MySQL GUI Tools for Windows and Ubuntu/Linux: Top 8 free or open source

MySQL is the most popular open source relational database management system (RDBMS). It is the heart of the web application software stack called LAMP. All popular application such as WordPress, Joomla, phpBB and more work on Linux using this LAMP setup (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). Even some large websites including Google and Facebook somewhere use the MySQL to carry out important tasks. So, here we will talk about top available Mysql database management software or front-end MySQL GUI tools.

What is MySQL GUI tool?

MySQL Database itself doesn’t have any king GUI (Graphical User interface) to easily manage the created database and its users. So, if you are not very much acquainted with the command line interface then it would be a pain to manage databases, moreover, even professionals need some MySQL GUI tool when it comes to handling large databases. So, either you are a newbie or profession, the GUI based tools to manage the MySQL will help you a lot. As they not only aid in the Database management but also can use to design database structure, see data visually, Monitor database condition and more, however, its all depend on how much is the MySQL GUI tool you are using capable of? MySQL GUI admin tools allow the user to interact with the database using the graphical icons, visual indicators and navigations.

There are some top and best MySQL GUI Tools available to integrate with the MySQL to make you work with the relational database structure easily and visually. In the same context, we have gathered some well-known front-end MySQL GUI Database management tools.

Best free and open-source MySQL GUI tools to Manage Databases

MySQL Workbench

MySQL Workbench is a most reliable tool to provide a GUI interface to MySQL Database system because it also developed the MySQL developers, the Oracle. The MySQL Workbench is available for all three major operating systems: Windows, macOS and Linux. It gives the capability to a user to visually design databases with access to some other tools for SQL development, Database Design & Modeling, SQL Development, Database Administration
Database Migration, monitoring and maintenance from the single unified graphical user interface.  You can see our articles on how to install the MySQL WOrkbench on Ubuntu, LinuxMint and  Fedora & RedHat

Key Features

• Database Connection & Instance Management
• Fully scriptable with Python and Lua
• Support for custom plugins
• SQL Editor
• Data modelling: ER diagramming, Drag’n’Drop visual modelling, Import from fabFORCE.net DBDesigner4,
• Reverse engineering and more.
• Database administration: Start and stop of database instances, Database account management and more. a
• Performance monitoring
• Database migration

Website: http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/workbench/
Price: FREE
License: GPL License

DBeaver

DBeaver is another up to date database administration tool with GUI (graphical user interface). It provides an SQL client that uses JDBC API via JDBC driver to interact with the relational databases. It provides a modular architecture as its features can be enhanced using the plugins which are based on Eclipse plugin system or architecture. Furthermore, the DBeaver comes with an editor where the syntax highlighting and auto code completion are also possible.

It is developed in Java and based on the Eclipse platform. DBeaver is available in both enterprise and open source versions. The open-source one is free to use and distribute. It supports a variety of databases such as MySQL and MariaDB; PostgreSQL, DB2 (LUW), EXASOL, Teradata, Vertica, Apache Phoenix, Netezza, H2, SQLite, SnappyData and more. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Eclipse (using plugin).

DBeaver key features:

• SQL queries execution
• Database structure (metadata) browse and edit
• SQL scripts management
• DDL generation
• ERD (Entity Relationship Diagrams)
• SSH tunnelling
• SSL support (MySQL and PostgreSQL)
• Data browser/editor
• Syntax highlighting
• Data export/migration
• SQL auto-completion
• Import, export and backup of data (MySQL and PostgreSQL)
• Mock data generation for testing

Website: https://dbeaver.io/
Price: FREE
License: GPL License

ClusterControl Community Edition

ClusterControl is a premium MySQL management system GUI but also available in community version which is free to use, of course, there are few features those are only available in paid versions only, still, the free one can do a lot of help. It provides an interface to manage all databases at one place with abilities like deploying a database, monitor, manage and scale MySQL instances. If you want features like load balancing, backup & restore, failover, etc. then you need to upgrade for a premium plan.

Moreover, the free version of the ClusterControl also allows deploying not only the MySQL Database technology but other Open-source DBM systems such as MariaDB, Percona, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, Galera Cluster and more.  Multi-dc view, as well as a deep-dive view monitoring, is available to keep an eye on the performance.

Key Features

• Monitor database
• Database configuration deployment and management
• Multi-DB Support
• Fully Integrated CLI
• Free Developer Studio

Website: Link
Price: FREE
License: Open-source

HeidiSQL

HeidiSQL is also free and open-source MySQL administration tool to provide a GUI front-end. It even works for the MySQL forks including Microsoft SQL Server and PostgreSQL. HeidiSQL was originally pulled from another software code-named as MySQL front 2.5 software by the German developer Ansgar Becker. It features all common features those you get in the MySQL Workbench from managing databases to tables, views, procedures, triggers and events. However, the best thing apart for Windows and macOS, it also available in Portable version; which means you can save it on a Pendrive and use on the go on any system.

HeidiSQL Key Features:

• Multiple parallels ad saved sessions
• Compressed client/server protocol for compatible servers
• Connection via TCP/IP, named pipes (sockets) or tunnelling protocol (SSH)
• Multiple parallelly running sessions in one window
• Create and edit tables, views, stored routines, triggers and scheduled events.
• Ability to store credentials stored.
• Manage database users privileges globally and per database
• Export databases
• Export table rows as CSV, HTML, XML, SQL, LaTeX, Wiki Markup and PHP Array
• Multiple query tabs, with each one having multiple subtabs for batch results
• View server statistical variables, and average values per hour & second
• Edit view query, settings, procedure SQL body and parameters; trigger SQL body and settings; scheduled event SQL body time settings
• And more…

Website: Link
Price: FREE
License: Open-source

phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin is another open-source MySQL database management tool written in PHP. It provides a web interface to connect the MySQL and MariaDB server. It allows databases to manage tables, columns, relations, indexes, users, permissions, etc. It is a most popular tool that used in most of the hosting platform to give graphical user environment to manage Database and its user, and the ability to directly execute any SQL statement.

It is available in 72 languages and supports both LTR and RTL languages.

phpMyAdmin Key Features  

• Web interface
• MySQL and MariaDB database management
• Import data from CSV and SQL
• Export data to various formats: CSV, SQL, XML, PDF, ISO/IEC 26300 – OpenDocument Text and Spreadsheet, Word, LATEX and others.
• Import data from CSV and SQL
• Administering multiple servers
• Creating complex queries using Query-by-example (QBE)
• MySQL server activity like connections, processes, CPU/memory usage, etc.
• Manage stored procedures and triggers.
• Create, copy, drop, rename and alter databases, tables, fields and indexes
• And much more…

Website: Link
Price: FREE
License: Open-source

Valentina Studio

Valentina Studio is a free MySQL database management software that comes in premium version too with some extra features. It is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.  Data management, database design and reporting are some core features of this free database management tool.

Key Features of Valentine Studio:

• Manage multiple databases in tabs and dockable views
• Create/Drop/Alter/Browse Tables, Fields, Indexes, Triggers, Constraints, Links, Views, and more…
• Drill down to tables and fields
• Reverse engineering
• Create diagrams for existing databases.
• Add new objects to diagrams.
• Access Valentina Forms in projects registered on Valentina Server
• Write SQL queries with auto-completion
• Colour syntax
• Define, manage, save favourite queries; access recent queries
• Function browser dictionary of each function
• Consoles for errors, warnings, performance
• Search, Export result records into CSV, JSON, Excel
• Diagnose, compress, clone, defragment, reindex and dump data
• Add/drop users, groups, manage privileges
• Live logs
• Run diagnostics
• Remotely Register/unregister databases
• Create/Alter Schedule events
• Use local Valentina Forms to work with your data

Website: Link
Price: FREE

Webmin

Webmin is an open-source tool which does not delve into the MySQL databases like the MySQL Workbench or DBeaver but it’s a complete package that allows any newbie to install and manage whole Unix based web application system LAMP. However, the recent version of the Webmin can be installed on Windows but users prefer it on Linux.  It is possible to manage user accounts, Apache, PHP or MySQL, DNS, disk quotas, configuration files without editing the files like /etc/passwd.

Website: Link
Price: FREE
License: Open-source

Adminer

The Adminer is can prove a good alternative to the most popular PHPMyAdmin tool. Previously, the Adminer was known as phpMinAdmin and it can be used easily to manage the MySQL databases using the graphical user interface. This MySQL database management tool can handle PostgreSQL, MS SQL, SQLite and Oracle databases. It is a single PHP file tool that distributed under the Apache license that means this is also open source and free to use.

It also supports a plugin system to expand its capabilities.

Few key features: 

• Connect Database Server using the credentials.
• Basic functions like PHPmyAdmin such as create, alter, link, browser, drop a Database.
• Multiple column searches
• Database object editing.
• SQL commands support
• Export and import databases and tables
• User-friendly interface
• Multiple language support
• SQL syntax highlighting
• Visual database/E-R schema editing
• And more…

Website: https://www.adminer.org/en/
Price: FREE
License: GPL License

Sequelpro

If you want a dedicated MySQL database management tool which allows managing the MySQL Database on Mac. It is descendant of CocoaMySQL with the ability to remove databases and tables, add, edit and remove rows, perform custom queries, change fields and indexes, view and filter table content, and dump tables or entire databases. It is available in 5 additional languages, including Russian, German, Swedish, French and Japanese.

Website: Link
Price: FREE

Besides above mentioned free and open source there are fee popular paid one are also available such as DataGrip, Database Workbench, Navicat and more…

Open source MySQL GUI Databse Management Tools Comparison Table

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