SayQL vs Chat2DB
Updated
Chat2DB is a database client with AI chat, charts and an MCP server, available as a desktop app or a web app. SayQL is a desktop SQL client built so AI can help without seeing your rows.
Choose Chat2DB for dashboards, charts and many databases. Choose SayQL when the AI shouldn't see row values, when some columns must never reach it, and when you need to know what each AI app ran.
Checked on 3 November 2026 against each product's own docs, code and pricing; every cell links to its source. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@azenvoc.com and we'll fix it.
Side by side
| SayQL | Chat2DB | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Desktop SQL client (macOS, Windows, Linux) with AI, plus an optional self-hosted team server source | A database client and SQL workspace with AI help, by OtterMind; desktop app, or a web app through Docker source |
| Status | Maintained; 0.6.0 released 2026-11-03 source | Maintained; 5.3.8 released 9 October 2026, with 5.4 in preview source |
| Licence | App: open source, Apache 2.0. Team server: paid licence source | Community from 5.3.0: source-available (Apache 2.0 plus conditions, such as no hosting it for others or embedding it in a product you sell without permission) source |
| Price | App free. Team server $149 a month for up to 10 people, 30-day trial source | Community free. Local, Pro and Enterprise plans; prices aren't listed on the official page source |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Azure SQL source | More than 40, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server, ClickHouse, MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake and BigQuery (fewer in Community) source |
| AI models | Claude, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, Mistral, Groq, DeepSeek, any OpenAI-compatible API; local models with Ollama or LM Studio source | Community: your own key for OpenAI, Claude, Gemini or MiniMax, with a custom base URL. Paid plans: built-in hosted AI source |
| Plain English to SQL | Yes: SQL appears in the editor as you type, from your schema and approved notes source | Yes: generate, explain and optimise SQL from plain English source |
| Multi-step questions | Yes (beta): plans, runs read-only steps, checks its work, cites each query source | Yes: the AI can list tables, read DDL and run SQL in a loop; a fuller agent is in the 5.4 preview source |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes: a local MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor and others, and an HTTP gateway on the team server source | Yes: a built-in MCP server with tools to list objects, read schemas, run SQL and turn text into SQL source |
| What the AI sees of your data | Schema by default. Per connection you choose what AI sees of results: nothing, counts and summaries (default), masked rows, or all rows source | Schema and query rows: its SQL tool returns up to 200 rows to the model by default (500 at most) source |
| Keep chosen columns from the AI | Yes: columns marked never send are refused in any form and withheld from results source | Not found in Community's code or docs source |
| Read-only for AI | Read-only by default: statements are checked before they run and run in a read-only transaction; AI apps can't change data source | The app runs only SELECT, SHOW and DESCRIBE from the AI automatically; anything else is handed to you to review. No read-only transaction found source |
| Record of AI queries | Yes: a local log of what each AI app ran; on the team server, one log of every query from people and agents, whose rows can't be edited source | Partly: SQL the AI runs is kept in the execution history, tagged as AI source |
| Per-agent or per-user rules | Block or allow each AI app. Team server: each agent its own key, databases, tables and rows source | Community is single-user, with no accounts. Team lists data permission management; Enterprise adds SSO source |
| Where it runs, where data goes | Runs on your computer; the team server runs on your servers and your data never reaches us source | Desktop app or Docker on your machine; Enterprise offers private deployment. AI requests go to your provider (Community) or Chat2DB's hosted AI (paid) source |
| Interface | Desktop app source | Desktop app and web UI; also a CLI source |
| Learns about your database | Shared notes about the database that people approve and SayQL keeps true as the schema changes; no training on question–SQL pairs source | Enterprise lists model fine-tuning source |
What Chat2DB does better
- More databases: over 40, including NoSQL stores and warehouses such as MongoDB, Redis, Elasticsearch, Snowflake and BigQuery. source
- Built-in dashboards and charts, with AI-made charts in paid plans. source
- Data import and export, data migration (paid) and ER diagrams. source
- Runs as a web app through Docker, not only on the desktop. source
- A large, active community (about 28,000 GitHub stars) and an Enterprise plan with SSO and private deployment. source
How SayQL handles AI access
- Counts, not rows, by default. For each connection you choose what AI apps see of results: nothing, counts and summaries, masked rows or all rows. See what AI apps may see.
- Columns that never reach the AI. Mark a column never send and any query that could read it is refused, and it's withheld from results. See never-send columns.
- Read-only, enforced. Every statement is checked before it runs and runs in a read-only transaction; AI apps can't change data. See how queries run safely.
- A record of what AI ran. See every query each AI app ran, and block an app in one click. On the team server, one log covers every person and agent. See agent activity.
- Per-agent keys on your own server. The self-hosted team server gives each agent its own key, databases, tables and rows. See SayQL for teams.
Questions
Does Chat2DB send query results to the AI?
Schema and query rows: its SQL tool returns up to 200 rows to the model by default (500 at most) source In SayQL: schema by default. Per connection you choose what AI sees of results: nothing, counts and summaries (default), masked rows, or all rows. source
Can Chat2DB keep a column away from the AI?
Not found in Community's code or docs. source In SayQL, yes: columns marked never send are refused in any form and withheld from results. source
Is Chat2DB read-only for AI?
The app runs only SELECT, SHOW and DESCRIBE from the AI automatically; anything else is handed to you to review. No read-only transaction found. source In SayQL: read-only by default: statements are checked before they run and run in a read-only transaction; AI apps can't change data. source
Does Chat2DB have an MCP server for AI agents?
Yes: a built-in MCP server with tools to list objects, read schemas, run SQL and turn text into SQL. source In SayQL, yes: a local MCP server for Claude Code, Cursor and others, and an HTTP gateway on the team server. source
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Download SayQL: the app is free and open source.
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