Forge Database Manager vs MobileDB
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
MobileDB
Access and manage PostgreSQL databases directly from your iPhone or iPad. Browse, query, and edit data securely over TLS or SSH. Build custom dashboards and work safely in production environments.
- Connect to any Postgres database
- Browse, query, and edit data
- Secure TLS and SSH tunneling
- SQL editor with autocomplete
- Build native dashboards
- Production safety features
- Demo mode for instant exploration
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MobileDB is a native PostgreSQL client for iPhone and Apple Watch. Connect straight to any Postgres database — over TLS or an in-app SSH tunnel — and browse, query, chart and edit your data from anywhere. Ask questions in plain English and get answers. No backend, no account: credentials stay in the iOS Keychain and data travels only between your device and your servers. TRY IT INSTANTLY • Tap "Try the Demo" for a built-in sample database — no account, server or setup CONNECT YOUR WAY • Paste a connection URL from Supabase, Neon, Railway, Render, Heroku or AWS • Passwords and SSH keys secured in the Keychain • TLS (require, verify, self-signed) and built-in SSH tunneling with host-key pinning BROWSE • Schema → table → row navigation with search • Schema Map: every table and foreign key in an interactive diagram • Data grid with sorting, filters and foreign-key jumps • JSON/JSONB values as a collapsible tree ASK AI • Ask "how many users signed up this week?" and get the number, a table or a chart. Queries run read-only and time-limited; anything that changes data is never run automatically • "Hey Siri, ask MobileDB…" — spoken answers on your phone and watch, and in Shortcuts • Build dashboard widgets and new rows from a sentence • Free and private with Apple Intelligence — the on-device model runs on your phone • Or bring your own key for any OpenAI-compatible provider. Only your schema and question are sent — no row data unless you allow it QUERY & EDIT • SQL editor with syntax highlighting and autocomplete • Charts, history, saved queries, CSV/JSON export • Type-aware row editor: insert, update, duplicate and delete by primary key DASHBOARDS • "Build me a dashboard": MobileDB finds users, orders and revenue and proposes cards, each checked against your data • Guided cards (totals, trends, breakdowns) or custom SQL, with trends vs the previous period • Share any card or dashboard as a polished image WIDGETS, ALERTS & WATCH • Dashboard metrics on your Home Screen, Lock Screen and Apple Watch • Daily digest: yesterday's key numbers each morning • Alerts when a metric crosses a threshold or jumps or drops • Live Activities: pin a metric to the Lock Screen; long queries show in the Dynamic Island with a Stop button • Always read-only, and only for connections you allow WORK SAFELY IN PRODUCTION • Tag connections as Development, Staging or Production, with an always-on red banner • Read-only sessions, and a guard before UPDATE/DELETE without WHERE, TRUNCATE, DROP or ALTER • Privacy mode hides emails, phone numbers and names for screen-sharing • Users & permissions: roles, grants, who can write to each table, and RLS policies • Optional Face ID lock Find saved queries, dashboards and tables from Spotlight. MobileDB collects no analytics, shows no ads and has no servers of its own.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: MobileDB at Free against Forge Database Manager's $19.99. MobileDB also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 8 days). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
MobileDB 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Forge Database Manager against 5.0 for MobileDB. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
Forge Database Manager ships an update every 8 days, MobileDB daily. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Forge Database Manager | MobileDB |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 58 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marco Tini | Rinat Maltsev |
Customer experience
Forge Database Manager
MobileDB
In-app purchases
Forge Database Manager
No in-app purchases
MobileDB
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Forge Database Manager free?
Is MobileDB free?
Which has better reviews, Forge Database Manager or MobileDB?
Do Forge Database Manager or MobileDB have ads?
Which is updated more often, Forge Database Manager or MobileDB?
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