Rowbase

A fast, good-looking, read-only-by-default database client — for humans and for AI agents.
MySQL / MariaDB · PostgreSQL · SQLite · native macOS app · one-file app for macOS, Linux & Windows · built-in MCP server

Why Rowbase?

• Safe by default. Every connection is read-only until you say otherwise — enforced at four independent layers (driver-level single statement, SQL guard, READ ONLY transaction, timeouts). Production connections get a red accent.
• Made for AI assistants too. A built-in MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, Codex & co. explore your schema and query data — read-only unless you allow writes, with a token-efficient output format (TOON) and a built-in guide so the assistant knows how to use it. One copy-paste prompt sets everything up.
• One file, no installer. Download a single binary for macOS, Linux or Windows and run it — no admin rights, no Python, no drivers to install. Or use the native macOS app.
• Nice to use. Foreign-key navigation, "referenced by", transpose, column picker, schema-aware autocomplete, EXPLAIN highlighting, query cancel, inline editing with SQL preview, export to CSV/JSON/Markdown/SQL, SSH tunnels.
• Open source under Apache-2.0. Passwords live in your OS keychain, never in config files.

SQL editor: autocomplete, ⌘↩ runs the statement under the caret, EXPLAIN, cancel	Edit rows safely: pending changes, SQL preview, one atomic save

Download

Grab the latest from Releases:

Started without arguments, the one-file app opens the web UI in your browser. Builds are not code-signed yet: macOS → System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway; Windows → More info → Run anyway.

Connect your AI assistant (MCP)

Open AI / MCP in the app, click Copy prompt, paste it into your assistant — it registers the server, reads the built-in guide and creates a reusable skill. Or register manually:

claude mcp add rowbase -- /path/to/rowbase mcp          # one-file binary or app
claude mcp add rowbase -- uvx --from rowbase-db rowbase mcp   # straight from PyPI, nothing to download

Listed in the official MCP Registry as io.github.djstreet11/rowbase.

Results come back as compact TOON tables (~40% fewer tokens than JSON):

rows[2]{id,customer,total}:
  1,"Smith, Bob",9.50
  2,ann,null
truncated: false

Tools: guide, connections, databases, tables, describe, search_schema, sample, count, query, explain (+ apply_changes only when you allow writes). Details: docs/MCP.md.

CLI

Install from PyPI (pipx install rowbase-db / uv tool install rowbase-db) or use a one-file download.

rowbase add shop 'postgres://me@db.example.com/shop?ssh=deploy@bastion'   # read-only unless --rw
rowbase tables -c shop
rowbase q "SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status = 'new'" -c shop --format json
rowbase ui        # web UI on http://127.0.0.1:8765
rowbase mcp       # MCP server (stdio)
rowbase doctor    # environment report

Dark mode

Build from source

• Python track: python3 -m venv .venv && .venv/bin/pip install -e . && .venv/bin/rowbase ui
• One-file binaries: docs/BUILDING.md · Native macOS app: cd native && swift build · releases: docs/RELEASING.md
• Architecture & roadmap: SPEC.md

Contributing

Issues, ideas and pull requests are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md and the Code of Conduct. If Rowbase is useful to you, a ⭐ helps others find it.

License

Apache-2.0 — see NOTICE and THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md.