Start with MongoDB Compass: it is free, made by MongoDB, and documents an aggregation pipeline builder, schema analysis, visual explain plans and an embedded shell. If you want SQL queries, SQL migration and scheduled tasks, Studio 3T is the established commercial IDE (with a free Community Edition for non-commercial use), and NoSQLBooster is a shell-centred alternative with a free edition. Teams that already use DataGrip, DBeaver PRO or Navicat for SQL databases can add MongoDB there; note that DBeaver Community has no MongoDB support. Developers can stay in their editor with MongoDB for VS Code, and mongosh is the official command-line shell.
MongoDB is a document database, so a MongoDB GUI does different work from a SQL client. The features that matter are viewing and editing JSON documents, building aggregation pipelines stage by stage, inferring a schema from documents that do not have to share one, explaining queries and managing indexes. Some tools also translate SQL into MongoDB queries, which helps people who know SQL better than the MongoDB Query API.
For each tool we list what the vendor documents. If you are still deciding whether MongoDB is the right database, see MongoDB vs PostgreSQL, MongoDB vs MySQL, MongoDB vs SQL Server and SQL vs NoSQL.
Quick picks
Free from MongoDB, with an aggregation pipeline builder, schema analysis, visual explain plans and an embedded shell.
SQL Query, SQL Migration to and from relational databases, and a Task Scheduler.
Embedded mongosh engine with IntelliSense, snippets, a script debugger and code generation.
Adds MongoDB to the same IDE, with SQL for MongoDB translated to JavaScript you can inspect.
Free, Apache-2.0 extension with Playgrounds, document editing and a built-in MongoDB MCP Server.
How we chose
Considered: MongoDB Compass, Studio 3T, NoSQLBooster for MongoDB, DataGrip, DBeaver (Community and PRO), Navicat for MongoDB and Navicat Premium Lite, MongoDB for VS Code and the MongoDB Shell (mongosh).
Inclusion criteria: currently available and maintained according to the vendor (a release within the past few months); connects to MongoDB; offers document browsing and querying; and its platforms, licence or price model and MongoDB features could be confirmed on official pages. DBeaver Community was not included because DBeaver's documentation says its MongoDB driver is available only in the paid Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate editions.
What was checked, not tested: vendor documentation, release notes and changelogs, download, edition and pricing pages on 7 October 2026. The order is not a ranking: MongoDB's own GUI first, then dedicated MongoDB tools, then multi-database clients, then editor and command-line options.
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Databases | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MongoDB Compass | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB (Atlas and self-managed) | Everyday MongoDB work | No SQL query translation |
| Studio 3T | Paid (free Community Edition, non-commercial) | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB, FerretDB, DocumentDB, Cosmos DB | SQL users, migrations, scheduled tasks | Commercial use is paid, billed annually |
| NoSQLBooster for MongoDB | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB 3.6 to 9.0 | Script-heavy work | Free edition has limited functions after the trial |
| DataGrip | Paid (free non-commercial) | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB, DocumentDB and SQL databases | Teams on JetBrains tools | SQL for MongoDB supports a subset of SQL |
| DBeaver PRO | Paid | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB plus SQL and NoSQL databases | One paid tool for SQL and NoSQL | MongoDB not in free Community edition |
| Navicat for MongoDB | Paid (free Premium Lite) | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB, Atlas, DocumentDB, Cosmos DB for MongoDB | Visual design, sync and backup | Full features cost money |
| MongoDB for VS Code | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux (in VS Code) | MongoDB (Atlas and self-managed) | Developers in VS Code | Fewer visual tools than Compass |
| mongosh | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux | MongoDB 7.0 or later | Scripting and administration | Command line only |
MongoDB Compass
Compass is MongoDB's own GUI and is free to use; its source is on GitHub under the SSPL. Version 1.52.0 was released on 2 October 2026, and MongoDB ships new versions every few weeks. Downloads are offered for Windows 64-bit (10+), macOS (11+, arm64 and x64), Red Hat (8+) and Ubuntu (20.04+). The same interface is built into the Atlas UI as the Data Explorer.
Features (vendor documented): full CRUD on documents, an Aggregation Pipeline Builder, schema analysis, a visual explain plan, real-time server statistics, index management, document validation rules, an embedded MongoDB shell, natural-language (AI) querying and data modelling. Kerberos, LDAP and x.509 authentication are supported.
Editions: besides the full edition, MongoDB offers a Readonly edition, which its documentation says will be deprecated in a future release, and an Isolated edition that makes no network connections other than to the MongoDB instance, with no AI features, auto-updates or telemetry.
- No SQL-to-MongoDB query translation or SQL migration tools.
- No scheduled tasks or data compare between deployments are listed.
- The Readonly edition is due to be deprecated; MongoDB suggests using the read role and the readOnly setting instead.
Studio 3T
Studio 3T is made by 3T Software Labs Ltd, based in Berlin; the vendor's pages mention no change of ownership. The Desktop IDE is now part of a wider product family that also includes a Web IDE and data pipeline products. Version 2026.14.0 was released on 28 September 2026. Desktop IDE plans are Professional and Ultimate, sold per user per year and billed annually, with an Enterprise edition in sales-led bundles. A free Community Edition is offered for non-commercial use by students, hobbyists and individual beginners, and there is a free trial of Ultimate. Studio 3T also connects to FerretDB, Amazon DocumentDB and Azure Cosmos DB.
Features (vendor documented): Visual Query Builder, Aggregation Editor, IntelliShell with explain, Query Profiler, SQL Query (including joins), Schema Explorer, data masking, SQL Migration from and to relational databases, a Task Scheduler for imports, exports, comparisons and migrations, and an AI Helper, which has been off by default since version 2026.12.0 (July 2026).
- Commercial use requires a paid plan, billed annually; the Community Edition is for non-commercial use only.
- The vendor does not publish a feature breakdown by edition on the buy page, so check which features your plan includes.
- The trial length is not stated on the buy page.
NoSQLBooster for MongoDB
NoSQLBooster is a shell-centred MongoDB GUI. Version 11.1.7 was released on 27 September 2026, and the vendor lists support for MongoDB 3.6 to 9.0. It runs on Windows 10+ (installer or portable ZIP), macOS 10.15+ (Apple silicon and Intel) and Linux (AppImage and tar.gz), and licences work across platforms.
Editions (vendor documented): the Free edition can be used for personal and commercial work; it starts with a 30-day trial of the full product and then drops to limited functions. Personal and Commercial editions are paid, with the Personal edition lacking Kerberos and LDAP, scheduled CLI tasks and code conversion. AI features need active software assurance on any edition. Features: an embedded mongosh engine, SQL query, a fluent query API, IntelliSense, snippets, a script debugger, code generation for several languages, visual explain, monitoring and a profiler.
- Prices are not published on the official pages we could reach.
- The Free edition is restricted after the 30-day trial ends.
- AI features require active software assurance.
DataGrip
JetBrains' DataGrip documents MongoDB as a data source, for MongoDB versions 3 to 8, with standard and Atlas SRV connection strings and SCRAM, AWS IAM, x.509, Kerberos and LDAP authentication. You get database explorer browsing, a data viewer and editor, and a query console. DataGrip is free for non-commercial use, with a 30-day trial and subscription for commercial use.
SQL for MongoDB (vendor documented): DataGrip 2026.2 can run SELECT queries with JOIN, WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, ORDER BY, LIMIT and OFFSET against MongoDB and Amazon DocumentDB, translated to JavaScript by JetBrains' own translator; "Show JS Script" displays the generated code. See DBeaver vs DataGrip.
- SQL for MongoDB supports only INNER and LEFT JOIN, a single equality condition in ON, and no nested SELECT as a join target.
- By default only the default database is introspected; others must be selected.
- The documented MongoDB version range is 3 to 8; check support for newer servers.
- Commercial use requires a subscription.
DBeaver PRO
DBeaver's MongoDB documentation states that the driver is available in the Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only, so the free, Apache-licensed Community edition cannot connect to MongoDB. The paid editions are sold per user, monthly or yearly, on dbeaver.com, and Lite is the lowest-priced edition with MongoDB.
MongoDB features (vendor documented): JavaScript and a subset of mongo shell commands in the SQL editor, plus SQL: SELECT with WHERE, ORDER BY, GROUP BY and JOIN, and INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE and CREATE/DROP TABLE for collections. See DBeaver Community vs DBeaver PRO.
- No MongoDB support in the free Community edition.
- Only a subset of mongo shell commands is supported in the editor.
- It is a Java application; the vendor documents memory settings for large result sets.
MongoDB for VS Code
MongoDB's official VS Code extension (mongodb.mongodb-vscode) is free and Apache-2.0 licensed; version 1.18.0 was current on the Visual Studio Marketplace. It connects to Atlas and self-managed deployments.
Features (vendor documented): browsing databases, collections, documents and schema; JavaScript Playgrounds for running queries and aggregations; editing documents in the editor; a built-in MongoDB MCP Server for Copilot agent mode and other AI clients; GitHub Copilot Chat commands for queries, schema and docs; and a Terraform template for creating an Atlas cluster.
- No visual aggregation pipeline builder or schema analysis charts like Compass.
- Requires VS Code.
- The Copilot features need GitHub Copilot.
mongosh
The MongoDB Shell (mongosh) is MongoDB's official command-line shell, open source under Apache-2.0. Version 2.13.0 was released on 5 October 2026. MongoDB's install guide says it connects to MongoDB 7.0 or later, and lists Windows 10+ and Windows Server 2016+ and macOS 11+ (x64 or ARM64), with Linux packages also available. It is also embedded in Compass.
// mongosh: revenue per region, highest first
db.orders.aggregate([
{ $group: { _id: "$region", orders: { $sum: 1 }, revenue: { $sum: "$amount" } } },
{ $sort: { revenue: -1 } }
])- Command line only: no visual document browser or pipeline builder.
- Supports MongoDB 7.0 or later, so older servers need an older shell version.
- MongoDB notes that Homebrew installations lack some guarantees of the official builds, such as automatic client-side field level encryption.
How to choose
Most people: start with MongoDB Compass. It is free, maintained by MongoDB, and covers browsing, aggregation, schema analysis, explain plans and indexes. You think in SQL or migrate data between SQL and MongoDB: Studio 3T documents SQL Query and SQL Migration, and DataGrip and DBeaver PRO accept a subset of SQL against MongoDB. You write a lot of shell scripts: NoSQLBooster, or mongosh itself.
Your team already pays for a multi-database tool: check whether it covers MongoDB before buying another: DataGrip and Navicat do, DBeaver does in Lite and above, and Navicat Premium Lite includes MongoDB at no cost. You live in VS Code: use the MongoDB extension and keep Compass for visual work.
Still weighing up document databases? See Redis vs MongoDB, Cassandra vs MongoDB and DynamoDB vs MongoDB. For SQL engines, see the best PostgreSQL GUI tools and best SQLite GUI tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is MongoDB Compass free?
Yes. MongoDB describes Compass as free, and its source code is on GitHub under the SSPL. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does DBeaver Community support MongoDB?
No. DBeaver's MongoDB documentation says the driver is available in the Lite, Enterprise and Ultimate editions only. For a free option, use MongoDB Compass or Navicat Premium Lite, which includes MongoDB.
Is Studio 3T free?
There is a free Community Edition for non-commercial use by students, hobbyists and individual beginners. Commercial use needs a paid Professional or Ultimate plan, billed annually, or an Enterprise bundle. A free trial of Ultimate is available.
Can I query MongoDB with SQL?
Several GUIs translate SQL into MongoDB queries: Studio 3T (SQL Query), DataGrip (SQL for MongoDB), DBeaver PRO and NoSQLBooster. Each supports a subset of SQL, so check the vendor's documented limits, for example on join types.
What replaced the old mongo shell?
The MongoDB Shell, mongosh, is MongoDB's current command-line shell. It is Apache-2.0 licensed and connects to MongoDB 7.0 or later.
Is there a MongoDB extension for VS Code?
Yes. MongoDB for VS Code is free and Apache-2.0 licensed, with Playgrounds, document editing, a built-in MongoDB MCP Server and GitHub Copilot integration.
Sources
- MongoDB Compass product page
- MongoDB Compass release notes
- MongoDB Compass editions
- Compass repository and licence (GitHub)
- Studio 3T Desktop IDE
- Studio 3T plans
- Studio 3T changelog
- NoSQLBooster downloads
- NoSQLBooster editions
- DataGrip MongoDB documentation
- DataGrip SQL for MongoDB
- DBeaver MongoDB documentation
- DBeaver editions
- Navicat for MongoDB
- Navicat Premium Lite
- MongoDB for VS Code documentation
- MongoDB Shell (mongosh) documentation
- mongosh changelog
Checked October 2026.
How we research these guides: our editorial method.