# Sequel Ace vs Sequel Pro Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Sequel Ace is the top pick for most Mac users looking at Database tools. It is free and installs in one Homebrew command. Sequel Pro is the stronger choice if you are moving off Navicat Premium. Install Sequel Ace with Homebrew: brew install --cask sequel-ace. Sequel Pro: Sequel Pro is discontinued. Sequel Ace is its actively maintained successor. Download: https://sequel-ace.com/ For most Mac users in 2026, Sequel Ace is the better choice for Database tools because it scored higher on the price, license, and catalog ordering fields we store. Install Sequel Ace with Homebrew: brew install --cask sequel-ace. Sequel Pro: Sequel Pro is discontinued. Sequel Ace is its actively maintained successor. Download: https://sequel-ace.com/ Choose Sequel Pro instead if you are moving off Navicat Premium. ## Head to head | Factor | Sequel Ace | Sequel Pro | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Open Source | No | No | | Replaces | TablePlus ($99) | Navicat Premium ($1,299) | | Best for | database, mysql, mariadb | database, mysql, sql | | Install | brew install --cask sequel-ace | Sequel Pro is discontinued. Sequel Ace is its actively maintained successor. Download: https://sequel-ace.com/ | | Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## Sequel Ace MySQL and MariaDB database manager for macOS Install: `brew install --cask sequel-ace` [Sequel Ace on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/sequel-ace) ## Sequel Pro Fast, easy-to-use Mac database management application for working with MySQL databases. Install: Sequel Pro is discontinued. Sequel Ace is its actively maintained successor. [Download from the official site](https://sequel-ace.com/) [Sequel Pro on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/sequel-pro) ## Features - **Maintenance and viability.** Ace is the only viable option for ongoing work. Pro is unmaintained preservationware. - **macOS Tahoe and Apple Silicon support.** On modern Macs, only Ace is a native, supported citizen. - **MySQL 8 and MariaDB compatibility.** If your server is on MySQL 8, Pro cannot reliably connect; Ace can. - **UI familiarity and speed.** Ace preserves Pro's UX strengths while fixing its engine. - **Security and signing.** Ace is the only defensible choice for handling production credentials. - **Import/export and tooling.** Ace fixed the crashes that remained open in Pro's tracker for years. - **Pricing and distribution.** Both are free; only Ace is free and functional. - **Community and support.** Support lives where the maintainers are — on Ace. ## FAQ ### Is Sequel Pro still safe to use in 2026? Technically it launches on older macOS, but it is abandoned — no security patches since about 2019 and no fix for MySQL 8 authentication or Apple Silicon. Treat it as legacy software, not a daily driver, and do not use it with production credentials. ### Is Sequel Ace really the official successor? Yes. Sequel Ace was created as a direct community fork when Sequel Pro stalled, retains the same UI, and is now the canonical recommendation in GitHub issues, brew, and the Mac App Store listing that points to sequel-ace.com. ### Will my Sequel Pro favourites and connections migrate? Yes. Ace reads the same favourites format and can import .spf exports. Install Ace beside Pro, verify connections (especially MySQL 8 hosts) and then retire Pro. Most teams migrate in minutes. ### Does Sequel Ace work on macOS Tahoe 26.x? Yes. Ace ships a Universal binary with Apple Silicon native support and notarisation, and is tested on recent macOS including Tahoe 26.x. Pro lacks this support and often fails Gatekeeper or crashes. ### Do either cost money? No. Both are free. Ace is free via Mac App Store and GitHub with no paid tier. Pro was and remains free where you can still find it, but its hidden cost is lost time to auth and compatibility failures. ### What should I use if I need Postgres as well? Consider TablePlus, Beekeeper Studio, or DBeaver Community — they cover MySQL, Postgres and more in one app. If you live purely in MySQL/MariaDB on Mac and love the Sequel UI, Ace remains the lightest and fastest choice. ## Sources - [Sequel Ace - official site](https://sequel-ace.com/) - [Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace on GitHub](https://github.com/Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace) - [Sequel Ace releases - 5.0.0](https://github.com/Sequel-Ace/Sequel-Ace/releases) - [sequelpro/sequelpro on GitHub - issue 3705](https://github.com/sequelpro/sequelpro/issues/3705) - [Beekeeper Studio - Sequel Pro alternatives](https://www.beekeeperstudio.io/blog/sequel-pro-alternatives-free) - [Sequel Ace on the Mac App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/sequel-ace/id1518036000) - [TablePlus - Database GUI comparisons](https://tableplus.com/) ## Related - [Sequel Pro vs TablePlus](https://bundl.run/compare/sequel-pro-vs-tableplus) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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