Best free option: DBeaver Community (Strong). Switching saves about $1,499 USD one-time.
$1,499 USDone-time
≈$2,137.12 CAD (converted from USD)
Every pick below has a free version.
4 alternatives
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for one free client for almost any database
Apache-2.0. Covers everyday querying and data editing well. Sync, scheduling and the visual query builder need DBeaver Lite or Enterprise. Free version: Community is free and open source. Paid editions start at $113 a year and add a visual query builder, scheduling and compare tools.
Best for a light client for MySQL and MariaDB
GPL-licensed and free. A focused client without sync, modeling or scheduling. The Linux and macOS builds are made with Lazarus.
Best for a modern, simple SQL editor
Community Edition is GPL-licensed. It is easy to use but covers far less than Navicat, and several features need a paid plan. Free version: Community is free. Paid editions start at $9 a month billed yearly and add import and export, a JSON sidebar and more databases.
Right for specific needs, or not yet mature enough to recommend widely.
Best for PostgreSQL-only work
PostgreSQL license. Runs as a desktop app or a web server, but does not connect to other database engines.
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How each alternative covers what people use Navicat Premium for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | DBeaver Community | HeidiSQL | Beekeeper Studio | pgAdmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connections | ||||
| Connect to many database types | YesNote 1Connects to a very wide range of databases through JDBC drivers | PartialNote 2MariaDB, MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Firebird and a few others | PartialNote 3PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and SQL Server; Oracle and some others are paid | NoNote 4PostgreSQL only |
| Editing | ||||
| SQL editor with code completion | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visual query builder | NoNote 5The visual query builder is in the paid editions | No | No | No |
| Data | ||||
| Data grid with editing | Yes | Yes | PartialNote 6Table editing works; editing query results is paid | Yes |
| Data import, export and transfer | YesNote 7Data transfer to files and other databases | YesNote 8CSV, SQL, XML, HTML and JSON | NoNote 9Import and export are in the paid editions | YesNote 10Import and export tool plus backup and restore |
| Data and structure synchronization | NoNote 11Schema and data compare are in the paid editions | No | No | PartialNote 12Schema Diff compares structure; there is no data sync |
| Design | ||||
| Data modeling and ER diagrams | PartialNote 13ER diagrams can be viewed but not edited | No | No | YesNote 14Built-in ERD tool |
| Automation | ||||
| Scheduled jobs and backups | NoNote 15The task scheduler is in the paid editions | No | No | PartialNote 16Backup and restore tools; scheduled jobs need the separate pgAgent |
| Parity score | 56% | 44% | 25% | 63% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Data and structure synchronization, Scheduled jobs and backups, Visual query builder. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $1,499 USD / ≈$2,137 CAD (estimated from the USD price) one-time. Prices checked ; ≈ means converted from USD.
Based on Navicat Premium 18 Standard, one-time. Price source. USD to CAD at 1.4257 as of Oct 7, 2026.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Navicat Premium is a product of PremiumSoft CyberTech, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Navicat Premium: Windows, macOS, Linux.