Tabularis
A lightweight, cross-platform database client for developers. Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. Hackable with plugins. Built for speed, security, and aesthetics.
What is Tabularis?
Tabularis is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to lightweight, cross-platform database client for developers. supports mysql, postgresql and sqlite. hackable with plugins. built for speed, security, and aesthetics.
A lightweight, cross-platform database client for developers. Supports MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. Hackable with plugins. Built for speed, security, and aesthetics.
This server falls under the Databases category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- A lightweight, cross-platform database client for developers
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx tabularisConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Tabularis
Tabularis is a lightweight cross-platform database client for developers that supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite, with a built-in MCP server that exposes your saved database connections directly to AI assistants. Through the MCP interface, AI agents can list connections, enumerate tables, inspect full column/index/foreign-key schemas, and execute read or write SQL queries — turning your AI client into a capable database co-pilot. It also ships with SQL notebooks, visual EXPLAIN plans, and a plugin system (JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio) for extending support to additional database engines.
Prerequisites
- A supported operating system: Windows, macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon), or Linux (Snap or AppImage)
- Tabularis desktop application installed and at least one database connection configured
- An MCP-compatible AI client such as Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf
- Network access to your target MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite database
Install the Tabularis desktop application
Download and install Tabularis for your platform. Choose the appropriate method for your OS.
# macOS
brew tap TabularisDB/tabularis && brew install --cask tabularis
# Windows
winget install Debba.Tabularis
# Linux (Snap)
sudo snap install tabularisAdd your database connections
Open Tabularis and use the Connections panel to add your MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite databases. These saved connections are what the MCP server exposes to AI clients.
Enable the built-in MCP server
Go to Settings → MCP Server Integration in Tabularis. Use the one-click setup to automatically configure your AI client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, or Windsurf), or launch the server manually from the CLI.
tabularis --mcpConfigure your MCP client manually if needed
If the one-click setup does not apply to your client, add the Tabularis MCP entry manually to your client's configuration file.
Restart your AI client and verify the connection
Restart Claude Desktop or your preferred client so it connects to the Tabularis MCP server. Ask it to list available database connections to confirm everything is working.
Tabularis Examples
Client configuration
Add this entry to your claude_desktop_config.json. The Tabularis MCP server starts via the CLI --mcp flag.
{
"mcpServers": {
"tabularis": {
"command": "tabularis",
"args": ["--mcp"]
}
}
}Prompts to try
The MCP server exposes four tools: list_connections, list_tables, describe_table, and run_query. Use natural language and Claude will choose the right tool.
- "List all my saved database connections in Tabularis."
- "Show me all tables in the production PostgreSQL connection."
- "Describe the schema of the orders table including indexes and foreign keys."
- "Run a query to find the top 10 customers by revenue from the analytics database."
- "What columns does the users table have and which ones are nullable?"Troubleshooting Tabularis
MCP client cannot connect to the Tabularis server
Ensure the Tabularis desktop app is running before launching your AI client — the MCP server is embedded in the desktop app process. If using the CLI flag `tabularis --mcp`, make sure tabularis is in your system PATH.
list_connections returns an empty list
Connections must be saved in the Tabularis desktop app before the MCP server can expose them. Open Tabularis, add a connection and test it successfully, then retry from your AI client.
run_query returns a permission error on a remote database
The query runs using the credentials stored in the Tabularis connection profile. Verify the database user has SELECT (or appropriate) privileges on the target tables by testing the query directly inside the Tabularis SQL editor first.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tabularis
What is Tabularis?
Tabularis is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that lightweight, cross-platform database client for developers. supports mysql, postgresql and sqlite. hackable with plugins. built for speed, security, and aesthetics. It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Tabularis?
Follow the installation instructions on the Tabularis GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Tabularis?
Tabularis works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Tabularis free to use?
Yes, Tabularis is open source and available under the Apache-2.0 license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Tabularis in Your Editor
Choose your AI client for step-by-step setup instructions.
Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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