Getting started

Overview

What TableGrip is, what it can do, and where to go next in these docs.

TableGrip is a free, open-source desktop database client for developers. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis and many more. It is built with Kotlin, Compose for Desktop and Jewel, so it looks and feels like the IntelliJ family of IDEs.

The orders table of a SQLite database open in TableGrip, with the connection explorer on the left

#What you can do with it

Write SQL with help that knows your schema. Completion for tables, columns, aliases and CTEs, whole JOIN … ON clauses proposed from foreign keys, real values sampled from a column, a formatter, EXPLAIN, and quick fixes for misspelt names. → SQL editor
Edit data safely. Changes in the grid stay pending until you submit them, then run in one transaction. Foreign keys are clickable, and a value panel shows JSON as a tree, binary as hex and images as pictures. → Data grid
Filter without writing SQL. A typed condition builder that understands dates like today-7d or 3 months ago, or a raw WHERE clause with completion. → Filtering data
Work on the schema. Table designer, schema compare with generated migrations, ER diagrams, data import and a test data generator. → Schema tools
Look after servers. Live server activity with lock trees, backup and restore through pg_dump and mysqldump, and scheduled backups. → Server activity, Backup & restore
Ask an AI agent. Use Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI or any compatible API. By default the agent sees your schema, never your data. → AI agent
Move in quickly. Import connections from TablePlus, DBeaver, DataGrip, ~/.pgpass and .env files, or paste any connection URL. → Move from another tool

#Principles

TableGrip is built around a few promises that show up everywhere in the app:

Promise	What it means in practice
Nothing changes until you say so	Grid edits are pending until you submit. Schema changes show their SQL first. Restores go into a new database by default.
Safe by default	Production connections ask before writes, read-only connections refuse them, and `DELETE` without `WHERE` always asks. See Safety & environments.
Your secrets stay in the OS	Passwords live in the macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager or the Linux Secret Service, never in TableGrip's files.
No surprise downloads	No database driver ships with the app. The one you need is downloaded on first connect and checked against a pinned SHA-256.
Plain files you own	Settings, saved queries and history are readable JSON and `.sql` files in `~/.tablegrip/`.

#Find your way around these docs

If you want to…	Start here
Install TableGrip and connect for the first time	Installation, then Quick start
Bring your connections from another app	Move from another tool
Learn the editor, the grid and filters	Query & edit
Use the AI agent and understand what it sees	AI agent, What the agent can see
Work faster with the keyboard	Keyboard shortcuts
Fix a problem	Troubleshooting & FAQ
Build the app or contribute	Build from source, Contributing

Note

Shortcuts in these docs are written for macOS. On Windows and Linux, use Ctrl where you see ⌘.

#Free and open source

TableGrip is released under the Apache License 2.0. The source code, issue tracker and releases are on GitHub. If it saves you time, you can support its development through GitHub Sponsors, Ko-fi or PayPal.

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