vsThe Sequel Ace alternative for Mac
Sequel Ace is free, native, open source, and the rightful heir to Sequel Pro. FluentDB is paid, and covers three more databases with an AI co-pilot. Here is the honest trade.
Updated August 2026
By Kevin Piacentini, Software Engineer & Founder of FluentDBIf you have been writing MySQL on a Mac for any length of time, you have used Sequel Pro. Sequel Ace is its continuation: forked in 2020, MIT licensed, still free, still native, and still focused on doing MySQL and MariaDB well rather than doing everything adequately. Sequel Pro's last stable release was 1.1.2, and active development moved to Sequel Ace.
FluentDB is a different proposition, and the differences are easy to state. It costs money. It covers PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and SQLite rather than the MySQL family. It is built around an AI co-pilot. If MySQL is your whole world and Sequel Ace already works, this page will probably talk you out of switching, and that is fine.
FluentDB vs Sequel Ace at a glance
| Feature | FluentDB | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | One-time from $54 | Free, MIT licensed |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite | MySQL 5.7+ and MariaDB 10.0+ |
| MariaDB | Not listed as supported | Supported from 10.0 |
| Native macOS app | SwiftUI, Apple Silicon native | Native Cocoa, Intel and Apple Silicon |
| Built-in AI co-pilot | Native, schema-aware, writes SQL with you | None |
| Source available | No, proprietary | Yes, MIT on GitHub |
| Install via App Store | Direct download | Mac App Store and Homebrew cask |
| macOS required | Runs on current macOS | macOS 12 or later for current builds |
Sequel Ace is free, and that is the headline
Clear win: Sequel AceSequel Ace costs nothing, it is MIT licensed, and the source is on GitHub. You can install it from the Mac App Store or a Homebrew cask in about a minute. FluentDB is a one-time purchase from $54.
There is no argument to make on price and we are not going to invent one. The only question worth asking is whether what FluentDB adds is worth $54 to you, and if you work entirely in MySQL and Sequel Ace does what you need, the answer is probably not.
The MySQL family, or four engines
Clear win: FluentDBSequel Ace supports MySQL 5.7 and later and MariaDB 10.0 and later. That is the whole list, deliberately, and the focus is why it feels coherent rather than sprawling.
FluentDB covers PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and SQLite. Worth being straight about the other direction too: we list MySQL support, not MariaDB, so if MariaDB is what you actually run then Sequel Ace covers you where we do not claim to.
The case for FluentDB here is only about breadth. A Postgres database at work, a MySQL instance you inherited, a SQLite file in an app you are building: one window and one set of shortcuts instead of three tools.
The capability Sequel Ace does not have
Clear win: FluentDBFluentDB is built around an assistant that reads your schema and writes SQL against your real tables. Ask in plain English, review the query before it runs, then refine it in place: add a filter, change a join, ask what a statement does.
You use your own Anthropic or OpenAI key, or run a model locally with Ollama. By default the assistant sees your schema, not your row data.
Sequel Ace has no AI features. It is a direct, keyboard-driven MySQL client in the tradition of Sequel Pro, and for a lot of people that focus is exactly the appeal.
Both are native Mac apps
Roughly evenWe often argue that a native Mac app beats a cross-platform one. That argument does not apply here, and it would be dishonest to make it. Sequel Ace is a native Cocoa application, universal for Intel and Apple Silicon, and it is quick.
The difference is generational rather than architectural. Sequel Ace carries a codebase with roots going back to Sequel Pro in the 2000s, which is a strength for stability and shows its age in places. FluentDB is SwiftUI and newer, which cuts both ways.
Current Sequel Ace builds need macOS 12 or later, with older versions available back to macOS 10.10 if you are on an older machine.
Sequel Pro, Sequel Ace, and which one to install
Clear win: Sequel AceThis confuses people, so it is worth stating clearly. Sequel Pro was the standard Mac MySQL client for years. Its last stable release was 1.1.2, and in 2020 the project was forked as Sequel Ace, which is where development continues. The copyright lines tell the story: Sequel Pro 2002 to 2019, Sequel Ace 2020 onward.
If you are still running Sequel Pro, moving to Sequel Ace is the obvious step and it costs nothing. It is the same application, maintained, with Apple Silicon support and current macOS compatibility.
In other words, our honest advice to a Sequel Pro user is not to buy FluentDB. It is to install Sequel Ace, and then consider FluentDB only if you need more than MySQL or want an assistant.
Pricing, side by side
Sequel Ace is free and open source, so this table exists for completeness rather than to make a point.
| FluentDB | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Basic $54 1 Mac, one-time | Sequel Ace Free MIT, App Store or Homebrew Better value Free, MIT licensed |
| Multiple Macs | Pro $76 Up to 3 Macs, one-time | Sequel Ace Free Install anywhere Better value No licence to buy |
| Future updates | Lifetime updates $84 Optional, one-time | Sequel Ace Free Open source releases Better value Every release is free |
Sequel Ace is MIT licensed with no paid tier; details from its GitHub repository, checked August 2026. FluentDB prices from our pricing page, one-time with a year of updates included and an optional lifetime-updates licence.
The honest trade-off
Why developers pick FluentDB
- PostgreSQL, SQL Server and SQLite alongside MySQL, in one native window.
- An AI co-pilot that reads your schema and writes real SQL against your actual tables.
- Charts built straight from a query, without exporting to a spreadsheet.
- Encrypted SQLite support with ChaCha20 and SQLCipher.
- Guardrails for production: read-only connections and manual approval before a statement runs.
Where Sequel Ace still leads
- Free and open source under the MIT licence, with the source on GitHub.
- MariaDB support from 10.0, which FluentDB does not list.
- Installable from the Mac App Store or a Homebrew cask.
- A focused, keyboard-driven MySQL client with a long and trusted lineage.
- Runs on macOS 12 and later, with older builds available back to 10.10.
When Sequel Ace is the better choice
Whenever MySQL is the job. Sequel Ace is free, native, actively maintained and good at what it does, and if you are a MySQL developer on a Mac with no need for other engines, it is the sensible default. It is also the right answer if you run MariaDB, if you want open source software, or if you are still on Sequel Pro and simply need the maintained version.
FluentDB earns its price when MySQL is not the whole story: when there is a Postgres database at work or a SQL Server instance you have to touch, or when you want an assistant writing SQL alongside you. Outside that, Sequel Ace is a fine place to stay and we would rather say so.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sequel Ace free?
Yes. Sequel Ace is free and open source under the MIT licence, with the source on GitHub. You can install it from the Mac App Store, a Homebrew cask, or the GitHub releases page.
What is the difference between Sequel Pro and Sequel Ace?
Sequel Ace is the maintained fork. Sequel Pro's last stable release was 1.1.2, and in 2020 the project continued as Sequel Ace, which added Apple Silicon support and current macOS compatibility. If you are still running Sequel Pro, Sequel Ace is the direct upgrade and it is free.
Is FluentDB a good Sequel Ace alternative?
It depends on whether MySQL is all you use. FluentDB adds PostgreSQL, SQL Server and SQLite plus an AI co-pilot, but it costs from $54 where Sequel Ace is free. If you only write MySQL, Sequel Ace is the better choice.
Does Sequel Ace support PostgreSQL?
No. Sequel Ace supports MySQL 5.7 and later and MariaDB 10.0 and later. For PostgreSQL you need a different client; FluentDB covers Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server and SQLite in one app.
Does Sequel Ace have AI features?
No. It is a direct, keyboard-driven MySQL client with no AI assistant. FluentDB is built around one, using your own API key or a local model through Ollama.
Does FluentDB support MariaDB?
We list support for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and SQLite. MariaDB is not on that list, so if MariaDB is what you run, Sequel Ace explicitly supports it from version 10.0 and we would point you there.
Try FluentDB on your Mac
If your work goes beyond MySQL, or you want an AI co-pilot writing SQL with you, try FluentDB. One-time from $54, 14-day refund. If MySQL is the whole job, Sequel Ace is free and it is good.