HeidiSQL: Free Open-Source Database Management Tool
Overview
HeidiSQL is a free, open-source database management tool created by Ansgar Becker in 2002. It provides an intuitive graphical interface for working with multiple database systems. The tool remains actively maintained and widely used, especially for MariaDB and MySQL.
The name "Heidi" refers to the application itself; it allows users to connect to databases and "edit data and structures in these databases."
Supported Database Systems
HeidiSQL works with seven database platforms: - MariaDB - MySQL - Microsoft SQL (MSSQL) - PostgreSQL - SQLite - Interbase - Firebird
Key Features
- Free and open source for everyone
- Multi-server connections in a single window
- SSH tunnel and SSL support for secure connections
- Visual database object editors for tables, views, stored routines, triggers, and scheduled events
- SQL export with compression and clipboard support, plus direct server-to-server exports
- User privilege management
- Text file import
- Data export as CSV, HTML, XML, SQL, LaTeX, Wiki Markup, and PHP Array
- Grid-based data browsing and editing
- Bulk table operations (move to another db, change engine, collation, etc.)
- Batch insertion of ASCII or binary files into tables
- SQL query editor with customizable syntax highlighting and code completion
- SQL reformatting for disordered queries
- Client process monitoring and killing
- Cross-database text search across all tables on a server
- Batch optimization and repair of tables
- Ability to launch a parallel
mysql.execommand line window using current connection settings
Architecture & Technical Details
The software is built using different compilers depending on the target platform:
- Windows version — built with Delphi 12.3 (Embarcadero)
- Linux and macOS releases — compiled using Lazarus v4.4 and FreePascal
A preview of v13 for Windows is available, sharing the same codebase as the Linux version. A macOS app bundle for arm64 has also been released as a very early preview, including code signing certificates, though it lacks MSSQL support at this stage.
Recent Version History
| Version | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 12.17 | 2026-04-12 | User role management, ENUMs on PostgreSQL, invisible indexes |
| 12.16 | 2026-03-10 | Reverse foreign keys, display main menu, row count on MSSQL and SQLite |
| 12.15 | 2026-01-30 | Windows, Linux, and macOS release; bugfixes and enhancements |
| 12.14 | 2025-12-11 | Windows and Linux release; first macOS app bundle preview followed on Dec 16 |
License
The site describes HeidiSQL as "Free for everyone, OpenSource." It operates under an open-source license.
Community & Support
Additional resources include a forum with active discussions, a bug tracker on GitHub (organized by milestones, bug reports, feature requests, and enhancement requests), screenshots, and a themes showcase. The site also lists a donation page with a donor list.
Author & Imprint
Ansgar Becker is the creator. The imprint lists:
Ansgar Becker, Falkenstr. 10, 48485 Neuenkirchen, Germany
The website is hosted by Manitu, and the project has official presences on Instagram and Bluesky.