Ask your Postgres database questions in plain English on macOS
DBJoy is a native SwiftUI PostgreSQL client that lets you query data conversationally, browse schemas visually, and manage connections with SSH tunnels—all while keeping writes locked behind explicit approval.
- LinkLoot access
- Free
- Provider costs
- Unknown
What you get from it
What it does
DBJoy is an AI-first PostgreSQL client built specifically for macOS. Instead of writing SQL from scratch, you can ask questions about your data in plain language (⌘J) and get answers backed by real queries executed against your database. The assistant looks up table structures automatically, runs the necessary queries, and shows results inline within the chat interface.
Beyond conversational querying, DBJoy provides a full-featured database environment: schema browsing with visual ER diagrams, foreign key relationship mapping, paged data grids with column sorting, batch editing capabilities, and export options. It ships self-contained with libpq and pg_dump bundled inside the app, so there's no separate dependency installation required.
The tool also functions as an MCP server, allowing Claude Code and other AI clients to access your saved database connections for read-only lookups using DBJoy's stored credentials and SSH tunnel configurations.
Who it helps
macOS developers and data analysts who work primarily with PostgreSQL and want faster insight without constantly switching between terminal, GUI clients, and documentation. Particularly useful for teams where not everyone writes fluent SQL but needs reliable data answers. Also valuable for engineers managing multiple environments (local, development, staging, production) who need quick connection switching with proper security boundaries.
Getting started
Download the latest DBJoy-*.dmg from the GitHub Releases page. Open the disk image and drag DBJoy to your Applications folder. Builds are signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so Gatekeeper won't block launch.
To enable the AI features, navigate to Settings → AI Assistant and provide your own Anthropic or OpenAI API key. Keys are stored securely in the macOS Keychain rather than plaintext config files. Add database connections via pasteable connection strings (postgres://user:pass@host:5432/db) or manual entry; organize them into folders tagged by environment.
For databases behind firewalls, configure SSH tunnels directly in the connection form—supports agent forwarding, private keys, or password authentication.
Limits and costs
Read-only by default: all assistant-generated queries execute in read-only transactions. To allow INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE operations, you must explicitly toggle Allow the assistant to change data per connection. Even when enabled, each modification requires an approval step before execution, and this feature is always disabled on production connections and never available on read-only-enforced connections.
Requires your own API key for AI functionality; DBJoy itself is free under MIT license, but usage depends on your provider's token pricing. Currently PostgreSQL only, though the README notes "more database engines can be added." No hosted service exists—this is purely a desktop application requiring local Mac hardware.
Source links
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