Both are native SwiftUI SQLite clients built for macOS. The features overlap — but the philosophy, pricing, and depth don't. Here's the honest breakdown.
Try SQLite Gnome Free →Where each app wins, loses, and calls it a draw.
| Feature | SQLite Gnome | SQLiteFlow |
|---|---|---|
| Platform & Architecture | ||
| Native macOS app (SwiftUI) | ✓ | ✓ |
| No Electron, no Java | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS 14+ design target | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS companion app | ✗ | ✓ |
| SQLite-only focus | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing | ||
| One-time purchase | ✓ | ✗ |
| Subscription required | ✗ | ✓ $3.99/mo |
| Free trial before buying | ✓ 14 days | limited |
| File Management | ||
| Open .db / .sqlite files | ✓ | ✓ |
| Create new databases | ✓ | ✓ |
| Saved file shortcuts & sidebar groups | ✓ | ✗ |
| Read-only mode | ✓ | ✓ |
| WAL sidecar detection | ✓ | ✗ |
| Open SQLite files over SSH | ✓ | ✗ |
| Table Content & Editing | ||
| Row browsing with paging & sorting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Filter builder | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insert, edit, delete rows | ✓ | ✓ |
| Copy rows as JSON / INSERT | ✓ | ✓ |
| BLOB/binary safe handling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Query Editor | ||
| Ad hoc SQL with autocomplete | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple query tabs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Query history | ✓ | ✓ |
| Saved query library | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-statement script execution | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schema & Structure | ||
| Columns, indexes, foreign keys | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trigger inspection | ✓ | ✓ |
| STRICT / WITHOUT ROWID metadata | ✓ | ✗ |
| Add / remove columns via UI | ✓ | ✓ |
| Safety & Safeguards | ||
| Automatic backup before risky writes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Destructive query preflight | ✓ | ✗ |
| Read-only mode enforcement | ✓ | ✓ |
| Import & Export | ||
| CSV import into existing tables | ✓ | ✓ |
| SQL file import | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schema export as SQL | ✓ | ✓ |
Over 3 years, single Mac.
| License (forever) | $19 |
| Year 2 renewal | $0 |
| Year 3 renewal | $0 |
| 3-year total | $19 |
| Year 1 subscription | $47.88 |
| Year 2 subscription | $47.88 |
| Year 3 subscription | $47.88 |
| 3-year total | $143.64 |
If you work across both Mac and iOS — debugging SQLite files on a simulator or device — SQLiteFlow's iOS companion app is genuinely useful and has no real equivalent. If you prefer App Store distribution and automatic updates, that's a real workflow benefit too.
If you're a Mac developer who wants to own your tools outright, SQLite Gnome costs less in year one and nothing after. Add SSH access to remote SQLite files, automatic pre-write backups, WAL detection, STRICT table metadata, and sidebar file organization — and it goes considerably deeper than a local-only tool.
SQLiteFlow is a well-built native app. But it's local-only, and a subscription for a local file editor is a hard sell when SQLite Gnome opens SQLite files locally or over SSH, goes deeper on safeguards, and costs a one-time $19. Try it free for 14 days.
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