Many third parties create rich applications to facilitate database management, database development and database administration. Here are ten outstanding graphical interfaces for MySQL.
Supported platforms: Microsoft Windows,
Mac OS X and Linux
MySQL Workbench is a
visual database design tool that integrates SQL development, administration, database
design, creation and maintenance into a single development environment. It is
the successor to DBDesigner 4 from fabFORCE.net and replaces the MySQL GUI
Tools Bundle. The current version is 6.3, the earliest version being 5.0, which emphasized the fact that
MySQL Workbench was developed as the successor to DBDesigner4.
Windows version:11.2 Prices (USD)
Navicat for MySQL (Windows) Enterprise Edition* US$ 199.00
Navicat for MySQL (Windows) Standard Edition US$ 149.00
Navicat for MySQL (Windows)Non-Commercial Edition US$ 159.00
Mac version:11.2
Navicat for MySQL (Mac OS X) Enterprise Edition # US$ 199.00
Navicat for MySQL (Mac OS X) Standard Edition US$ 149.00
Navicat for MySQL (Mac OS X) Non-Commercial Edition US$ 159.00
Linux version:11.2
Navicat for MySQL (Linux) Enterprise Edition # US$ 199.00
Navicat for MySQL (Linux) Standard Edition US$ 149.00
Navicat for MySQL (Linux) Non-Commercial Edition US$ 159.00
iOS version:1.1
Navicat for MySQL (iOS) US$ 19.99
* Enterprise version (Windows) is
packaged with Report Builder and Data Modeling Tool, and 2 Navicat Report
Viewer licenses.
# Enterprise version (Mac and Linux) includes the Data Modeling Tool feature.
A 14 day trial version is
available.
License: Available under Commercial or
Non-commercial licenses.
Supported platforms: Microsoft Windows,
Mac OS X, Linux, and iOS
Navicat for MySQL is both a database
administration and development tool. It works with any MySQL database server
from version 3.21 or above, and supports most of the latest MySQL features
including triggers, stored procedures, functions, events, views, and user
management.
Features in Navicat are sophisticated enough to cater to professional
developers’ specific needs, yet easy to learn for users who are new to MySQL.
Sequel Pro
Manufacturer: The Sequel Pro Project (open
source)
Supported platforms: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow
Leopard or newer
Sequel Pro is a FREE open-source application. It is the
successor of the CocoaMySQL Mac database
management application. CocoaMySQL was the brainchild of Lorenz Textor, who
was the main developer of CocoaMySQL from its early beginnings in 2003.
Sequel Pro is an application used to manage MySQL databases
(locally or over the Internet). It lets you add and remove databases and
tables, change fields and indexes, view and filter table content, add, edit and
remove rows, perform custom queries, and dump tables or entire databases.
It is compatible with MySQL 3.x, 4 or 5 and now
comes in 5 additional languages, including Russian, German, Swedish, French and
Japanese.
Supported platforms: Windows XP, Vista,
7, 8, 10 (can be run on any Linux with Wine)
HeidiSQL, previously
known as MySQL-Front, is a FREE and open source
client developed by German programmer Ansgar Becker and a few other
contributors in Delphi. To manage databases with HeidiSQL, users must
login to a local or remote MySQL server with acceptable credentials, creating a
session. Within this session users may manage MySQL Databases within the
connected MySQL server, disconnecting from the server when done. Its feature
set is sufficient for most common and advanced database, table and data record
operations but remains in active development to move towards the full
functionality expected in a MySQL Frontend.
A version written in Java, jHeidi, which is
designed to work on Mac and Linux computers, also exists. Unfortunately, the
project has been discontinued since March 2010.
phpMyAdmin
Manufacturer: The phpMyAdmin Project (on
Sourceforge)
Supported platforms: Microsoft Windows,
Mac OS X and Linux, PHP 4 - 5 and MySQL 3 - 5
phpMyAdmin is a FREE software tool written in PHP
intended to handle the administration of MySQL over the Internet. phpMyAdmin
supports a wide range of operations with MySQL, the most frequently used being
the managing of databases, tables, fields, relations, indexes, users,
permissions. You still have the ability to execute SQL statements directly as
well.
Tobias Ratschiller, then an IT consultant and
later founder of the software company Maguma, started to work on a PHP-based
web front-end to MySQL in 1998, inspired by Peter Kuppelwieser's
MySQL-Webadmin. He gave up the project (and phpAdsNew, of which he was also the
original author) in 2000 because of lack of time. By that time, phpMyAdmin had
already become one of the most popular PHP applications and MySQL
administration tools, with a large community of users and contributors. In
order to coordinate the growing number of patches, a group of three developers,
Olivier Müller, Marc Delisle and Loïc Chapeaux, registered the phpMyAdmin
project at SourceForge.net and took over the development in 2001.
License: A full range of licensing options are available ranging from one to unlimited user commercial licenses with one year of free upgrades.
Supported platforms: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10
There have been many complaints that MySQL Workbench hangs
or fails to respond when put under a heavy load. SQLyog is a more robust
product with many additional tools. It’s available in three major versions:
Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate. The main difference between the three
versions is the number of included features. These include data migration,
profiling, visual designers, analysis, batch scripting, backup scheduler, user manager,
and database copy tools.
At this time, SQLyog is only available for the Windows platform, but, some of the community uses it on MacOS, Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Mageia using WINE.
A single user license costs $99 for the Professional Ed, $199 for the Enterprise Ed, and $299 for the Ultimate Ed. Multi-user packages are also available. A 14-day trial version of SQLyog is available for download from the Webyog's website.
Nerocode SQLWave is a MySQL GUI
Client tool designed to automate and simplify the database development process.
It also provides an easier way to explore and maintain existing databases,
design compound SQL statements, query and manipulate data in different ways. MySQL
4.x - 6.x compliant.
Price: FREE for express edition, $59.95
(non-commercial standard edition), $124.95 (non-commercial professional edition),
$119.95 (commercial standard edition), $249.95(commercial professional edition)
License: Commercial and non-commercial
licenses available. Subscriptions are also offered as an efficient and
quickest way to deliver product upgrades and technical support.
Supported platforms: Windows XP/7/8/8.1/10
dbForge Studio for MySQL offers visual MySQL development and
administration.
There are three editions: Express, Standard, and
Professional:
Express is a FREE application that provides basic
functionality for working with schema objects, user accounts, SQL scripts, and
queries.
Standard includes additional tools for database
administrators and developers, such as a debugger, Query Builder, code
templates, object search, various export and maintenance wizards.
Professional is the most full-featured version and
adds the following functionality: database projects, accurate comparison and
synchronization of database structures (schema comparison) or database content
(data comparison), debugging stored procedures and scripts, complex query
creation.
Price: Standard Edition is FREE. Enterprise is
$69.90 USD for a single license. Discounts are available for multiple
licenses.
License: Standard Edition is licensed under
standard freeware conditions. The enterprise version is licensed per unit
sold.
Supported platforms: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7
Standard Edition
Specially designed for personal use, it has a minimum
set of features that makes it ideal for new database users to perform basic
database management. You can use this edition for FREE for non commercial use.
For commercial use you can purchase a license which will provide additional
features.
Enterprise Edition
Designed for Enterprise use, it is more suited for DBAs and developers
looking for an integrated application for database management. You can try it
before purchasing. The Enterprise Edition trial version comes with all features
enabled, so that you can try them all for 20 days and make your purchasing
decision based on the full experience.
Our final entry is another studio containing a complete
collection of tools for MySQL Server administration. Developers will
appreciate its ability to create/edit/drop database objects, DB
synchronization, and data export/import. DBAs can also use MyDB Studio to
perform database migration, as well as backups and restores. It supports SSH
tunneling to secure your connections, which allows you to connect even if your
host doesn't allow you remote access connection, user and privilege management,
and PHP script creation.
Conclusion
Runner-Ups
Of course not every beloved MySQL product could make it on
the list. Here are a few more for your consideration:
I am confident that you will find a product to suit your
needs in this group. They are in no particular order, so feel free to try any
that catches your eye. I should also point out that I received absolutely no
financial compensation from any of these companies. My assessment of each
product is based on my unbiased opinion. As such, my top ten list may diverge
slightly from the general consensus.
A few things have changed in the database landscape since our Top 10 MySQL GUI Tools list was compiled--in particular the emergence of cloud services. Keep that in mind when searching for the right MySQL admin tool.
Most relational databases, with the notable exception of MS Access, are comprised of two distinct components: the back-end, where the data is warehoused, and the front-end, a user interface for communicating with the data component. This type of design is quite clever, as it parallels the two tier programming model that separates the data layer from the user interface and allows the makers of the database software to focus on their product’s strongest suit: data storage and management. It also opens the door for third parties to create rich applications to interact with various databases. Such products include Embarkedaro Rapid SQL and Oracle SQL Developer. Here are ten outstanding graphical interfaces for MySQL.