3 Database Viewers for SQLite

SQLite is a great little database for all kinds of personal data storage. Not only does it have drivers for all current programming languages, but it also works without the hassle of creating a server to host it. Today I give you a quick overview on 3 no-code tools to explore your SQLite databases.

 

DB Browser for SQLite

DB Browser for SQLite runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and FreeBSD. You can connect to an existing SQLite database or create a new one. The database structure tab gives you an overview on your tables and indices. A speciality of this tool is the create table script you find next to each table:

To view the data in your table, right-click on the table and select “Browse Table” or go to the “Browse Data” tab and select your table in the drop-down list:

 

SQLiteStudio

SQLiteStudio is very similar to DB Browser for SQLite. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux with a more polished user interface and a higher update frequency. As I tried it the first time, I was a bit annoyed for the extra step to run the generated SELECT script. With a bit more time to learn the tool I found the “Data” tab that shows you the rows in your table without a detour to SQL:

 

DataGrip

DataGrip from JetBrains allows you to access a wide range of database systems from various vendors. It also runs on Windows, Mac and Linux but offers significantly more features. Those extra features come at the price of €89.00 for the first year. It is the only tool of the 3 that needs the extra step of downloading the driver to access your SQLite database. If this is done, you can access your database:

One of the many helpful tools in DataGrip is the ER diagram viewer. Select the database, then go to Diagrams | Show Visualization to see how your tables are connected (or not):

The Northwind example database is not the most interesting one for this feature. Unfortunately, I do not yet have a more interesting example I can show you.

 

Which one to pick?

All 3 tools do a good job to access your data in an SQLite database. If you just want to work with SQLite, DB Browser for SQLite and SQLiteStudio are good choices. Both tools offer similar features for the casual user and do not require any preparation to access your database. The more you want to do, the more I suggest you use SQLiteStudio.

DataGrip is a good choice if you work with many different database vendors or you do that much work that the massive feature list is an asset and not an obstacle. In my opinion you need to learn too much for just accessing SQLite. However, that initial effort is quickly compensated when you just need to learn one tool instead of 3 or 4.

 

Closing notes

All 3 tools allow you look into your SQLite database. If one tool does not fit your needs, do not hesitate, and take another one. The great benefit of having multiple tools to your disposal is that we do not need to work with tools that stand in our way.