We make Gadwal, so read this knowing that. We've tried to list the questions that actually separate Mac database clients, and to be honest about where another tool may suit you better.
1. Native app, web UI or Java UI?
Native Mac apps open fast, scroll large tables smoothly and follow Mac keyboard habits. Web-based and Java-based tools run on every platform, which matters if your team uses Windows and Linux too. Gadwal is Mac only.
2. How are edits saved?
Some clients write each cell the moment you leave it. Others stage changes until you commit. Staging is safer on real data: you see every change, and they run together in one transaction. Gadwal stages everything until ⌘S.
3. Does it connect to where your data lives?
Check TLS modes (verify-full with a custom CA), SSH tunnels with modern keys, and connection poolers like PgBouncer, Supavisor and Neon's pooler, which break clients that rely on prepared statements. Gadwal handles all three.
4. Do you need other engines too?
If your week also includes MySQL, SQLite or a warehouse, one client for all of them saves switching. Gadwal covers PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB, SQLite, DuckDB, Cloudflare D1, ClickHouse and BigQuery.
5. What does it cost?
Free open-source tools exist and are good. Paid clients range from subscriptions to one-time licenses. Gadwal has a free tier, a 14-day trial, and a one-time unlock. See pricing.
6. What happens when you let an AI in?
More people now ask Claude or Cursor to query their database. Most setups hand the AI a full-access connection string. Ask a client: can I make the AI read-only per connection, enforced by the server? Can I review its writes before they run? Is there a log? Can I hide sensitive columns? Gadwal was built around these questions. Read how.
What Gadwal doesn't do (yet)
- No ER diagrams or visual query builder.
- No schema diff in 1.0 (planned for 1.1).
- No Windows or Linux version.