You want SQL against MongoDB: Studio 3T (SQL Query with joins and generated MongoDB code), or DataGrip if you already use JetBrains tools. You want one client for MongoDB and SQL databases: DbGate (free, GPL-3.0 Community edition with MongoDB), DBeaver PRO (Lite and above) or Navicat. Your team needs shared, controlled access in a browser: DbGate's self-hosted web app, or Studio 3T's Web IDE with central access control (sales only). You live in your editor: MongoDB for VS Code. If your only issue is the Compass Readonly edition being deprecated, you do not need to switch; see the closing section.
MongoDB Compass is free, made by MongoDB, and covers document browsing, aggregation pipelines, schema analysis, explain plans and indexes, with an embedded mongosh. For many people it is enough. The reasons people look elsewhere are usually specific, and the list below is organised around them (editorial assessment, based on the features Compass documents and does not document):
- SQL access. Compass has no SQL query support. People who know SQL better than the MongoDB Query API, or who want to join collections the way they join tables, need a tool that translates SQL.
- Team features. Compass is a single-user desktop app. It has no shared query library, central connection management or audit of who ran what, and its Readonly edition is due to be deprecated, with MongoDB recommending the
readrole plus thereadOnlysetting instead. - More than one database. Compass only connects to MongoDB. Teams that also run PostgreSQL, MySQL or SQL Server often prefer one client for everything.
- Data movement. Compass imports and exports JSON and CSV only and has no compare, sync or scheduled jobs.
For a broader survey of MongoDB GUIs, including Compass itself and the mongosh shell, see the best MongoDB GUI tools. For a head-to-head with the most common replacement, see MongoDB Compass vs Studio 3T.
Quick picks
SQL Query with inner and left joins, plus Query Code that shows the MongoDB query it generates.
GPL-3.0 Community edition that includes MongoDB alongside SQL databases, as a desktop app or a self-hosted web app.
Adds MongoDB to the same IDE and translates a documented subset of SQL into JavaScript you can inspect.
Free, official extension with Playgrounds, so queries live next to application code.
How we chose
Considered: Studio 3T (Desktop IDE, Community Edition and the 3T Explore Web IDE), DataGrip, DBeaver (Community and PRO), Navicat for MongoDB and Navicat Premium Lite, DbGate, NoSQLBooster for MongoDB, MongoDB for VS Code, Mongo Express and the Atlas Data Explorer.
Inclusion criteria: currently maintained according to the vendor; connects to MongoDB; does at least one thing Compass does not (SQL queries, team or browser access, other database engines, or editor integration); and its licence or price model, platforms and MongoDB features could be confirmed on official pages. DBeaver Community was excluded because DBeaver's documentation says its MongoDB driver is available only in Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate. The Atlas Data Explorer was excluded because it is the Compass interface inside Atlas. Mongo Express was excluded because its own README says it should only be used privately for development.
What was checked, not tested: vendor documentation, edition and pricing pages, changelogs and repositories on 7 October 2026. The order is not a ranking: tools for SQL access come first, then multi-database clients, then shell- and editor-centred options.
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Databases | Why leave Compass for it | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio 3T | Paid (free Community Edition, non-commercial) | Windows, macOS, Linux; Web IDE self-hosted | MongoDB, DocumentDB, Cosmos DB, FerretDB | SQL Query, compare and sync, scheduled tasks, team access | Yearly per-user cost; Community Edition excludes SQL Query |
| DataGrip | Paid (free non-commercial) | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB, DynamoDB and SQL databases | SQL for MongoDB inside a full SQL IDE | SQL subset; documented MongoDB range is 3 to 8 |
| DBeaver PRO | Paid | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB, DynamoDB and SQL databases (Lite and above) | One paid client for SQL and NoSQL | No MongoDB in free Community |
| Navicat | Paid (free Premium Lite) | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB plus SQL databases (Premium Lite and Premium) | Data sync, backup, modelling and automation | Full features are paid |
| DbGate | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux; web app via Docker | MongoDB plus more than 15 SQL and NoSQL engines | Free multi-database client with a self-hosted web option | Shallower MongoDB tooling than dedicated MongoDB IDEs |
| NoSQLBooster for MongoDB | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB 3.6 to 9.0 | Shell-centred editor with SQL query | Free edition limited after the trial |
| MongoDB for VS Code | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux (in VS Code) | MongoDB | Queries next to your code | No visual aggregation builder or schema charts |
Studio 3T
Why Compass users move to it: it fills most of Compass's gaps in one product. SQL Query runs SQL against collections, including inner, left, cross and self joins, GROUP BY with aggregates, and LIMIT/OFFSET, and Query Code shows the equivalent mongo shell query or code for several drivers. Data Compare and Sync compares collections across servers and copies differences, the Import and Export Wizards add BSON and SQL formats, SQL Migration moves data to and from relational databases, and the Task Scheduler runs these jobs on a schedule.
Team features: Ultimate adds team collaboration and Kerberos, LDAP, OIDC/SSO and AWS IAM authentication, according to Studio 3T's FAQ. For teams that want browser access with central control, 3T Software Labs sells 3T Explore, a Web IDE deployed on your own infrastructure with the Visual Query Builder, IntelliShell and Aggregation Editor, governed by an access manager that decides which environments, databases and collections each user can reach. These come in sales-led bundles. Studio 3T Desktop IDE is a yearly subscription per user, usable on up to two machines at once. See MongoDB Compass vs Studio 3T for editions and dated prices.
- The free Community Edition is for non-commercial use only, allows three connections and excludes SQL Query, the Aggregation Editor and data compare.
- The Web IDE and access control are priced through sales.
- The 3T Explore page does not list SQL Query among the Web IDE's features.
DataGrip
Why Compass users move to it: to work with MongoDB and SQL databases in one IDE, using SQL for both. JetBrains documents SQL for MongoDB, which translates SELECT queries with joins, filters, grouping and paging into JavaScript you can inspect before it runs. DataGrip also documents an Amazon DynamoDB data source queried with the subset of PartiQL that DynamoDB supports, which suits teams with data in both services.
DataGrip is free for non-commercial use under a one-year renewable licence; commercial use needs a subscription after a 30-day trial. The same database tools are in IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate. See the DataGrip review.
- SQL for MongoDB covers a documented subset of SQL, with restrictions on join types and conditions.
- JetBrains documents MongoDB versions 3 to 8, so check support for MongoDB 9.0 servers.
- No visual aggregation pipeline builder like Compass's.
DBeaver PRO
Why Compass users move to it: one paid client for relational databases, MongoDB and other NoSQL stores. DBeaver documents MongoDB and Amazon DynamoDB drivers in its Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. For MongoDB it accepts JavaScript, a subset of mongo shell commands, and SQL; for DynamoDB it offers a simple SQL dialect and JSON requests, plus data viewing, editing in JSON mode, filters, and import and export.
DBeaver Community, the free Apache-2.0 edition, has neither driver, so this is a paid move. Team Edition and CloudBeaver add shared, browser-based access for teams, but DBeaver's MongoDB driver page names only Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate, so confirm with DBeaver before relying on them for MongoDB. See DBeaver Community vs DBeaver PRO.
- No MongoDB or DynamoDB support in the free Community edition.
- Only a subset of mongo shell commands is supported in the editor.
- DBeaver warns that metadata queries against DynamoDB can incur request charges; it lets you turn them off.
DbGate
Why Compass users move to it: it is free, open source and multi-database. The DbGate repository is GPL-3.0 and lists MongoDB alongside MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, Redis, ClickHouse, Cassandra, DuckDB and others; the edition page lists MongoDB support in the free Community edition. Version 7.3.1 was released on 24 September 2026. MongoDB features documented in the repository include a JSON view of collections, a JavaScript editor that runs Mongo scripts, and query perspectives, a nested table view over related data; DbGate's features page says its query designer can join SQL tables, MongoDB collections and DynamoDB tables.
Team angle: DbGate also ships as a web application in Docker containers and on cloud marketplaces, so a team can host one shared instance. The paid Team Premium edition adds the web application's administration interface and external identity providers, and Premium adds AI tools and other features.
- Its MongoDB tooling is less specialised than Compass or Studio 3T; no schema analysis or visual explain is documented for MongoDB.
- DbGate does not publish a detailed per-feature list for Community against Premium on the pages we could read.
- Administration of the shared web app needs the paid Team Premium edition.
NoSQLBooster for MongoDB
Why Compass users move to it: a richer script editor than Compass's embedded shell, plus SQL. NoSQLBooster embeds a mongosh engine and documents SQL query, a fluent query API, IntelliSense, snippets, a script debugger, code generation, visual explain, monitoring and a profiler. The vendor lists support for MongoDB 3.6 to 9.0.
The Free edition may be used commercially but drops to limited functions after a 30-day trial; Personal and Commercial editions are paid, and the vendor's edition table shows the Personal edition without Kerberos and LDAP, scheduled CLI tasks or code conversion.
- MongoDB only, so it does not solve the multi-database problem.
- No team or shared-access features are documented.
- Prices were not published on the official pages we could reach.
MongoDB for VS Code
Why Compass users move to it: to stop switching windows. MongoDB's Apache-2.0 extension browses databases, collections and documents, edits documents in the editor, and runs JavaScript Playgrounds, which are files you can commit next to your code. It also includes a MongoDB MCP Server for AI agents and GitHub Copilot Chat integration. Many developers keep Compass for visual work and use the extension for day-to-day queries.
- No visual aggregation builder, schema analysis charts or explain plan visualisation like Compass.
- No SQL query support.
- Requires VS Code.
When to stay with Compass
Stay with Compass if your work is browsing and editing documents, building aggregation pipelines, checking explain plans and managing indexes against MongoDB only. It is free for commercial use, maintained by MongoDB, released every few weeks, and its Isolated edition makes no outbound connections other than to your database. Most of the alternatives above charge for commercial use of the features that set them apart, so switch for a specific need rather than in general.
If your concern is the Readonly edition: MongoDB says it will be deprecated in a future release. The replacement is not a new tool but a permission change: give users the built-in read role at database level and turn on the readOnly setting in standard Compass. MongoDB notes that the setting only hides write controls, so the role is what enforces read-only access.
If you are rethinking the database, not the GUI: see MongoDB vs PostgreSQL, DynamoDB vs MongoDB, Redis vs MongoDB and SQL vs NoSQL.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free alternative to MongoDB Compass?
It depends on why you are leaving. For one free client covering MongoDB and SQL databases, DbGate's GPL-3.0 Community edition includes MongoDB, and Navicat Premium Lite includes MongoDB with commercial use allowed for up to five users per organisation. For editor-based work, MongoDB for VS Code is free. Studio 3T's Community Edition is free but non-commercial only.
Which MongoDB GUI lets me write SQL queries?
Studio 3T (SQL Query, paid editions), DataGrip (SQL for MongoDB), DBeaver PRO (Lite and above) and NoSQLBooster document SQL support. Each translates a subset of SQL into MongoDB queries, so check the vendor's limits on joins and functions.
Is there a web-based alternative to Compass for teams?
DbGate runs as a self-hosted web app in Docker, with team administration in its paid Team Premium edition, and Studio 3T sells 3T Explore, a self-hosted Web IDE with central access control. Atlas users also get the Data Explorer, which is the Compass interface inside the Atlas UI. Mongo Express is open source but its README says it should only be used privately for development.
Is Robo 3T still available?
3T Software Labs acquired Robo 3T in 2017, and robomongo.org now offers Studio 3T Community Edition as its replacement. It is free for non-commercial, personal use only.
Does DBeaver Community support MongoDB?
No. DBeaver's documentation lists the MongoDB driver in the Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only. DbGate and Navicat Premium Lite are free multi-database options that include MongoDB.
Sources
- MongoDB Compass editions
- MongoDB Compass: Import and export data
- Studio 3T Desktop IDE
- Studio 3T plans and pricing
- Studio 3T FAQ
- Studio 3T Web IDE (3T Explore)
- Studio 3T Community Edition
- DataGrip SQL for MongoDB
- DataGrip DynamoDB documentation
- DBeaver MongoDB documentation
- DBeaver DynamoDB documentation
- Navicat for MongoDB
- Navicat Premium Lite
- DbGate website and editions
- DbGate repository and licence (GitHub)
- NoSQLBooster editions
- MongoDB for VS Code documentation
- Mongo Express repository (GitHub)
Checked October 2026.
How we research these guides: our editorial method.