Databases 5 min read

Three Free Tools That Perfectly Replace Navicat

The article reviews three free MySQL client alternatives—DBeaver, MySQL Workbench, and HeidiSQL—detailing their installation steps, supported databases, key features such as built‑in monitoring and ER diagrams, and why they can serve as practical replacements for the paid Navicat tool.

SpringMeng

Nov 20, 2025

Three Free Tools That Perfectly Replace Navicat

MySQL is widely used in enterprises, and Navicat is a well‑known client but requires a paid license or special workarounds. For users who need a free alternative, three tools are recommended, with MySQL Workbench highlighted as the author’s top choice.

DBeaver

DBeaver is a popular, open‑source client that supports almost every database type, making it a universal solution.

Installation is straightforward: download the community edition from https://dbeaver.io/download/, choose the version matching your operating system, and follow the wizard. After installation you can switch the language to Simplified Chinese if needed. The first time you connect to a database, DBeaver prompts you to download the appropriate driver, after which the connection works normally.

MySQL Workbench

MySQL Workbench is the official MySQL client released by Oracle. It can be downloaded from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/workbench/. The current version is 8.x, which works regardless of the MySQL server version.

After downloading, install the program (the UI is English‑only). The tool offers two major advantages: built‑in database monitoring and an ER diagram editor. Both features are free, making Workbench especially useful for performance testing where monitoring data is needed, and for DBAs who require quick visual schema design.

HeidiSQL

HeidiSQL is a lightweight client that supports MariaDB, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and SQLite—five of the most commonly used databases in China.

The software is free; the latest installer is about 40 MB, and the source code is available on GitHub. After installation, the interface automatically switches to Chinese (or can be changed via Tools → Preferences → Language ). Compared with the other two tools, HeidiSQL offers a clean UI and a fairly complete feature set.