TablePlus alternative for Mac: Postgres-only, $39 once

Why developers look past TablePlus

TablePlus is a good app. But a few things send Mac-and-Postgres developers looking: the $59-per-device renewal to keep getting updates after year one, per-device licensing, and the fact that, as of July 2026, there's no pgvector UI and no visual EXPLAIN. If you only use Postgres, you're also paying for thirteen engines you never open.

What TuskDB does differently

TuskDB is Postgres-only, on purpose. That focus buys you a real pgvector workflow, a visual EXPLAIN with a computed verdict, an incremental ERD, and a $39 one-time price with no per-device renewal.

Feature	TuskDB	TablePlus
Native macOS app	Yes, Swift & AppKit	Yes
Platforms	macOS 15+	macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS
Database engines	PostgreSQL only	~14 (MySQL, SQL Server, Mongo…)
Price	$39 one-time	$99 (1 Mac) / $129 (2 Macs)
Updates	All updates, no renewal	1 year, then $59/device to keep updating
Free trial	14 days, every feature	Unlimited time, capped at 2 tabs
pgvector UI	Yes, find-similar + recall lab	No dedicated vector UI
Visual EXPLAIN	Yes, computed verdict	Text / JSON only
ERD diagram	Yes, incremental canvas	Separate plugin / web tool
SSH tunnel	Yes, strict host-key	Yes, uses ~/.ssh/config

Feature

TuskDB

TablePlus

Native macOS app

Yes, Swift & AppKit

Yes

Platforms

macOS 15+

macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS

Database engines

PostgreSQL only

~14 (MySQL, SQL Server, Mongo…)

Price

$39 one-time

$99 (1 Mac) / $129 (2 Macs)

Updates

All updates, no renewal

1 year, then $59/device to keep updating

Free trial

14 days, every feature

Unlimited time, capped at 2 tabs

pgvector UI

Yes, find-similar + recall lab

No dedicated vector UI

Visual EXPLAIN

Yes, computed verdict

Text / JSON only

ERD diagram

Yes, incremental canvas

Separate plugin / web tool

SSH tunnel

Yes, strict host-key

Yes, uses ~/.ssh/config

Verified 23 July 2026 against tableplus.com. Prices and terms can change, so check their site before buying.

When TablePlus is still the right call

If you work across MySQL, SQL Server, or MongoDB, or you need Windows, Linux, or iOS, stay with TablePlus. TuskDB is Mac-only and Postgres-only and won't cover those.

Answers before you download.

Is TuskDB cheaper than TablePlus?

Up front, yes: $39 one-time versus $99 to $129. TablePlus includes one year of updates and then charges $59 per device to continue; TuskDB includes all updates with no renewal. TuskDB covers 2 Macs; TablePlus counts devices per tier.

Will my TablePlus connections work in TuskDB?

You'll re-enter your Postgres connections. TuskDB stores passwords in the macOS Keychain, the same place TablePlus does.

A TablePlus alternative for Mac, built only for Postgres

Why developers look past TablePlus

What TuskDB does differently

When TablePlus is still the right call

Answers before you download.

Try the native, Postgres-only alternative.