Introduction

Tabularis is a desktop database management tool built with Tauri (Rust backend) and React (frontend). It natively supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite, and can be extended to any other database engine via its JSON-RPC plugin system.

What Tabularis Actually Does

  • Connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite — including databases behind SSH tunnels.
  • Browses schemas, tables, views, indexes, foreign keys, and stored procedures/functions.
  • Runs SQL in a Monaco-based editor with live autocomplete on real table/column names, with multi-statement execution and multi-result tabs.
  • Notebooks — interactive multi-cell workspaces combining SQL, Markdown, charts, and cross-cell variables.
  • Edits data inline in a virtualized data grid with pending change tracking.
  • Builds queries visually with a drag-and-drop canvas that generates SQL in real time.
  • Generates ER diagrams from your live schema using the Dagre layout engine.
  • Manages schema — creates tables, alters columns, adds indexes and foreign keys — with a DDL preview before applying.
  • Generates AI SQL from natural language using OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, MiniMax, Ollama, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
  • Exports query results to CSV, JSON, or Markdown (streamed, cancellable).
  • Dumps and imports databases to/from .sql files, with progress tracking and cancellation support.
  • Extends via plugins: any executable that speaks JSON-RPC over stdin/stdout becomes a new database driver.
  • Runs as an MCP server so external AI agents (Claude Desktop, Cursor) can query your local databases.

System Requirements

Platform Minimum Notes
macOS 10.15+ Separate builds for Apple Silicon (aarch64) and Intel (x64)
Windows 10/11 WebView2 required (pre-installed with Edge)
Linux Ubuntu 22.04+ x86_64 only. Requires webkit2gtk-4.1 and libsecret-1

Linux dependency install

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt install libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0 libsecret-1-0

Arch Linux

sudo pacman -S webkit2gtk libsecret

Fedora

sudo dnf install webkit2gtk4.1-devel libsecret-devel

Quick Start

1. Install

Download the right package from GitHub Releases:

  • macOS → .dmg
  • Windows → .msi or .exe
  • Linux → .AppImage, .deb, or .rpm

2. Create a connection

Click + in the sidebar (or Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + N). Fill in host, port, database, and credentials. If the database is in a private network, enable the SSH tunnel in the SSH tab. Click Test Connection to verify before saving. Check Save passwords in Keychain to keep the password in the OS keychain; without it, the password is saved in plain text in connections.json.

3. Start working

Once connected, the sidebar shows all schemas, tables, views, and routines. Double-click a table to open it in the data grid. Press Cmd/Ctrl + T for a new SQL editor tab.

Interface Overview

The UI has three fixed regions:

  1. Left sidebar — a two-level navigation area: the narrow primary rail for app sections and open connections, plus the Explorer panel for the active connection. The Explorer is split into Structure, Favorites, History, and Notebooks tabs, so schema browsing, saved queries, past executions, and notebooks are separated instead of mixed into one long tree. Collapse/expand it with Cmd/Ctrl + B.
  2. Tab bar — each open table or SQL editor is a tab, color-coded by connection.
  3. Main canvas — shows the active view: data grid, SQL editor, query builder, ER diagram, or schema editor.

Global Keyboard Shortcuts

Action macOS Windows / Linux
Execute query Cmd + F5 Ctrl + F5
Execute query (in editor) Cmd + Enter Ctrl + Enter
Tab switcher Ctrl + Tab Ctrl + Tab
Monaco command palette F1 F1
Command palette Cmd + K Ctrl + K
Quick navigator Cmd + P Ctrl + P
Actions palette Cmd + Shift + A Ctrl + Shift + A

Local Data Storage

Tabularis stores all data locally. Nothing is sent to external servers except:

  • Your chosen database host (the actual connections you make).
  • GitHub API (api.github.com) for update checks, if enabled.
  • The plugin registry (registry.tabularis.dev) and GitHub release downloads, when you browse, install, or update plugins and theme packages.
  • Your configured AI provider endpoint, only when you explicitly trigger an AI feature.
Data type Location
App config (config.json) ~/Library/Application Support/tabularis/ (macOS)
Connection metadata Same directory, connections.json
Query history Same directory, query_history/<connection-id>.json
SSH profiles Same directory, ssh_connections.json
Saved queries Same directory, saved_queries/<query-id>.sql plus saved_queries/meta.json
Passwords / API keys OS keychain (connection passwords only when Save passwords in Keychain is checked)
Logs In memory only; view or export them from Settings → Logs

See Configuration for platform-specific paths.