Frequently Asked Questions

DBView is a beautiful, fast, and modern database client for macOS. It supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite databases with features like SQL editing, schema visualization, AI-powered queries, and more. Built with Tauri 2.0 and Rust for native performance.

Yes, DBView is free to download and use. We may introduce premium features in the future, but the core functionality will always remain free.

Currently, DBView supports macOS 12.0 (Monterey) and later on Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4). Intel Mac and Windows/Linux support are planned for future releases.

Yes. DBView stores all sensitive information (passwords, API keys) in the macOS Keychain, which is encrypted and protected by your system password. Your database credentials never leave your machine.

DBView supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. Each database type has full support for connections, schema exploration, query execution, and data export.

Yes, you can connect to any database that's accessible from your network. For databases behind firewalls, you can use SSH tunneling with password or key-based authentication.

When creating a connection, enable the SSH Tunnel option and provide your SSH server details. DBView supports password authentication and private keys (RSA, Ed25519, ECDSA), including keys with passphrases.

Yes, DBView can connect to any cloud-hosted database. Simply use the connection details provided by your cloud provider. For private databases, use SSH tunneling through a bastion host.

The AI assistant uses your configured AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, or Ollama) to convert natural language questions into SQL queries. It's schema-aware, meaning it understands your table and column names to generate accurate queries.

DBView supports OpenAI (GPT-4, GPT-3.5), Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and Ollama for local models. You can configure your preferred provider in Settings > AI Settings.

The SQL Book is a feature for saving and organizing your frequently used queries. You can save queries with names, organize them in folders, and quickly access them from the sidebar.

Yes, you can export query results in multiple formats: CSV, JSON, and SQL INSERT statements. Click the export button in the results panel to choose your format.

ERD (Entity Relationship Diagram) visualization automatically generates a visual diagram of your database schema. It shows tables, columns, and foreign key relationships. You can click on tables to highlight their relationships and export the diagram as an image.

This can happen if Gatekeeper blocks the app. Open Terminal and run: `xattr -cr /Applications/DBView.app` then try opening the app again. The app is signed and notarized by Apple, so this is safe.

Check the following: 1) Verify your connection details (host, port, username, password). 2) Ensure the database server is running and accepting connections. 3) Check if a firewall is blocking the connection. 4) For remote connections, try using SSH tunneling.

Common issues: 1) Verify your SSH credentials are correct. 2) Ensure the SSH server is accessible and accepting connections. 3) For key-based auth, make sure your key format is supported (RSA, Ed25519, ECDSA). 4) If using a passphrase-protected key, enter the passphrase when prompted.

Slow queries are usually due to the database, not DBView. Try: 1) Adding appropriate indexes to your tables. 2) Using LIMIT to reduce result set size. 3) Analyzing your query with EXPLAIN. DBView uses virtual scrolling to handle large result sets efficiently.

Make sure you've configured an AI provider in Settings > AI Settings. You'll need to add your API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. For Ollama, ensure the Ollama server is running locally.

No. DBView does not collect, store, or transmit any of your data. All database connections and queries happen directly between your Mac and your database servers. The only network requests are to AI providers when you use the AI assistant feature.

Connection configurations are stored locally on your Mac. Sensitive data like passwords and API keys are stored in the macOS Keychain for security.

Only when you explicitly use the AI assistant feature. When you ask the AI to generate a query, your table schema (names only, not data) and your question are sent to the configured AI provider. Your actual database data is never sent.