Why I Built DBX
I've used many database clients — DataGrip requires a subscription, DBeaver is slow to start, TablePlus locks features behind a paywall, and most Electron-based tools ship 200+ MB installers.
I wanted something open-source, fast, and lightweight that just works. So I built DBX with Tauri (Rust + Vue) — the installer is only ~15 MB because it uses the system's native webview instead of bundling Chromium.
What It Does
DBX connects to 17+ databases with a single app:
| SQL | NoSQL | Analytical |
|---|---|---|
| MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle | Redis, MongoDB | DuckDB, ClickHouse |
| TiDB, OceanBase, openGauss, Doris, StarRocks |
Key Features
🤖 AI SQL Assistant
Connect your Claude or OpenAI API key, then ask questions in natural language. DBX knows your schema — tables, columns, indexes, foreign keys — so it generates accurate SQL.
- Generate SQL from natural language
- Explain, optimize, and fix broken queries
- One-click "Fix with AI" when a query fails
📊 ER Relationship Diagrams
Right-click any database or table to generate relationship diagrams. Two modes:
- Table structure view — column types, primary/foreign keys
- Chen-style ER diagram — entities, attributes, cardinalities
Both support zoom/drag and SVG export.
📁 Drag & Drop File Preview
Drop a Parquet, CSV, or JSON file into DBX and instantly preview the data — powered by an embedded DuckDB engine. No import step needed.
✏️ Inline Data Editing
Edit data directly in the grid. Changes are color-coded (green = new, amber = edited, red = deleted) and batched into a single save operation.
🔐 Security First
- Passwords stored in system keychain (macOS Keychain / Windows Credential Manager)
- DROP/DELETE/TRUNCATE/ALTER require confirmation
- SSH tunnel support (key + password auth)
Other Highlights
- Query editor — CodeMirror 6, autocomplete, syntax highlighting, SQL formatting
- Redis browser — key search, all data types (String, Hash, List, Set, ZSet, Stream)
- MongoDB browser — document CRUD with pagination
- Database export — DDL + INSERT data to SQL file
- Dark mode, i18n (English & Chinese), auto-update
Tech Stack
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Framework | Tauri 2.0 |
| Backend | Rust (sqlx, reqwest, keyring) |
| Frontend | Vue 3 + TypeScript |
| Editor | CodeMirror 6 |
| UI | shadcn-vue + Tailwind CSS |
| File preview | DuckDB (WASM) |
The Rust backend handles all database connections, SSH tunnels, and credential storage. The frontend communicates via Tauri's IPC — no HTTP server, no localhost ports.
Install
macOS (Homebrew):
brew install --cask t8y2/tap/dbx
Windows (Scoop):
scoop bucket add dbx https://github.com/t8y2/scoop-bucket
scoop install dbx
Or download from GitHub Releases.
Links
- GitHub: github.com/t8y2/dbx
- License: MIT
If you find it useful, a ⭐ on GitHub would mean a lot. I'd love to hear what databases or features you'd like to see next!