The lightweight, lightning-fast SQL client built for developers who care about speed.
Native Rust + Tauri v2 architecture. Zero bloat, under 60 MB RAM, instant launch, and zero Java/Electron lag. Query MySQL and MariaDB with sovereign local-first privacy.
SELECT SELECT
FROM all_other_ides
WHERE simplicity = 100
AND performance = 'instant'
AND bloat = 0;
Engineered for developers querying high-throughput databases
LIVING RUNBOOKS & NOTES
Turn ad-hoc queries into living runbooks. Notes & SQL unified in one editor.
Stop juggling Notion, Obsidian, and your database client. Write Markdown documentation, checklists (- [ ]), and incident runbooks alongside executable SQL blocks. Run queries in place with ⌘↵ without ever switching windows.
FROM orders
WHERE status = 'processing' AND created_at < NOW() - INTERVAL 2 HOUR
ORDER BY created_at ASC LIMIT 10;
SCHEMA-SMART INTELLIGENCE
Type SQL at the speed of thought. Schema-smart suggestions & visual EXPLAIN.
Real-time relational autocomplete as you type. Context-aware column data types, nullability badges, and auto-generated foreign key JOIN ... ON proposals inferred directly from your live schema. Inspect query performance with visual EXPLAIN plan cost graphs and format queries with ⌘⇧F.
60FPS VIRTUALIZED DATA GRID
Edit cells in place. Inspect foreign keys without losing your spot.
Scroll 100,000+ rows smoothly at 60 frames per second without DOM thrashing. Double-click any cell to edit with instant dirty-state tracking (visual amber diff bar), review generated SQL UPDATE scripts before committing, and hover over foreign keys to peek referenced rows in a floating popover. Safely update tables lacking primary keys using Virtual Unique Keys.
RELATIONAL CLARITY
Relational schemas, mapped instantly.
Visualize foreign key dependencies, table relationships, and indexed schemas in real time. Pan, zoom, and isolate any table with targeted dependency focus mode. Inspect column constraints, indexes, and generated DDL without manual diagram setup or cloud subscriptions.
SOVEREIGN SECURITY & SAFETY
Triple-layer production guardrails and sovereign security.
Never accidentally drop a production database. Staging and production connections feature color-coded environment shields, triple-layer read-only locks, and a destructive query AST scanner that intercepts missing WHERE clauses before execution. Credentials are sealed in your native OS Keychain with AES-256-GCM, sensitive tokens in query history are masked automatically, and runaway queries can be killed instantly.
LOCAL-FIRST WORKFLOW & 46 THEMES
Saved queries that live in Git, styled with 46 handcrafted themes.
Save queries as plain .sql files directly in any local directory on your drive, version-controlled with Git and shared with your engineering team. Cycle through 46 curated developer themes instantly using ⌥⌘> or the live switcher below. Featuring warm Gruvbox retro palettes with subtle organic film grain, CRT phosphor scanlines, and high-contrast daylight modes.
Gruvbox Dark: Warm retro earthy palette (#282828) with subtle organic film grain, warm amber, moss green, and terracotta syntax.
The sovereign way to query databases.
Engineered from first principles without Java, Electron, or cloud telemetry.
“Consumes 95% less RAM than DBeaver and DataGrip. Keep Select running in the background with 30 open query tabs without feeling a single frame drop.”
“Click the app icon and start typing SQL instantly. No JVM boot phases, no splash screens, and zero garbage collection UI lockups.”
“Write living runbooks with Markdown notes, task checklists, and executable SQL blocks in one unified tab. Run queries in place with ⌘↵.”
“60fps virtualized data grid renders 100k+ rows effortlessly. Edit cells in place with amber diff tracking and hover to peek referenced foreign keys.”
“Interactive foreign key graph auto-generates from information_schema in real time. Click any table to isolate its relational ancestry in focus mode.”
“Saved queries live as plain .sql files in your Git repo. Triple-layer read-only shield, destructive AST checker, and native OS Keychain AES-256 vault.”
| Dimension | Select (Beta) | DBeaver | TablePlus | DataGrip | Beekeeper Studio | MySQL Workbench |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runtime & Engine | Tauri v2 + Tokio Rust | Eclipse Java JVM | Native C++ / Swift | JetBrains JVM | Electron / Node.js | C++ / Python 3 |
| Idle RAM Footprint | < 32 MB | 780 MB – 1.2 GB | ~120 MB | 650 MB – 1.5 GB | 350 MB – 600 MB | 540 MB |
| Cold Startup Latency | < 40 ms (Instant) | 9.40s | ~350 ms | 6.70s | 3.20s | 5.10s |
| Notes & SQL Runbooks | Built-in Markdown + Executable SQL | No | No | Scratch files only | No | No |
| Autocomplete & Suggestions | Schema-Smart + FK JOINs | Basic keyword / table | Basic prefix matching | Deep AST (Heavy index) | Basic schema cache | Simple keyword cache |
| Grid & In-Place Edits | 60fps Virtualized + Amber Diff | Standard (manual save) | Inline cell editing | Grid transaction commit | Standard table view | Clunky grid editor |
| Foreign Key Peek Popover | Instant In-Grid Popover | No | Limited | Navigation jump | Navigation jump | No |
| PK-Less Table Editing | Virtual Unique Keys Safe | Unsafe all-match | Unsafe / blocked | Unsafe / blocked | Blocked | Read-only |
| Large Value JSON Drawer | Slide-out Formatter & Editor | Modal dialog | Cell popover | Cell editor | Basic viewer | Basic viewer |
| Relational Schema ER | Auto FK Graph + Focus Mode | Static ERD (slow) | None / basic view | Heavy UML diagrammer | None | Manual modeler |
| Destructive Query Guard | AST Scanner (Missing WHERE) | Soft prompt | Soft prompt | Multi-row warning | Soft prompt | Safe update toggle |
| Production Read-Only | 3-Layer Lock (UI+AST+Rust) | Connection type (soft) | Safe mode (basic) | Read-only toggle | Read-only toggle | Read-only toggle |
| Saved Queries Storage | Plain .sql in Local Git Repo | Proprietary project | Proprietary cloud/local | IDE Project files | Local SQLite / Cloud | Project files |
| Query Cancellation | Instant Thread KILL QUERY | Often hangs socket | Basic cancel | IDE cancel | Connection reset | Buggy thread kill |
| Credential Storage | OS Keychain (AES-256-GCM) | Obfuscated master pass | OS Keychain | KeePass / OS Keychain | OS Keychain | OS Keychain |
| Cloud Telemetry | 0% (Completely Local-First) | Optional telemetry | License phoning home | JetBrains analytics | Anonymous usage ping | Oracle telemetry |
| License & Pricing | MIT · Free Public Beta | GPL / Paid Enterprise ($25+/mo) | $89 per device lock | $229 / year | Open Source / $99 Comm. | GPL (Oracle) |
Download Select Beta
Available as native binaries for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Free & open-source under MIT.
macOS
Universal DMG for Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) and Intel Macs.
Gatekeeper Note (macOS):
Since beta builds are unsigned, right-click Select.app → Open, or run:
Alternative: Remove quarantine flag (all versions)
This bypasses Gatekeeper without going through System Settings:
After running this, double-click Select.app normally.
Windows
Installer and standalone setup packages with WebView2 acceleration.
SmartScreen Note:
Click More Info → Run anyway. Microsoft WebView2 runtime required (standard on Windows 10/11).
Linux
Universal AppImage and Debian/Ubuntu packages for x86_64.
Make Executable:
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Select's architecture, security, and beta release.
xattr -cr /Applications/Select.app in terminal.
- [ ]), and embed executable SQL code fences (```sql). Placing your cursor inside any SQL block and hitting ⌘↵ executes just that block and streams results below it, turning investigation notes into reproducible runbooks.
.sql files, making them easily committable, branchable, and reviewable via pull requests.
LIMIT 1 to prevent unintended multi-row modifications.
Try Select now.
Join developers escaping bloated SQL editors. Free and local-first.