CloudBeaver vs SQLPad
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted developer tools & git options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | CloudBeaver | SQLPad |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Developer Tools & Git | Developer Tools & Git |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,159 | ★ 5,183 |
| First released | 2020 | 2015 |
| Replaces | phpMyAdmin, DataGrip | DataGrip, phpMyAdmin |
What are CloudBeaver and SQLPad?
CloudBeaver
CloudBeaver is a web-based database management tool from the DBeaver team that provides a rich SQL editor, data browser, and visual schema tools for many database systems. It can be deployed for team access in the browser.
- Multi-engine SQL editor
- Visual schema browsing
- Data export tools
- Browser-based access
SQLPad
SQLPad is a self-hosted web application for writing and running SQL queries against many database engines and visualizing the results as charts. It supports query sharing and connection management for teams.
- Multi-database SQL editor
- Result charting
- Query sharing
- Connection management
CloudBeaver vs SQLPad: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: SQLPad's repository is archived and no longer developed, while CloudBeaver is actively maintained. CloudBeaver is written in TypeScript, while SQLPad is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for CloudBeaver versus MIT for SQLPad. SQLPad is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for CloudBeaver. SQLPad is the more established project (first released 2015), while CloudBeaver arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose CloudBeaver if…
- Supports many databases
- Powerful editor
Watch out for
- Heavier resource use
- Enterprise edition gated features
Choose SQLPad if…
- Broad database support
- Quick to set up
Watch out for
- Limited active development
- Basic visualization
Frequently asked questions
Is CloudBeaver or SQLPad better?
SQLPad is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SQLPad if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are CloudBeaver and SQLPad free and open-source?
Yes. CloudBeaver is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SQLPad under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CloudBeaver and SQLPad with Docker?
CloudBeaver: yes. SQLPad: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, CloudBeaver or SQLPad?
SQLPad has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for CloudBeaver. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.