Comparison

Forge Database Manager vs Nice SSH

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Forge Database Manager

A native macOS, iOS, and iPadOS application that consolidates access to numerous SQL, NoSQL, and file-based data stores. It offers features like inline editing, schema comparison, and AI integration for querying data in plain English.

Highlights
  • Supports 19 database engines
  • Manages CSV, JSON, and SQL dump files
  • Inline cell editing and data import
  • AI integration for natural language querying
  • Scheduled universal backups
  • Schema comparison and SSH tunneling
Features
Read full description

Stop paying for four tools. Forge opens SQL servers, cloud warehouses, NoSQL clusters, federated query engines, file dumps, and key/value stores in one native app — no Electron, no subscriptions. Built with SwiftUI for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. One purchase, every Apple device. NINETEEN DATABASE ENGINES • PostgreSQL family — Postgres, CockroachDB, TimescaleDB, Amazon Redshift • MySQL family — MySQL, MariaDB • SQLite, libSQL, Turso (remote libSQL over Hrana HTTPS) • Microsoft SQL Server, Azure SQL — pure Swift TDS, no driver • Oracle — pure Swift, no Instant Client • Snowflake — SQL API v2, key-pair JWT auth • Google BigQuery — service account JWT • Trino / Presto — federated queries • Apache Cassandra, ScyllaDB • DuckDB — embedded analytics over Parquet, CSV, JSON • Redis — browse keys by type as tables • ClickHouse — analytics via native HTTP • Elasticsearch — indexes as SQL tables THREE FILE FORMATS AS DATABASES • CSV — auto-detected separators, quoted fields, duplicate headers handled • JSON, NDJSON, JSON Lines — arrays and streaming • SQL Dump — open mysqldump or pg_dump files and browse without executing a statement DRY RESTORE — UNIQUE TO FORGE Inspect any SQL dump as if it were a live database. Browse a 400 MB backup in seconds. No risk, no server, no restore. AI BRIDGE — UNIQUE TO FORGE Run a local MCP server that exposes your databases as tools to Claude Desktop, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible assistant. List tables, inspect schemas, run queries — in plain English, on every supported engine. Read-only by default. Credentials never leave your Mac. LIVE DATA WITH DIFF HIGHLIGHT Toggle auto-refresh on any table to watch data change in real time. New rows light up green, changed cells light up yellow. Pauses automatically when you're editing. EDIT IN PLACE Double-click a cell to edit. Save many cells across rows in one transaction. Schema-aware INSERT and DELETE. Import CSV/JSON straight into a SQL table. Every SQL engine, Oracle included. QUERY EDITOR Syntax highlighting and context-aware autocomplete — keywords, table names, column names. SQL formatter and Find & Replace built in. Reusable queries with {{var}} placeholders. Snippet library: type `:name` and the template inserts. SMART DATA GRID Sort, filter, and export results as CSV, JSON, or SQL INSERT — on every engine. SCHEMA COMPARE Diff tables and columns between two connections. Catch drift before it bites in production. UNIVERSAL BACKUP Scheduled backups for every engine: SQL dump for SQL, JSON for Redis. Cron expressions, retention, gzip. Runs in the background. SSH TUNNEL Reach databases behind a bastion host. Password or private-key auth (ed25519, RSA, with passphrase). Pure Swift, no openssh dependency. PORTABLE & SECURE Export connections as a single encrypted bundle (ChaCha20-Poly1305 + PBKDF2-SHA256), import elsewhere with a passphrase. Drag a .sqlite/.csv/.json/.sql.gz file onto the sidebar to open it. Passwords in Apple Keychain. SSL/TLS for remote connections. No telemetry, no cloud dependency. SMALL & FAST Around 50 MB installed on iPhone, even smaller on Mac. Native Swift code, no Electron runtime, instant cold start. NATIVE APPLE Spotlight indexes your saved queries and connections — search them from anywhere on macOS or iOS. Run saved queries with Siri or the Shortcuts app. Keyboard shortcuts everywhere. Multi-window on Mac with shared engine cache. Twenty-two data sources. One app. Zero Electron.

About

Nice SSH

A secure and intuitive remote connection manager for servers. It offers a fast terminal, SSH access with key authentication, SFTP file transfers, and VNC for visual control. The app features encrypted key storage and cross-device sync for seamless management.

Highlights
  • Fast and responsive terminal
  • Secure SSH with key authentication
  • SFTP file transfer
  • VNC remote desktop access
  • Encrypted SSH key storage
  • Cross-device sync
Features
Read full description

Manage All Your Servers in One Place A powerful and intuitive remote connection manager designed for developers system administrators and anyone working with servers Connect manage and control your infrastructure easily and securely from one app Key Features Terminal Access a fast and responsive terminal for command line operations SSH Securely connect to your servers with support for password and key authentication SFTP Transfer and manage files easily with built in SFTP support VNC Access remote desktops and control your machines visually Encrypted Key Storage Store your SSH keys securely with encryption Customizable Interface Personalize the app to match your workflow and preferences Cross Device Sync Sync your data across iPhone iPad and Mac to keep everything up to date Built for Productivity Manage production servers development environments or personal machines with ease Secure and Reliable Designed with security and performance in mind for stable and protected connections

Screenshots

Forge Database Manager4 screens
Nice SSH3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Nice SSH at Free against Forge Database Manager's $19.99. Nice SSH also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days) and ratings volume (3 vs 1). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Nice SSH is free to download; Forge Database Manager costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Forge Database Manager against 5.0 for Nice SSH. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Forge Database Manager ships an update every 8 days, Nice SSH every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Forge Database Manager versus Nice SSH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForge Database ManagerNice SSH
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarco TiniThuc Do Van

Customer experience

Forge Database Manager

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Nice SSH

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Forge Database Manager

No in-app purchases

None

Nice SSH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Forge Database Manager free?
Forge Database Manager costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Nice SSH free?
Nice SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Forge Database Manager or Nice SSH?
Forge Database Manager and Nice SSH are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.
Do Forge Database Manager or Nice SSH have ads?
Neither Forge Database Manager nor Nice SSH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forge Database Manager or Nice SSH?
Forge Database Manager ships an update every 8 days, and Nice SSH every 3 days. Most recently, Forge Database Manager was updated on September 18, 2026 and Nice SSH on September 30, 2026.

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