When going through a twitter thread about PostgreSQL and PostgreSQL compatible database clients, the Postico database client was mentioned. I did not run into that client before, so I decided to take a look.
The first thing to notice is that it's a client for Mac OSX version 10.15 or later (Postico version 2). It does not have a Linux or Windows version. It also is a GUI, which means it serves a specific purpose and is not competing with psql or ysqlsh.
Then another quite prominent topic: it is not a free database client, and costs between 30 Euro (student license) and 85 Euro (commercial license). That is certainly not free. However, it has got a free unlimited trial to test out if you like it or not. Via the OSX App Store you will find the paid version, if you go through the website of Postico you will find a trail version.
Postico is a PostgreSQL database client, and because YugabyteDB reuses the PostgreSQL query engine, YugabyteDB is highly PostgreSQL compatible, and therefore PostgreSQL clients like Postico and DBeaver can be used with YugabyteDB too.
The first thing that I notice is that the GUI is very much in what I believe to be the Mac design philosophy: it has a clean UI that is kept as much free of not directly needed switches and choices, while it still giving you access to the needed options. What probably is the main competitor (and the community most popular option) DBeaver sits in the exact opposite here, providing lots of options and choices.
After setting up a database connection, the window is focussed on a single server, and a single database via breadcrumbs visible at the top of the window. Another server connection can be created via a tab or anther window, but that is a paid version only feature.
The window that is shown after connecting to a database once again is very clean:
A queries subwindow on lefthand upper side that shows the file backing of current SQL, by default 'SQL Query', which contents are shown in the main window, which is opened by default.
And a sub window with a tables and functions tab, which shows the definition of tables and their indexes in the main screen when a table is selected in the tables tab, and the definition of the functions or procedures in the main screen when selected.
Postico 2 to me looks like it's trying to give an as clean as possible interface, instead of trying to show everything that is there, which is what Beaver tries to do. That means that both Postico 2 and DBeaver have their appeal, it's a matter of preference.
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