saferowCompare · Sequel Ace
saferow and Sequel Ace.
Sequel Ace is the free, open-source successor to Sequel Pro, and a fine MySQL and MariaDB client. If that is all you need, keep it. saferow is for when you also want Postgres or SQLite, an agent, held changes and a way back.
Checked 3 October 2026. Every Sequel Ace figure links to Sequel Ace’s own pages, or says where else it comes from. Something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
Choose Sequel Ace if
- You only use MySQL and MariaDB, and want a free, open-source, focused app.
- You want the Mac App Store version and its updates.
- You want a read-only MCP server with nothing else attached.
Choose saferow if
- You also work in Postgres or SQLite.
- You want an agent that reads, charts and proposes changes you approve, with Touch ID on production.
- You want every write counted, held and undoable, whoever asked for it.
- You want your favourites, SSH keys and saved passwords to come over in one step.
side by side
Feature by feature.
| Feature | saferow | Sequel Ace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free tier forever. Pro $24 once for 3 Macs, every 1.x update. Business $49 a seat. | Free. (source) |
| Platforms | macOS 13 or later, Apple silicon only. | macOS; version 6 needs macOS 13.5 or later. (source) |
| Databases | MySQL, MariaDB, Postgres and SQLite. | MySQL 5.7 and later, MariaDB 10.0 and later. (source) |
| Built with | Electron (Chromium). We publish no speed or memory comparison. | Native. (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. | No built-in chat or agent. (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. | Writes run when you run them; 6.0 improved warnings before EXPLAIN ANALYZE statements that can modify data. (source) |
| Undo after a write | Rewind, from a restore point saved before each write: 7 days free, 30 with Pro. | None documented. (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. | Built in since 5.3.0, off by default, local only, read-only by default with a switch to allow writes; no token or per-call approval documented. (source) |
| Telemetry | None, in the app and on the website. | Its App Store privacy label lists identifiers, crash data and performance data, not linked to you. (source) |
| Source code | Closed source. Every safety claim can be checked with the built-in self-test. | Open source, MIT. (source) |
trying it
Three steps to try saferow.
- Install saferow from the download page. The free tier needs no account.
- Choose File › Import from Sequel Ace, TablePlus or TablePro… Your Sequel Ace connections are listed; press Set up on each.
- Connect once. saferow checks each step and saves the connection when it works. What comes over from Sequel Ace.
questions
Asked about Sequel Ace.
Do my Sequel Ace passwords come over?
Yes, one connection at a time, when you press Bring from Sequel Ace: macOS asks for your login password before saferow can read Sequel Ace’s Keychain item, and the password goes straight into saferow’s own. Switching from Sequel Ace.
Can I keep using both?
Yes. saferow reads Sequel Ace’s favourites and never changes them.