Navicat vs MySQL Workbench: Features and Pricing (2026)

Quick verdict

Short answer

Choose MySQL Workbench if you work only with current MySQL servers (Oracle documents 8.4 LTS and newer) and want Oracle's own free tool with SQL Notebooks, Performance Reports and Visual Explain. Choose Navicat if you manage several engines (MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB and more) or need data and structure synchronisation, scheduled backups and automation, and are prepared to pay for a Standard or Enterprise licence. Navicat Premium Lite is a free middle ground, but it leaves out most of the features people buy Navicat for.

How we know: This comparison is research-based: editions, features, supported databases and platforms were checked against navicat.com (product pages, store and feature matrix) and Oracle's mysql.com and dev.mysql.com pages in October 2026. We have not run either tool or any performance tests.

Navicat is a family of commercial database clients from PremiumSoft CyberTech. The current line is version 18: Navicat Premium connects to MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, Redis and Snowflake, and single-engine products such as Navicat for MySQL cover one database family. Paid editions come in Standard, Enterprise and Non-Commercial variants, and there is a free Navicat Premium Lite edition with a reduced feature set. All run on Windows, macOS and Linux.

MySQL Workbench is Oracle's GUI tool for MySQL. In July 2026 Oracle released MySQL Workbench 26.7, a new generation built on MySQL Shell rather than the old C++ code base. Oracle states that it replaces earlier Workbench releases, which have reached end of life and are no longer maintained, so Workbench 8.0 should not be chosen for new work. The 26.7 download is the Community (OSS) edition under the GPL, for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Side by side

Aspect	Navicat	MySQL Workbench
Free version	Navicat Premium Lite 18 is free for commercial and non-commercial use (up to 5 user accounts per organisation, per the vendor); full editions are paid	Free: Community (OSS) edition under the GPL
Paid pricing model	Per-user perpetual licences or monthly / yearly subscriptions; Standard, Enterprise and Non-Commercial editions	None needed for the Community download
Supported databases	Premium: MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis, Snowflake. Single-engine editions also sold	MySQL only. Oracle documents Workbench 26.7 for MySQL 8.4 LTS and newer
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux (AppImage and Flatpak)	Windows, macOS, Linux (Debian packages and a generic Linux build)
SQL editor	Code completion, SQL Builder (query builder) in paid editions	Script Editor and SQL Notebooks; also JavaScript and TypeScript through MySQL Shell
Explain plans	Visual Explain in the paid editions; not in Premium Lite	Redesigned Visual Explain plus Performance Reports for slow queries
Data modelling / ER diagrams	Data modelling and ER diagram view in paid editions (the store lists the modelling tool with Enterprise and Non-Commercial)	EER modelling was a core Workbench 8.0 feature; Oracle's current Workbench 26 product page does not list it
Sync, backup, automation	Data and structure synchronisation, backup and restore, scheduled automation in paid editions	Administration of status, configuration, users and grants; MySQL Enterprise Backup integration; HeatWave Migration Assistant
Team features	Navicat Cloud and Navicat On-Prem Server for sharing connections and queries	No dedicated team-sharing service documented
Main trade-off	Cost: the features that set it apart are in paid editions	MySQL only, and the 26.7 rebuild does not yet carry every Workbench 8.0 capability

Key differences

One engine or many

This is the main decision. MySQL Workbench is built for MySQL and nothing else; Oracle's announcement of Workbench 26.7 lists MySQL 8.4 LTS, MySQL 9.7 LTS, MySQL 26.7 and the innovation releases in between as supported servers. Navicat Premium covers nine engine families in one application, from MySQL and PostgreSQL to SQL Server, Oracle, MongoDB, Redis and Snowflake.

If your work is entirely MySQL, the breadth of Navicat matters less. If you also look after PostgreSQL or SQL Server, a single Navicat licence can replace several engine-specific tools. Free multi-engine clients also exist; see the DBeaver vs Navicat comparison.

MySQL Workbench 26 is a new product generation

Oracle rebuilt Workbench on top of MySQL Shell with a web-based (Electron) front end and released it as 26.7.0 in July 2026, alongside MySQL's move to calendar versioning. The current product page describes four areas: development (Script Editor, SQL Notebooks, JavaScript and TypeScript), administration (server status, configuration, users, grants, client connections), performance analysis (Performance Reports and Visual Explain) and backup and migration (MySQL Enterprise Backup integration and the HeatWave Migration Assistant).

Oracle says Workbench 8.0 has reached end of life and is no longer maintained, and that not every Workbench 8.0 capability is available yet in the rebuild. Visual EER modelling and the old Migration Wizard for moving SQL Server, PostgreSQL and other databases into MySQL were documented Workbench 8.0 features; the current Workbench product page does not list them. If you depend on either, check the Workbench 26 release notes before you upgrade or choose it.

What you get free

MySQL Workbench Community is free and GPL licensed with no feature tiers for the download. Navicat Premium Lite is also free, including for commercial use, and connects to the same database list as Premium, but Navicat's feature matrix reserves a long list of features for its paid editions: data transfer, data and structure synchronisation, query builder, Visual Explain, debugger, data modelling, ER diagram view, BI charts, backup and restore, and automation.

In practice the free tiers suit different people. Lite is a multi-engine browser and editor; Workbench Community is a MySQL tool with administration and query-analysis features included.

Synchronisation, backup and automation

Navicat's paid editions include data synchronisation and structure synchronisation (comparing and deploying schema changes between databases), backup and restore, and scheduled automation of queries, backups, transfers and synchronisation. These are common reasons teams pay for Navicat.

MySQL Workbench 26 focuses its backup story on integration with MySQL Enterprise Backup, which is a commercial Oracle product, and its migration story on the HeatWave Migration Assistant for moving to MySQL HeatWave on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. It does not document a scheduler for jobs.

Pricing and licensing

Navicat: Navicat Premium Lite is free; the vendor states it can be used for commercial and non-commercial purposes and that each organisation can use up to 5 free Lite user accounts. Navicat Premium and the single-engine products are sold per user, as perpetual licences (with 1 year of maintenance included) or as monthly and yearly subscriptions, in Enterprise, Standard and Non-Commercial editions. Non-Commercial licences are restricted to educational and non-profit use. The store lists volume discounts of 15% for 5 to 9 licences and 20% for 10 or more. The store page did not show a reliable list price for each edition when we checked, so confirm the current price in the Navicat online store before budgeting. A free trial is offered.

MySQL Workbench: the 26.7 download is the Community (OSS) edition, free under the GPL. Features that integrate with MySQL Enterprise products, such as MySQL Enterprise Backup, assume you hold the relevant Oracle commercial subscription.

Pricing checked on the vendors' official pages on 7 October 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.

Where each one leads

Navicat strengths

One application for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MongoDB, Redis and Snowflake (Premium)
Data and structure synchronisation, backup and restore, and scheduled automation in paid editions
Free Premium Lite edition that may be used commercially
Team sharing through Navicat Cloud or a self-hosted On-Prem Server
Native builds for Windows, macOS and Linux

MySQL Workbench strengths

Free and GPL licensed, from the vendor of MySQL itself
Documented support for current MySQL lines: 8.4 LTS, 9.7 LTS and 26.7
Performance Reports and a redesigned Visual Explain that Oracle says covers newer optimiser features
SQL Notebooks plus JavaScript and TypeScript through MySQL Shell
Administration of users, grants, configuration and connections included

Limitations

Navicat limitations

Most distinguishing features (sync, modelling, Visual Explain, automation) are not in the free Lite edition
Paid licences are per user, which adds up for teams
Exact edition prices were not readable from the store page when checked; budget only after a live quote
Proprietary and closed source

MySQL Workbench limitations

MySQL only; no PostgreSQL, SQL Server or MariaDB support is documented
Workbench 26 is a ground-up rebuild and Oracle says not every Workbench 8.0 capability is available yet
Visual EER modelling is not listed on the current Workbench product page
Workbench 8.0 is end of life, so older MySQL 8.0 servers fall outside the new tool's documented support
Backup integration targets MySQL Enterprise Backup, a commercial product

When to choose each

Choose Navicat if

You manage several database engines and want one client for all of them
You need data or structure synchronisation between environments
You want scheduled backups, transfers or queries without writing scripts
Your team wants shared connections and queries through Navicat Cloud or On-Prem Server
Budget for a per-user licence is available

Choose MySQL Workbench if

You work only with MySQL 8.4 LTS or newer
You want a free, vendor-supported tool with no feature tiers
Query analysis with Performance Reports and Visual Explain matters to you
You like notebook-style SQL work or scripting in JavaScript or TypeScript
You plan to move workloads to MySQL HeatWave on Oracle Cloud

When neither is right

You want a free client for many engines with ER diagrams: consider DBeaver Community. See the DBeaver vs Navicat comparison and the DBeaver review.
You want a free, lightweight MySQL and MariaDB client on Windows or Linux: consider HeidiSQL. See HeidiSQL vs MySQL Workbench.
Your servers are MariaDB, or still on MySQL 8.0, which Workbench 26 does not document: a multi-engine client is the safer choice. See the best MySQL GUI tools.
You live in a JetBrains IDE and want refactoring-aware SQL editing: consider DataGrip.

Final recommendation

Bottom line

For a MySQL-only developer or DBA on a current MySQL version, MySQL Workbench 26.7 is the sensible default: it is free, it comes from Oracle and it covers editing, administration and query analysis. Check the release notes first if you rely on visual modelling, which the rebuild may not yet include. Choose Navicat when you manage more than MySQL, or when synchronisation, scheduled backups and team sharing will save more time than the licence costs. Navicat Premium Lite is worth trying for free multi-engine browsing, but on its own it does not replace Workbench's query-analysis features.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free version of Navicat?

Yes. Navicat Premium Lite 18 is free, and the vendor states it can be used for commercial and non-commercial purposes, with up to 5 free user accounts per organisation. It omits features such as data synchronisation, query builder, Visual Explain, data modelling, backup and automation, which are in the paid editions. See the Navicat review.

Is MySQL Workbench still supported?

Yes, as a new generation. Oracle released MySQL Workbench 26.7 in July 2026, built on MySQL Shell, and states that earlier Workbench releases (the 8.0 series) have reached end of life and are no longer maintained. See the MySQL Workbench review.

Which MySQL versions does MySQL Workbench 26 support?

Oracle's announcement lists MySQL 8.4 LTS and newer, including MySQL 9.7 LTS, MySQL 26.7 and the innovation releases in between. MySQL 8.0 is not in that list.

Can MySQL Workbench connect to PostgreSQL or SQL Server?

Not as a general client. It is a MySQL tool. If you need one client for several engines, Navicat Premium, or a free option such as DBeaver, is the better fit.

Does Navicat run on Linux and macOS?

Yes. Navicat 18 lists Windows, macOS and Linux (AppImage and Flatpak) builds, and Navicat for MySQL also lists an iOS app.

Sources

Checked October 2026.

How we research comparisons: our editorial method.