Alternatives to Harlequin
A SQL IDE that runs in the terminal, with adapters for DuckDB, SQLite, Postgres and more. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Harlequin
A SQL IDE that runs in the terminal, with adapters for DuckDB, SQLite, Postgres and more.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Harlequin.
rainfrog
Query databases through a terminal editor with history and favorites.
rainfrog is an MIT-licensed terminal query editor with history, favorites and table inspection, with driver support varying in stability.
LazySQL
Browse and query databases through a terminal interface.
LazySQL is a cross-platform MIT-licensed terminal interface for browsing and querying databases, though the project describes itself as alpha software.
dblab
An open-source terminal UI client for browsing and querying PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and other databases.
dblab is an open-source terminal UI for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and others with saved connection configs, maintained by a small team and without DuckDB mentioned.
usql
Use one command-line interface for many database systems.
usql offers one command-line interface for many database systems rather than a full terminal IDE, with driver features varying by database.
pgcli
A command-line PostgreSQL client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting.
pgcli is a command-line PostgreSQL client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting, limited to PostgreSQL and without an IDE layout.
LiteCLI
A command-line SQLite client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting.
LiteCLI provides a terminal SQLite client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting, covering only SQLite.
mycli
A command-line MySQL client with auto-completion, syntax highlighting and fuzzy history search.
mycli is a terminal client for MySQL, MariaDB and compatible servers with fuzzy history search, not covering DuckDB or Postgres.
Beekeeper Studio
A SQL client that is pleasant to look at and works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Beekeeper Studio replaces the terminal with a graphical desktop SQL client for many databases, with some features paid.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Harlequin as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Tad
A desktop viewer for CSV and Parquet files and SQLite and DuckDB databases, with pivot tables.
Harlequin queries DuckDB and SQLite from a terminal SQL IDE instead of a graphical pivot viewer, and is installed through Python.
trdsql
Query structured files with SQL from the command line.
Harlequin gives a full terminal SQL IDE with a DuckDB adapter for file queries, installed through Python instead of a single command-line tool.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
DuckDB
In-process analytical database that queries CSV, JSON and Parquet directly.
VisiData
An interactive terminal multitool for exploring, cleaning and converting tabular data in many formats.
sq
An open-source command-line tool to inspect, query, join, import and export data across databases and files.
sqlite-utils
A Python command-line tool and library for creating, querying and transforming SQLite databases.
DBeaver Community
One database client for more than a hundred databases, with a proper SQL editor and ER diagrams.
