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TuskDB / Alternatives / the VS Code PostgreSQL extension

A native Mac alternative to the VS Code PostgreSQL extension

The extension is good and free. TuskDB is for when you want Postgres work in its own app, and when you work with pgvector.

Download for MacSee pricing

14-day free trial · no account · no credit card

Why developers look past the VS Code PostgreSQL extension

Most people do not need to leave it, and that is worth saying plainly. The two reasons they do: database work competes with code for the same window, and there is no pgvector UI, so every similarity query is hand-written distance SQL.

What TuskDB does differently

TuskDB is a native Mac app, so grids, keyboard flow, and window management belong to the database rather than to your editor. It adds a pgvector workflow (find-similar, recall lab, index health), SSH tunnelling with strict host-key verification, and previewed one-row edits keyed to the primary key.

FeatureTuskDBthe VS Code PostgreSQL extension
Native macOS appYes, Swift & AppKitNo, an extension inside VS Code
PlatformsmacOS 15+Anywhere VS Code runs
Database enginesPostgreSQL onlyPostgreSQL only
Price$39 one-timeFree
Devices per license5 Macs, one personUnlimited (free)
UpdatesAll updates, no renewalFree
Free trial14 days, every featureFree (no purchase)
pgvector UIYes, find-similar + recall labNone found (July 2026)
Visual EXPLAINYes, computed verdictYes, four-view plan visualizer
ERD diagramYes, incremental canvasYes, schema visualizer
SSH tunnelYes, strict host-keyNot documented (July 2026)

Verified 23 July 2026 against the Microsoft docs and the ms-ossdata.vscode-pgsql marketplace listing. Microsoft ships often, so check their changelog before relying on any gap below.

When the VS Code PostgreSQL extension is still the right call

If you are happy inside VS Code and do not touch embeddings, stay. The extension is free, Microsoft-backed, and covers EXPLAIN, ERD, and activity properly. TuskDB is $39 and Mac-only, and it should have to earn the difference.

Questions

Answers before you download.

Is TuskDB free?
No. It is $39 one-time, with all updates included and no renewal, and a 14-day trial that needs no account. The VS Code extension is free.
Can I use both?
Yes, and plenty of people will. Keep the extension for quick lookups without leaving your editor, and open TuskDB when you are working in the data itself: browsing, editing, tuning a plan, or exploring embeddings.

Try the native, Postgres-only alternative.

14 days, every feature, no account. Bring your own database.

Download for MacFull the VS Code PostgreSQL extension comparison