Part of: Field tools

Browse SQL Server
from your terminal.

A fast, lightweight database browser for Microsoft SQL Server. Browse tables, run T-SQL queries, export data, all from a single compiled binary. Open source (GPL-3.0). No SSMS, no Azure Data Studio, no Electron.

Buy Binary · $4.99 Build from source See features

~7 MB

Binary Size

TUI + Web

Two Interfaces

3 Formats

CSV · JSON · SQL

arm64 Mac

Pre-built binary

The Problem

You're opening SSMS just to check a few rows.

SSMS takes 15 seconds to open and uses 1.5 GB. Azure Data Studio needs installation. sqlcmd is fine for queries but terrible for browsing. When you're SSH'd into a server or doing remote support, you just need to peek at a table, fast.

GUI Bloat

SSMS, Azure Data Studio, DataGrip: they load driver plugins, render UI frameworks, and cache schemas. Opening them feels slower than the query itself. SSMS alone is 1.5 GB.

Remote Support Pain

When troubleshooting a customer's SQL Server over SSH, you can't run a GUI. You're stuck with sqlcmd and manual SELECT * queries. No table browsing, no pagination.

Large Table Lag

sqlcmd prints rows and your terminal scrolls forever. GUI tools page correctly but need installation and don't work over SSH. Neither is ideal for quick data checks.

Export Hassle

Need a quick CSV of a query result? With SSMS it's right-click → Save Results As → wizard. With sqlcmd it's -o with formatting flags. Both are slow when you just want the data.

Features

Everything you'd open SSMS for. In 7 MB.

A zero-dependency TUI that starts in milliseconds. Browse tables, run T-SQL queries, export data, all without leaving your terminal. Built-in Web UI for when you want a graphical view.

Table & View Browser

Sidebar with schema-qualified table names (dbo.Orders, sales.Invoices). Live row counts. Type / to filter the list. Vim-style keyboard navigation throughout.

Paginated Data View

500 rows per page with Prev/Next navigation. Real-time scrollbar shows your position in the full table. Copy TSV or JSON to clipboard with one keypress.

T-SQL Query Editor

Interactive editor with autocomplete for T-SQL keywords, table names, and column names. Ctrl+S to execute. Syntax highlighting with SQL Server-specific keywords (TOP, NOLOCK, EXEC, etc.). Supports multi-statement scripts with per-statement error reporting.

Schema Inspector

View table structures. Column names and types from INFORMATION_SCHEMA.COLUMNS. Row counts pre-loaded for every table and view.

Multi-Format Export

Export tables as CSV, JSON, or SQL INSERT statements with proper [schema].[name] quoting. Download from Web UI or export from TUI.

Resilient Connections

Auto-retry on connection failure. The Web UI automatically reconnects on each API call if the database was restarted.

Two Modes

Terminal or Browser. Same binary.

TUI MODE

Terminal Interface

Vim-style keybindings (i/k/j/l for scroll). Paginated data with horizontal scroll for wide tables. SQL editor with T-SQL autocomplete. Copy menus for TSV/JSON export.

WEB UI

Dark-Theme Web Interface

Launch with --ui. Full sidebar, paginated data, SQL editor with autocomplete and syntax highlighting. Export CSV/JSON/SQL with one click.

Quick Start

Two commands. That's it.

# Install in one command (macOS Apple Silicon; other platforms: pick the build on the thanks page)

sudo curl -L -o /usr/local/bin/mssqltui "https://dl-mssqltui.voltrus.id/latest?platform=mac-arm" && sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/mssqltui

# Connect to SQL Server (TUI)

mssqltui -s localhost -p 1433 -d MyDatabase -u sa -P MyPass123

# Launch Web UI on localhost:5000

mssqltui -s localhost -d master -u sa -P 'YourPass123!' --ui

Pre-built binary $4.99 one-time · Build from source free on GitHub · Pre-built: macOS (Apple Silicon, Intel) and Linux (x86_64, aarch64).

Part of: Field tools · Debug one device from your laptop: protocol apps, terminal database browsers, utilities.

How MSSQLTui differs from…

Sqltui
Sqltui is the same kind of terminal browser for SQLite files, $4.99 one-time.
PostgresTUI
PostgresTUI is the same kind of terminal browser for PostgreSQL, $4.99 one-time.

Not sure? See which one you need →

FAQ

Common questions

Both. MSSQLTui is open source (GPL-3.0): you can build it from source for free with cargo build --release. If you prefer a ready-to-use binary without compiling, it's $4.99 one-time from Polar. No subscriptions, no feature gates, just a convenience fee for the pre-built download.

Yes. Connect to any SQL Server endpoint: on-premises, Azure SQL Database, Azure Managed Instance, AWS RDS for SQL Server, or Docker containers. Just provide the host, port, and credentials.

Yes. MSSQLTui supports both SQL Server Authentication (username/password) and integrated Windows Authentication (when running on Windows or domain-joined machines).

MSSQLTui is not a full IDE. It's a fast, lightweight browser. It starts in milliseconds vs SSMS's 15+ seconds. It works over SSH without X11 forwarding. It's a single 7MB binary vs SSMS's 1.5GB installation.

Yes. TLS encryption is enabled by default (matching modern SQL Server defaults). Use --no-encrypt for local/Docker SQL Server instances. Use --trust-cert for self-signed certificates.

Open Source · GPL-3.0