Show HN: Sqlit – A lazygit-style TUI for SQL databases

Posted by MaxTeabag 12/15/2025

Show HN: Sqlit – A lazygit-style TUI for SQL databases(github.com)

I work mostly in the terminal but found myself constantly switching to bloated GUIs like SSMS only for the simple task of browsing tables and run queries. And I didn't find Existing SQL TUIs intuitive, having to read documentation to learn keybindings and CLI flags to connect. Given I had recently switched to linux, I found myself using vs code's sql database extension. Something was awfully wrong.

I wanted something like lazygit for databases – run it, connect, and query and frankly just make it enjoyable to access data.

  Sqlit is a keyboard-driven SQL TUI with:

  - Context-based keybindings (always visible)
  - Neovim-like interface with normal and insert mode for query editing
  - Browse databases, tables, views, stored procedures
  - Adapters for SQL Server, SQLite, PostgreSQL, Turso & more
  - SSH tunneling support
  - Themes (Tokyo Night, Nord, Gruvbox etc.)

  Inspired by lazygit, neovim and lazysql. Built with Python/Textual.

Feedback welcome – especially on which adapters to prioritize next. My vision of sqlit is to make a tool that makes it easy to connect and query data, and to do that, and that thing only, really well.

https://github.com/Maxteabag/sqlit

190 points | 42 comments

tanin 12/17/2025|

I've built a similar app but for desktop GUI. The UI is very similar to this app because I like TUI style UI due to the efficient use of UI space.

It focuses more on editing and exploring data for power users. UI space is utilized well. Exploring millions of rows is a breeze. Writing SQLs and managing them is pleasant with the multi-tab approach.

I'm working through adding the shortcuts and modal mode. I want to make it more like vim where you just use shortcuts to do things.

It supports postgres, click house, and sqlite

I'm looking for early beta users. If you are interested in a GUI version, here: https://github.com/tanin47/backdoor

caminanteblanco 12/16/2025||

This looks awesome! Is there a way to log in some way that doesn't leave your credentials saved in a text file or your bash history? I would use this at work, but I think my sysadmin would eat me alive if I was storing the login credentials in plaintext

MaxTeabag 12/17/2025||

That's a really good point.

I am going to implement the option to leave the password blank, so you'll get prompted for a password on connection every time, so nothing will get stored.

In the next release I am going to use Keyring to store credentials on the operating system's credential store. Stay tuned :)

nodesocket 12/17/2025||

Agree, the ability to define an in-memory only connection seems super useful.

vinshoo 12/17/2025||

Looks great! It seems that sqlit still relies on arrow keys for getting around. Would it be possible to add options for more vim style on these places?

- Browse explorer tree with jk

- Next/Prev autocomplete suggestion with ^+j,^+k

- Browse Results with hjkl

Some other suggestions:

- Filter tables (f.e. press / and start typing to filter down tables)

- Ability to edit cell value

Otherwise it feels great, thanks for it :) UI looks much nicer than on lazysql and toggleable sidebar is great.

MaxTeabag 12/17/2025|

Thanks! Those are really good suggestions, the next release is going to have more vim keys :)

yoavm 12/16/2025||

Looks great, congrats! Also check out https://github.com/achristmascarl/rainfrog which seems to have similar goals, though is Postgres only.

kej 12/16/2025|

It looks like rainfrog has branched out from just postgres, but still doesn't cover the range that sqlit does.

tracker1 12/17/2025||

Definitely cool to see... Lost of new TUI applications, but seems to be more than a handful of DB UIs at this point. Was half surprised it wasn't another Rust+Ratatui application. Not that there's anything wrong with that either.

Maybe I'm just a little jaded at seeing a lot of the same type of thing rehashed multiple times a week lately.

This isn't meant to detract from this author, or any other... You have an itch and scratched it. This is what makes open-source work.

no_news_is 12/16/2025||

Very nice, works well.

It seems you put some menu items behind what I'll call "[space] mode," where you you have to press the spacebar first to open the command menu, then use the command.

This is not reflected properly in the help text shown when you press ? and that was a source of confusion for me.

Especially since I managed to activate the fullscreen mode for one pane AND turn it off, but then couldn't figure out how I did it; and also, I did not find the space-Q option to Quit at first.)

Edit to add, I prefer installing with pipx.

These commands worked for me, to get Postgresql and MariaDB database plugins:

  pipx install sqlit-tui
  cd ~/.local/pipx/venvs/sqlit-tui
  source bin/activate
  bin/python3 -m pip install psycopg2
  sudo apt-get install -y libmariadb-dev  # On Debian
  bin/python3 -m pip install mariadb

I didn't try installing system-wide as per the GitHub instructions, I don't know if that would have worked just as well with pipx or not.

zahlman 12/16/2025||

> These commands worked for me, to get Postgresql and MariaDB database plugins:

I haven't tried this, but I'm familiar with pipx. It provides a higher-level interface, so something like this should work:

  pipx install sqlit-tui
  sudo apt-get install -y libmariadb-dev
  pipx inject sqlit-tui psycopg2 mariadb

Ref.: https://pipx.pypa.io/stable/#inject-a-package

> I don't know if that would have worked just as well with pipx or not.

I don't actually see anything in the GitHub instructions about system-wide installation? But yes, since version 1.5 (https://pipx.pypa.io/stable/changelog/#150-2024-03-29) Pipx can do a `--global` install that by default puts the managed venv in /opt and executable symlink in /usr/local/bin.

MaxTeabag 12/17/2025|||

Great UX feedback, that's going to be sorted out in the next release.

Also the pipx comment made me decide to put much more thought into how sqlit helps with package installation on runtime, and I'm going to suggest pipx by default and it's also going to give the correct commands for every popular package manager.

Thanks!

oulipo2 12/17/2025||

Using uv you can do

uvx --with psycopg2-binary --from sqlit-tui sqlit

lgas 12/17/2025||

I was surprised to find that I could not run it with uvx:

    % uvx sqlit
       Built unicodecsv==0.14.1
       Built sqlit==0.1.6
    Installed 2 packages in 1ms
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/Users/john/.cache/uv/archive-v0/AP7XgAQ1v0HpPxXUi-hs4/bin/sqlit", line 7, in <module>
        from sqlit.main import main
      File "/Users/john/.cache/uv/archive-v0/AP7XgAQ1v0HpPxXUi-hs4/lib/python3.12/site-packages/sqlit/main.py", line 125
        print sql
        ^^^^^^^^^
    SyntaxError: Missing parentheses in call to 'print'. Did you mean print(...)?

hiichbindermax 12/17/2025|

That's not the same package. You should try sqlit-tui

mrbump 12/17/2025||

Yes, for uvx you need to do "uvx --from sqlit-tui sqlit"

lgas 12/17/2025||

Ah, thanks. This worked great. I was fooled by the package name.

debarshri 12/16/2025||

One of the feedback i have heard from people using SSMS is that it has all the admin operations available in the UI as compared to doing it yourself. Lot of admins i deal with day to day do not want to use the terminal or sqlcmd.

I'm wondering if thats true.

baq 12/16/2025|

Admins don’t ever close the tool, it’s always open on some RDP. Devs have different usage patterns.

SSMS is super duper nice if you’re an admin or a power SQL server user/dev. Nothing I’ve seen in Postgres world is comparable.

tracker1 12/17/2025|||

The only thing I wish they'd do with SSMS is add scaling support to the app... It's a bit small for my usage most of the time.

I've started using the extensions for VS Code a lot since they killed the separate code based SQL studio app. I also use a SQLite extension, though I wish the SQLite extension worked a bit more like the MS SQL extension does. Overall they're both nice.

Definitely different workflows for Devs vs DBAs though.. and you're right, DBAs don't really close SSMS, that said, I think the VS Code extension(s) are better for most dev usage.

debarshri 12/16/2025|||

What you are describing is access via a PAM. Via RDP is one way to accessing it.

mrbump 12/17/2025||

Congrats, looks fantastic! I have been looking for something like that. Maybe I have missed it, but one feature I would really love is support for temporary connections - e.g. being able to do something like "sqlit --db-type sqlite --file-path db.sqlite3" to quickly inspect a DB without having to set up a connection first.

MaxTeabag 12/17/2025|

That's a great suggestion, thanks! I'll be updating the CLI in the next release.

slimebot80 12/16/2025|

This looks lovely.... does it support remote D1?

MaxTeabag 12/17/2025|

It will be added in the next release :)

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