I built a native macOS database GUI because I was fed up with TablePlus limits

Matt Noye — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:34:01 +0000

I've been using TablePlus for years. It's good — but the connection limits
on older licences drove me mad, and most alternatives are either Electron
apps or haven't been updated since 2019.

So I built my own.

What is Stratum?

Stratum is a native macOS database GUI — written in Swift, not wrapped in
Electron. It connects to MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and SQLite.

What made me actually build it

Three things:

1. Connection limits. TablePlus caps connections on older licences.
Stratum has none.

2. Electron alternatives. Beekeeper Studio is good but it's an Electron
app. On a Mac, that matters.

3. The MySQL setup friction. Most tools require you to install extra
dependencies. Stratum connects natively — no brew install, no extra setup.

What it does

Table browser with inline editing — add, edit, delete rows without SQL
Server-side pagination — stays fast on tables with 100k+ rows
Query editor with schema-aware autocomplete
Visual schema designer — create tables, add columns without writing DDL
Full SQL export — DROP + CREATE + batched INSERTs
iCloud sync for connections and snippets
Laravel Valet auto-detection
Import connections from TablePlus in one click
SSH tunnelling

The tech

Built with SwiftUI and Swift 6. The PostgreSQL driver uses PostgresNIO.
The MySQL driver implements the MySQL wire protocol directly over
Network.framework — no Homebrew dependency, works inside the App Sandbox.

Where it is now

Currently in free beta. One-time purchase planned for the Mac App Store —
no subscription.

→ stratum.mwn-digital.uk