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Head-to-head · Database Client Software

Navicat Premium vs Adminer

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Navicat Premium #3 in Database Client Software 8.8/10 14-day trial ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Navicat
Adminer #8 in Database Client Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Adminer

Navicat Premium leads on 2 checks, Adminer on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreNavicat Premium · 8.8/10
  • Free planonly Adminer
  • Most featuresNavicat Premium · 4 of 4

Our editors rank Navicat Premium at #3 and Adminer at #8 for database client software; Adminer has no rubric score yet (facts researched, not yet scored), so the checks below decide.

Adminer offers free plan; Navicat Premium doesn't. On deployment, Adminer gives you Web where Navicat Premium offers Desktop. Navicat Premium offers ssh tunneling; Adminer doesn't publish it. Navicat Premium offers visual query builder; Adminer doesn't publish it.

Navicat Premium is the better fit for enterprise users needing modeling and automation. Adminer is the better fit for simple free browser-based administration.

  • Navicat Premium fits best

    Enterprise users needing modeling and automation

  • Adminer fits best

    Simple free browser-based administration

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. It never changes our verdict. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Navicat Premium 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Adminer —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 —
Ranking #3 in Database Client Software #8 in Database Client Software
Best for Enterprise users needing modeling and automation Simple free browser-based administration
Pricing model Paid Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Web
Support Email, Live chat Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Navicat Premium 4/4 · Adminer 2/4
SSH tunneling ✓ (best) Not published
Data editing ✓ ✓
Visual query builder ✓ (best) Not published
Query history ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment Desktop Web
Database support MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, CockroachDB, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle; additional plugin drivers include Elasticsearch, SimpleDB, MongoDB, Redis, Firebird, ClickHouse, IGDB and IMAP
Result export formats Excel, Access, CSV SQL, CSV
Our review
Pros
  • Supports relational and NoSQL database connections
  • Includes modeling, synchronization, backup, and scheduled automation
  • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with cloud integrations
  • Free, open-source distribution under the Apache License or GPL
  • Edits data, schemas, permissions, routines and database objects
  • Supports multiple databases with SQL and CSV export
Cons
  • No free plan is available
  • The perpetual license costs $1,299 per license
  • The product is desktop software rather than a browser-based tool
  • Runs as a web-based PHP application rather than a native desktop client
  • SSH tunneling is outside its stated feature set
  • No visual query builder is included in its stated feature set
Our verdict

Navicat Premium is a desktop database development and administration client for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It connects to relational and NoSQL systems including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis, and…

Read the review →

Adminer is a web-based database administration interface distributed as a single PHP file. It is designed for developers and database administrators who need a compact browser-based way to connect to database servers, create or select…

Read the review →
  1. Navicat PremiumDatabase Client Software 8.814-day trial
  2. AdminerDatabase Client Software —Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Navicat Premium — where it wins

    • Supports relational and NoSQL database connections
    • Includes modeling, synchronization, backup, and scheduled automation
    • Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with cloud integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • The perpetual license costs $1,299 per license
    • The product is desktop software rather than a browser-based tool
  • Adminer — where it wins

    • Free, open-source distribution under the Apache License or GPL
    • Edits data, schemas, permissions, routines and database objects
    • Supports multiple databases with SQL and CSV export

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs as a web-based PHP application rather than a native desktop client
    • SSH tunneling is outside its stated feature set
    • No visual query builder is included in its stated feature set

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026