Heimdall Database Proxy vs ProxySQL

Heimdall Database Proxy9.4Visit ProxySQL9.2Visit

Higher score Heimdall Database Proxy #1 in Database Proxy Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Heimdall Data

vs

ProxySQL #2 in Database Proxy Software 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit ProxySQL

• Heimdall Database Proxy fits best

  Broad, enterprise-grade database proxying

• ProxySQL fits best

  Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying

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Side by side

Feature	Heimdall Database Proxy 9.4/10 Visit ↗	ProxySQL 9.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	9.2
Ranking	#1 in Database Proxy Software	#2 in Database Proxy Software
Best for	Broad, enterprise-grade database proxying	Free, mature MySQL/PostgreSQL proxying
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free
Starting price	—	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Heimdall Database Proxy 4/4 · ProxySQL 4/4
Connection pooling	✓	✓
Query routing	✓	✓
Load balancing	✓	✓
Automatic failover	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment model	Both	Self-hosted
Supported databases	MySQL, PostgreSQL, Amazon RDS, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB, DB2, Greenplum, Redshift	MySQL protocol, PostgreSQL protocol, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, Percona Server for MySQL, ClickHouse
Maximum connections	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports pooling, routing, load balancing, caching, and failover Works with major relational databases and cloud platforms Enterprise Plus adds multi-tenant routing, masking, and GDPR auditing	Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included
Cons	Enterprise features require paid editions Community Edition is specifically for Greenplum deployments Its broad feature set may exceed narrow proxying needs	Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs
Our verdict	Heimdall Database Proxy is a data access layer for application developers, database administrators, and architects. It sits between applications and SQL databases in cloud or on-premise environments, providing connection pooling,… Read the review →	ProxySQL is an open-source, protocol-aware database proxy for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and compatible systems. It provides a single database endpoint while handling connection multiplexing, pooling, query routing, read/write splitting, load… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Heimdall Database Proxy — where it wins

  • Supports pooling, routing, load balancing, caching, and failover
  • Works with major relational databases and cloud platforms
  • Enterprise Plus adds multi-tenant routing, masking, and GDPR auditing

  Where it doesn't

  • Enterprise features require paid editions
  • Community Edition is specifically for Greenplum deployments
  • Its broad feature set may exceed narrow proxying needs

• ProxySQL — where it wins

  • Connection pooling, multiplexing, routing, and read/write splitting
  • Failover, load balancing, caching, rewriting, and sharding support
  • Prometheus metrics, REST API, and web administration included

  Where it doesn't

  • Self-hosted deployment requires your team to operate the software
  • Commercial support, consulting, training, and managed services are quote-based
  • Its feature breadth may be more than a simple proxy deployment needs

• Heimdall Database Proxy9.4/10 · Free plan

  A broad database proxy with pooling, routing, analytics, security, and failover.

  Visit Heimdall DataFull verdict →
• ProxySQL9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source proxy for routing, pooling, balancing, and managing database traffic.

  Visit ProxySQLFull verdict →