pgAdmin vs Adminer

pgAdmin—Visit AAdminer—Visit

pgAdmin #6 in Database Client Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit pgAdmin

vs

A Adminer #8 in Database Client Software —/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Adminer

• pgAdmin fits best

  PostgreSQL administrators

• Adminer fits best

  Simple free browser-based administration

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Side by side

Feature	pgAdmin —/10 Visit ↗	AAdminer —/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	—	—
Ranking	#6 in Database Client Software	#8 in Database Client Software
Best for	PostgreSQL administrators	Simple free browser-based administration
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	Web
Support	Community, Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features pgAdmin 3/4 · Adminer 2/4
SSH tunneling	✓ (best)	Not published
Data editing	✓	✓
Visual query builder	Not published	Not published
Query history	✓	✓
Specs
Deployment	Both	Web
Database support	PostgreSQL; EDB Postgres Advanced Server	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	binary; csv; text	SQL, CSV
Our review
Pros	Free and open source with desktop, web, and self-hosted options Covers query plans, editing, backups, vacuum, restore, and analysis Includes SSH tunneling, ERD tools, schema comparison, and exports	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	Verified database support is limited to PostgreSQL and EDB Postgres A visual query builder is not part of the documented feature set The broad feature set is focused on PostgreSQL rather than multiple engines	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	pgAdmin is an open-source graphical administration, development, and monitoring tool for PostgreSQL and EDB Postgres Advanced Server. It is aimed at database administrators and developers who need to connect to database instances, manage… 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 →

Strengths and trade-offs

• pgAdmin — where it wins

  • Free and open source with desktop, web, and self-hosted options
  • Covers query plans, editing, backups, vacuum, restore, and analysis
  • Includes SSH tunneling, ERD tools, schema comparison, and exports

  Where it doesn't

  • Verified database support is limited to PostgreSQL and EDB Postgres
  • A visual query builder is not part of the documented feature set
  • The broad feature set is focused on PostgreSQL rather than multiple engines

• 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

• pgAdmin—/10 · Free plan

  A capable free PostgreSQL client for administration, development, and monitoring.

  Visit pgAdminFull verdict →
• AAdminer—/10 · Free plan

  A free, focused browser interface for everyday database administration.

  Visit AdminerFull verdict →