Sequel Ace

What it is for

Sequel Ace is a macOS MySQL/MariaDB desk (Sequel Pro fork): you open the help_topic Content grid, filter the rows, and the app is Free / MIT OSS (Mac App Store Free). Use it when the job is a MySQL query you start at a public $, not when you need TablePlus’s $99 multi-engine client first.

Soft-note: Free / MIT + Mac App Store Free (id 1518036000). Distinct from TablePlus, DBeaver, and Beekeeper Studio.

What makes it unique: the cover is Sequel Ace’s official Content + Query window (help_topic selected, help_topic_id / name / description / example / url, 508 rows, Query tab) from the Mac App Store still — not a wordmark. The help_topic grid itself is ops of Content.

Key features

• Content grid — help_topic rows + 508 row count (cover still; get started). One desk. Cover DISTINCT / HEX sit here.
• Query tab — custom SQL beside Content (cover; queries). A query, not a paid tile.
• Filter bar — scope the grid without writing SQL (cover; App Store). A filter, not a $0 meter.
• Table sidebar — eventlevel / general_log / help_topic (cover). A tree, not Get started.
• SSH / socket / local / mysql:// — TCP, Socket, SSH, and AWS IAM, plus mysql:// URLs (get started). A connection, not Enterprise.
• Favorites + Keychain — save a connection; passwords in Keychain (get started). A favorite, not SSO.

Download / View on Mac App Store are CTAs (not desks). Free / MIT stay in Pricing. MCP Server (Preferences > MCP Server; Claude Code / Cursor) stays off Key features as an AI extra.

Who it's for

Best fit: Mac developers who will stay on Free / MIT while they open a first help_topic Content grid — then keep it at $0, not TablePlus Basic $99 first unless they need Postgres / multi-engine on more than macOS.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) from sequel-ace.com, github.com/Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace (LICENSE MIT text; README: “free and open-source software licensed under MIT”), and the Mac App Store (Free, iTunes price 0.0). Soft-note: GitHub’s license API is unlabeled; we cite the LICENSE file, not that field.

• Sequel Ace — Free / MIT OSS. Download from GitHub Releases or the Mac App Store (id 1518036000, Free).
• Homebrew — unofficial community cask of the GitHub Release (brew install --cask sequel-ace).
• No paid SKU. Open Collective / GitHub Sponsors exist; do not invent a paid $.

Limitations / costs

• macOS-only. Current readme: macOS ≥ 13.5; Intel & Apple Silicon. Windows / Linux are not a printed floor.
• MySQL / MariaDB focused (MySQL ≥ 5.7, MariaDB ≥ 10.0). Not Postgres / general SQL. For a multi-engine client see TablePlus or DBeaver.
• Sandbox socket limit. Local /tmp/mysql.sock is a known container limitation; use TCP 127.0.0.1 or a socket inside the app container (get started).
• OSS MIT. We link the verified repo.

Alternatives

• TablePlus — a native SQL client when you want Basic $99 multi-engine (incl. Postgres), not Sequel Ace’s MySQL-only Mac grid.
• DBeaver — a universal DB tool when you want Community free cross-platform, not macOS-only MySQL.
• Beekeeper Studio — a cross-platform SQL client when you want Community free / Indie $9, not Sequel Ace’s MIT Content desk.

Official tutorial

We searched @sequelace (404), @SequelAce (404), @Sequel-Ace (404), @sequel_ace (404), @sequelaceapp (404), @SequelAceApp (404), /c/SequelAce (404), and @moballo (200 — title Fatih Kaval, not this product). sequel-ace.com has no YouTube link on the HTML we fetched. Sequel Ace - Forge MySQL / MariaDB connections (NmA_cVJnfW8) oEmbed author is Susan B. (@codewithsusan) — not an official Sequel Ace channel — so we do not embed it. No official product channel to embed. Written path: sequel-ace.com plus get started, queries, and github.com/Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace.

Website

https://sequel-ace.com/

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is Sequel Ace’s official Mac App Store Content + Query still (help_topic / 508 rows / Query tab) for id 1518036000. Dollars checked on the App Store + LICENSE (Free / MIT; iTunes price 0.0; no paid SKU). GitHub: Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace (LICENSE MIT). No official YouTube.

Last verified

2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.