MySQL Workbench Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options

MySQL Workbench alternatives: DBeaver, Beekeeper Studio, DbGate, Adminer and 1 more. Prices and licenses checked October 23, 2026.

•3 min read•Databases & Database Tools

Editorial illustration: MySQL Workbench Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options

Verdict:Leave MySQL Workbench if you want a client that works across databases, or if the desktop app is slow or hard to install on your system. MySQL Workbench Community Edition is free and released under GPLv2, so cost alone is rarely the reason to leave. For a free desktop replacement, DBeaver's Community Edition is Apache-2.0 and covers MySQL with other engines in one window. Beekeeper Studio's Community Edition is free for solo users and small firms and suits people who mostly write SQL. DbGate is GPL-3.0 and open source. On a server, Adminer and phpMyAdmin give you browser-based MySQL administration. Adminer is a single file, and phpMyAdmin is the older, broader option. The trade-off is depth against breadth. Workbench is built for MySQL, including its model and server tools, while the replacements are general database clients. If you rely on schema modelling or MySQL server administration, test those tasks on the replacement before you switch.

Quick comparison

ToolPricePlatformsBest forTested
DBeaverFree (Community Edition is free under Apache-2.0; paid editions not checked)Windows, macOS, LinuxTeams with mixed database enginesDocs only
Beekeeper StudioFree (Community Edition: free; for students, solo users, nonprofits and firms with under 10 staff or under $1m annual revenue); paid from $9 per per user/month, billed yearly (Indie)Windows, macOS, LinuxSolo developers who write SQLDocs only
DbGateFree (Open source under GPL-3.0; no paid plan checked)Windows, macOS, LinuxUsers who want an open-source clientDocs only
AdminerFree (Open source under Apache-2.0 or GPL-2.0; no paid plan)Web (PHP)Admins who run MySQL on a serverDocs only
phpMyAdminFree (Free software under GPL-2.0; donations optional)Web (PHP)Hosted MySQL and MariaDB usersDocs only
DataGripFree (Free for non-commercial use (learning, hobby or open-source development, content creation); commercial use needs a paid license)Windows, macOS, LinuxDatabase IDEDocs only

Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.

Good fit if

  • You work with several database engines in one client (DBeaver is the pick)
  • You mainly write SQL on a laptop (Beekeeper Studio is the pick)
  • You administer MySQL on a hosted server through the browser (phpMyAdmin is the pick)

Not ideal if

  • You rely on MySQL Workbench features or integrations that these tools do not replicate

MySQL Workbench today: Free (Community Edition is released under GPLv2 with no price; MySQL's page does not list a paid plan) (MySQL Workbench pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Why people look for MySQL Workbench alternatives

The MySQL Workbench page says the new Workbench replaces earlier releases, which are end of life and no longer maintained, and that MySQL Shell for VS Code has been discontinued with its capabilities moving into Workbench. It is described only in terms of MySQL Server versions, with no other databases mentioned. Visual backup and restore works through integration with MySQL Enterprise Backup, and the site lists Workbench under the Enterprise Edition section.

DBeaver

Compared with MySQL Workbench: Apache-2.0 Community Edition client that supports MySQL and many other databases. You gain a free desktop tool with one interface for several engines. You lose MySQL Workbench's official MySQL-specific tooling.

Price: Free (Community Edition is free under Apache-2.0; paid editions not checked) (DBeaver pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. Apache-2.0 (Community Edition) (open source).

Project activity: 52.2k GitHub stars · latest release 26.2.3 (Oct 18, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Teams with mixed database engines.

Beekeeper Studio

Compared with MySQL Workbench: Free Community Edition for solo users and small firms, with a clean SQL editor. You gain an easy free client. You lose MySQL-specific admin features that Workbench includes.

Price: Free (Community Edition: free; for students, solo users, nonprofits and firms with under 10 staff or under $1m annual revenue); paid from $9 per per user/month, billed yearly (Indie) (Beekeeper Studio pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. Not stated.

Best for: Solo developers who write SQL.

DbGate

Compared with MySQL Workbench: GPL-3.0 open-source client that connects to MySQL and other databases. You gain a free client you can inspect. You lose the official Oracle-maintained MySQL tooling.

Price: Free (Open source under GPL-3.0; no paid plan checked) (DbGate pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. GPL-3.0 (open source).

Project activity: 7.4k GitHub stars · latest release v7.3.3 (Oct 27, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Users who want an open-source client.

Adminer

Compared with MySQL Workbench: Apache-2.0 or GPL-2.0 single PHP file for web database administration, including MySQL. You gain a free tool you host yourself. You lose a desktop app, so it needs a web server.

Price: Free (Open source under Apache-2.0 or GPL-2.0; no paid plan) (Adminer pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Platforms and license: Web (PHP). Apache-2.0 or GPL-2.0 (open source).

Project activity: 7.9k GitHub stars · latest release v6.2.0 (Oct 23, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Admins who run MySQL on a server.

Worth knowing: Single PHP file for web database administration.

phpMyAdmin

Compared with MySQL Workbench: GPL-2.0 web interface for MySQL and MariaDB administration. You gain a widely used free tool for hosted MySQL. You lose a desktop app and deep schema design tools.

Price: Free (Free software under GPL-2.0; donations optional) (phpMyAdmin pricing, checked 2026-10-23).

Platforms and license: Web (PHP). GPL-2.0 (open source).

Project activity: 8k GitHub stars · latest release RELEASE_5_2_3 (Oct 8, 2025) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Hosted MySQL and MariaDB users.

Worth knowing: Web-based MySQL and MariaDB administration tool.

DataGrip

Compared with MySQL Workbench: Free for learning, hobby and open-source use, while paid work needs a JetBrains subscription priced per user per year with discounts in years two and three. Workbench Community carries no price.

Price: Free (Free for non-commercial use (learning, hobby or open-source development, content creation); commercial use needs a paid license) (DataGrip pricing, checked 2026-10-22).

Which one to pick

  • You work with several database engines in one client: DBeaver
  • You mainly write SQL on a laptop: Beekeeper Studio
  • You administer MySQL on a hosted server through the browser: phpMyAdmin

Limits of this review

Docs-only for DBeaver, Beekeeper Studio, DbGate, Adminer, phpMyAdmin: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from MySQL Workbench. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.

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Sources

Kevin Fan

Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.

Methodology

Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: MySQL Workbench, DBeaver, Beekeeper Studio, DbGate, Adminer, phpMyAdmin, DataGrip. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.

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