" button in "Data" tab. Yes, right click -> "Edit" Yes Yes, double click Yes, double click Yes Yes, in "Data" tab Yes Yes via popup menu "Edit table rows" or "Query view" Yes for view. No for table, but can select table from menu with two clicks and then click "Show All" button in "Content" pane. No No No
Shows indexes belonging to selected table No No No Yes Yes, via "Info" -> "Indexes" Yes in "Design", not in entity hierarchy. No No, though does show number of associated indexes Yes, in "Indexes" tab Yes Yes, by expanding table in entity browser Yes Yes No No
Shows triggers belonging to selected table/view No No No Yes for Tables, no for views. Yes, via "Info" -> "Triggers" Yes for tables in "Design", not in entity hierarchy. No for views. No No No, missing for SQLite No Yes, by expanding table/view in entity browser Yes, but you have to reselect the table or view first. No No No
Can show SQL of triggers/indexes with SQL of parent table/view No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No
Show/edit schema SQL of selected table, view Yes No. Recreates its own SQL, ignoring original, adding unnecessary (200000000) parameters, reformatting No? Not yet implemented? Yes. Right click -> "View DDL" Yes, click "info" then "DDL" button. Yes, can view SQL in "DDL" tab, and edit via GUI and preview. Fails to include triggers and indexes Yes, can view SQL in "DDL" tab, and edit via GUI and preview. Fails to include triggers and indexes Yes, in "Structure" tab, though scrolling field is too small at only 4 lines. No, missing for SQLite Can show but not edit schema of views. Can't show SQL of table schema, only GUI. Yes, via popup menu "Show CREATE statement" Yes can view SQL of tables and views but can't edit. For tables need to click on "Show create table" button. No No No
SQL Editing SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
SQL text editor Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes "Custom Query" Yes Yes No
Syntax color Yes for queries, but not existing schema. Yes (slight bug when encountering a "/") Yes Yes Yes Yes. Simply keyword, number, literal, comment, other Yes. Simply keyword, number, literal, comment, other No Yes Yes No Yes Yes, only keywords No No
Colors are context aware No Yes? No No? Mostly. Some inconsistent coloring of entity names. No No No Yes? No No No No No No
Distinct color for quoted identifiers vs literals No Yes No No No Yes. Quoted identifiers are black like unquoted and most syntax. Yes. Quoted identifiers are black like unquoted and most syntax. No No Yes, though default (in preferences) is same color. No No No No No
Distinct color for tables/views No Yes No Yes, but inconsistent No No No No No No No No No
Distinct color for join aliases No No No No No No No No No No No No No
SQL indenting No No No Yes but ignores level Yes, "Format indenting" command Yes, via "Beautify SQL" popup menu. Navicat Essentials: No No No Yes, extensive including alignment No No No No No No
Keeps original case for keywords Yes Yes. Can manually select text and choose upper/lower Yes Yes. Optional upper Yes Yes, although "Beautify SQL" changes to upper case. Yes, although "Beautify SQL" changes to upper case. Yes Yes. Optional upper or lower Yes Yes Yes Yes (option for Caps) Yes creates upper
Copy from manually activated list of tables/columns No, but can paste from list of shortcuts No No Yes No Yes, but pops up automatically No No No No No No No No No
Drag and drop objects into text No Yes, but dragging table from browser drops other table's column names No No Yes (entities but not columns), from entity list and "Statement Recall". But doesn't quote identifiers that need quoting (eg containing a space). No No No Yes, from entity list No No No. Entity list not visible in "Custom Query" tab. No No No
Auto completion No Yes. Hit escape key to show list of options. Problem with being case sensitive and doesn't quote entity names that need it. Pop up of tables/views (not columns) No Yes, but offers Entities when it should offer columns (eg after "where"). Yes context aware popup, but keywords are uppercase only Yes context aware popup, but keywords are uppercase only No No "Show Autocompletion" from menu doesn't work No, but list auto appears No No No No No
Execution SQLiteManager SQLGrinder DB Solo RazorSQL Froq Navicat Navicat Essentials SQLite Manager for FireFox DBVisualizer Base Spatialite MesaSQLite Orac SQLiteQuery SQLEditor
SQL Execute Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Copes with spaces and reserved words in identifiers Yes. Query on table uses [] but should use "". Yes for column names if enable preference "Browser" -> "Quote table column names when querying". No for table/view names. Yes? Yes Yes Mostly Yes. Fails in design or rename of tables, views Mostly Yes. Fails in design or rename of tables, views Yes Yes, if set option for delimiters to "" Yes No Yes Yes No Yes, except incorrectly uses single quotes instead of double


Time taken to build page: 0.035s