saferowCompare · DataGrip
saferow and DataGrip.
DataGrip is JetBrains’ database IDE, free for non-commercial use since October 2025, with AI agents and an MCP server. saferow is a smaller Mac app with an agent that can only change what you approve.
Checked 3 October 2026. Every DataGrip figure links to DataGrip’s own pages, or says where else it comes from. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Choose DataGrip if
- You live in JetBrains IDEs and want the same editor, inspections and refactoring for SQL.
- You need many databases, or Windows and Linux.
- Your use is non-commercial and you want it free.
Choose saferow if
- You want every write from an agent or MCP client held for your approval by a kernel, not by a database user you set up.
- You want no telemetry on any license.
- You want to pay once for a commercial license.
side by side
Feature by feature.
| Feature | saferow | DataGrip |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier forever. Pro $24 once for 3 Macs, every 1.x update. Business $49 a seat. | Free for non-commercial use; commercial licenses are yearly. (source) |
| Platforms | macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon only. | Windows, macOS and Linux. (source) |
| Databases | MySQL, MariaDB, Postgres and SQLite. | Many; see its site. (source) |
| Built with | Electron (Chromium). We publish no speed or memory comparison. | Java, on the IntelliJ platform. (source) |
| AI | Agent first: plans, reads, charts, proposes fixes and migrations. Runs models itself on the Mac by default; Ollama, LM Studio, oMLX, or a cloud model with your own key. | JetBrains AI with Claude, GPT, Gemini and Grok, local models, and agents such as Junie, Claude Code and Codex. (source) |
| Writes by an agent | Every agent and MCP write is dry-run in a rolled-back transaction, counted, and held for one approval bound to the count; Touch ID on production. Agents are refused DROP, TRUNCATE and DELETE without WHERE on production. | The data editor collects changes until you Submit; a read-only option per data source. (source) |
| Undo after a write | Rewind, from a restore point saved before each write: 7 days free, 30 with Pro. | Revert before you submit; no undo after a commit found. (source) |
| MCP server | Six tools through a signed shim; each client paired once; safe reads; changes only as proposals you approve. Free: one connection, read-only. | execute_sql_query takes any SQL; for read-only access it says to use a restricted database user; a “brave mode” runs commands without confirmation. (source) |
| Telemetry | None, in the app and on the website. | On the non-commercial license, anonymous telemetry: “It is not possible to opt out”. (source) |
| Source code | Closed source. Every safety claim can be checked with the built-in self-test. | Closed source. (source) |
trying it
Three steps to try saferow.
- Install saferow from the download page. The free tier needs no account.
- Add a database (⇧⌘N). saferow finds the hosts in your
~/.ssh/configand the databases in Docker on this Mac. - Connect once. saferow checks each step, tells you which one failed and how to fix it, and saves the connection when it works.
questions
Asked about DataGrip.
Can I use both, with Claude Code?
Yes. Point Claude Code at saferow mcp for the connections where you want changes held for you; saferow never touches DataGrip’s settings.