It depends on why you are leaving. If you want VS Code, or simply the tool Oracle is investing in, move to Oracle's own SQL Developer for VS Code: it is free and adds features quarterly. If you work with several databases, DataGrip (paid, free for non-commercial use, with a PL/SQL debugger) or DBeaver (free Community edition) replace one tool per engine. If you want deeper PL/SQL code assistance or DBA tooling, pay for Toad for Oracle, PL/SQL Developer or dbForge Studio for Oracle. Before you go, check whether you rely on Data Modeler or third-party migrations: those are the features least likely to have a direct replacement.
Oracle SQL Developer is free, Oracle-supported and broad: SQL worksheet, PL/SQL editor and debugger, reports, a DBA panel, a scheduler, an integrated Data Modeler and migration of third-party databases to Oracle. People look for alternatives for a handful of recurring reasons, in our assessment:
- The Java desktop UI. SQL Developer 26.2 requires JDK 17, and some users prefer a lighter or more modern interface.
- Oracle's own direction. Oracle now calls the desktop app "SQL Developer Classic" on its VS Code extension listing and is adding features to the extension every quarter. Community reports describe 26.2 (July 2026) as possibly the last desktop release; we could not confirm that on an Oracle page.
- More than one database. SQL Developer can browse MySQL and some third-party databases mainly to migrate them to Oracle; it is not a general multi-database client.
- Code assistance and AI. Developers coming from JetBrains or VS Code expect refactoring, inspections and AI assistants, which several alternatives document.
- DBA depth or team features such as code testing, benchmark tools or shared code control.
If you are choosing an Oracle tool from scratch rather than replacing SQL Developer, start with our broader best Oracle database tools guide.
Quick picks
Oracle's own successor: free, Oracle-supported, with PL/SQL debugging and SQLcl built in.
One IDE for Oracle and many other engines, with refactoring, a documented PL/SQL debugger and Git; free for non-commercial use.
Apache-licensed Community edition with Oracle sessions, locks, plans and SQL*Plus-syntax scripts.
Windows IDE built around PL/SQL, with debugger, refactoring and AI Assistant, sold as perpetual per-user licences.
DBA editions add Spotlight on Oracle, SQL Optimizer and Benchmark Factory alongside the IDE.
How we chose
Considered: Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code, SQLcl, Oracle Database Actions, DataGrip, DBeaver, Toad for Oracle, PL/SQL Developer, dbForge Studio for Oracle, Navicat for Oracle and DbVisualizer.
Inclusion criteria: currently maintained; connects to Oracle Database with a SQL editor and object browser (or, for SQLcl, a full command-line replacement for the worksheet); solves at least one of the reasons above; and its platforms and licence or price model could be confirmed on an official page. DbVisualizer is not listed as an entry because we did not re-verify its Oracle-specific features for this guide.
What was checked, not tested: documentation, Marketplace listings, release notes and edition pages on 7 October 2026. The order is not a ranking: Oracle's own replacements first, then multi-database IDEs, then Oracle-specialist commercial tools.
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Solves | What you give up vs SQL Developer | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQL Developer for VS Code | Free | Windows, macOS, Linux (in VS Code) | Java desktop UI, VS Code users | Some desktop features still being ported | Oracle only |
| SQLcl | Free | Any OS with Java | Scripting, CI, AI agents | All GUI features | Command line only |
| DataGrip | Paid (free non-commercial) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Several databases, code assistance | Data Modeler, migrations, DBA panel | Commercial use is paid |
| DBeaver | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux | Several databases, free | Data Modeler, migrations, PL/SQL debugger | Wallet and Kerberos sign-in are PRO-only |
| Toad for Oracle | Paid | Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon) | DBA depth, AI, team tooling | Free licence | Edition line-up is complex |
| PL/SQL Developer | Paid (30-day trial) | Windows | PL/SQL code assistance | Cross-platform use, DBA panel | Windows only |
| dbForge Studio for Oracle | Freemium | Windows (macOS, Linux via CrossOver) | Compare, AI, debugger | Debugger free of charge | Debugger and compare are paid |
| Navicat for Oracle | Paid (14-day trial) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Cross-platform GUI, data transfer | PL/SQL debugger depth | Fewer PL/SQL specialist features listed |
Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code
The first alternative is Oracle's own. Oracle describes the extension as "a new, more powerful version of Oracle SQL Developer desktop", and the Marketplace listing (version 26.3.0, Free Use Terms and Conditions licence) says updates arrive quarterly, "adding capabilities from SQL Developer Classic". It documents a SQL Worksheet with history, a SQL Notebook, PL/SQL editing and step-by-step debugging, explain plan, data grids with export, JSON-relational duality views and SQLcl sessions from the same connections.
If your reason for leaving is the desktop UI or a wish to work in VS Code alongside application code, this is the lowest-risk move: same vendor, same free licence, and it registers the SQLcl MCP Server for GitHub Copilot if you want AI assistance.
- Not every desktop feature has been ported; check Data Modeler, reports, DBA screens and third-party migrations against the release notes before you switch.
- Oracle only, so it does not solve a multi-database need.
SQLcl
If much of your SQL Developer use is running scripts, SQLcl (Oracle's Java-based command line, documented up to release 26.3) can take that over. Oracle documents interactive and batch execution, statement completion, command recall and compatibility with existing SQL*Plus scripts; SQLcl also has documented Liquibase support and an MCP server for AI assistants. It pairs well with any of the GUI alternatives below.
- No graphical result grids, object editors or diagrams.
- Still a Java application, if avoiding Java is your reason for leaving.
DataGrip
DataGrip 2026.2 documents Oracle Database 9 to 23, Thin and OCI connections, SYSDBA and SYSOPER roles, Kerberos, TNS files, DBMS_OUTPUT, explain plans and SQL*Plus command compatibility, and a PL/SQL debugger (based on DBMS_DEBUG) for anonymous blocks, packages, procedures, functions and triggers. You also get JetBrains' code completion, inspections and refactoring across every engine you connect to.
It has been free for non-commercial use since 1 October 2025; commercial use needs a subscription after a 30-day trial. Our Oracle SQL Developer vs DataGrip comparison covers the switch in detail.
- No equivalent of SQL Developer's Data Modeler, DBA panel or third-party migration wizard.
- Oracle documentation lists versions up to 23 without naming 26ai.
- Commercial use is paid, where SQL Developer is free.
DBeaver
DBeaver Community is Apache-2.0 licensed and supports Oracle. Its Oracle documentation covers PL/SQL procedures and functions, scripts in SQL*Plus syntax, session and lock managers, execution plans, performance reports, roles, profiles and permissions. Paid editions (Lite, Enterprise, Ultimate) add Oracle Wallet, OS, Kerberos and Microsoft Entra ID authentication, password changes and user creation.
See Oracle SQL Developer vs DBeaver for a side-by-side view.
- If your organisation signs in with Oracle Wallet or Kerberos, you need a paid edition.
- We found no PL/SQL debugger documented for the Community edition.
- It is Java-based too, so it does not address that particular complaint.
Toad for Oracle
Toad for Oracle is the long-standing commercial alternative. Quest announced 2026 R2 on 27 July 2026, with Toad Chat and GitHub Copilot next-edit suggestions. Editions run from Base and Professional to Xpert Plus (adds SQL Optimizer for Oracle), Developer Plus (adds Code Tester and Benchmark Factory) and DBA Plus variants (add Spotlight on Oracle), each also sold in an "AI Enabled" version. The 2026 R1 release notes list support for Oracle 10g Release 2 to 26ai, with an Oracle client optional.
Our Toad vs SQL Developer comparison sets out what the licence buys over the free tool.
- Paid, with no free edition; prices were not visible on Quest's pages to our tools.
- The Mac build lacks the task scheduler, VCS integration for Team Coding and bundled Quest products.
- Subscription licences require sign-in to Quest's licensing servers.
PL/SQL Developer
Allround Automations' PL/SQL Developer (version 17.0) is a Windows IDE built around PL/SQL program units: integrated debugger, editor with code assistant, refactoring and beautifier, and an AI Assistant for writing, changing and analysing code. It connects through Oracle Net with no other middleware. Licences are perpetual per named user with published prices and an optional annual support contract, and the trial is fully functional for 30 days.
- Windows only.
- Development-focused; no DBA panel or data modeller is listed.
dbForge Studio for Oracle
Devart's dbForge Studio for Oracle has a free Express edition, with paid Standard (adds the PL/SQL debugger), Professional (adds schema and data compare and sync, database projects and reports) and Enterprise (adds a data generator) editions sold as subscriptions. The AI Assistant is listed in every edition. Its Database Designer covers some of the diagram work you may have done in SQL Developer.
- Native on Windows only.
- The free edition has no PL/SQL debugger, which SQL Developer includes at no cost.
When to stay with SQL Developer
Stay, at least for now, if you depend on the features that are hardest to replace: the integrated Data Modeler (Oracle also publishes SQL Developer Data Modeler separately, documented up to release 24.3), the migration of SQL Server, Sybase or DB2 databases to Oracle, or the free DBA panel and reports. None of the alternatives above offers all three, and the paid ones replace a free tool.
A common pattern is to move day-to-day SQL and PL/SQL work to SQL Developer for VS Code (or DataGrip or DBeaver, if you need other engines) and keep the desktop app installed for the occasional modelling or migration job. If a diagram is all you need, see our best ER diagram tools; for schema documentation, see best database documentation tools.
Frequently asked questions
Is Oracle discontinuing SQL Developer?
Oracle has not said so on any page we could read. What Oracle does say is that SQL Developer for VS Code is a new, more powerful version of the desktop tool, now called SQL Developer Classic on the extension's listing, and that the extension gains desktop capabilities every quarter. Community reports describe the July 2026 desktop release, 26.2, as possibly the last one; check Oracle's release notes before planning around it.
What is the best free alternative to Oracle SQL Developer?
Oracle's own SQL Developer for VS Code, if you only use Oracle. If you also use other databases, DBeaver Community is free and open source, though Oracle Wallet and Kerberos sign-in need a paid edition. DataGrip is free for non-commercial use only.
Which alternative has a PL/SQL debugger?
SQL Developer for VS Code, DataGrip, Toad for Oracle, PL/SQL Developer and the paid editions of dbForge Studio for Oracle (Standard and above) all document PL/SQL debugging. We did not find one documented for DBeaver Community.
Is Toad better than SQL Developer?
It is broader in some areas, such as DBA tooling, SQL optimisation and bundled testing and benchmarking products, and it is commercial while SQL Developer is free. Whether that is worth the licence depends on your workload; see Toad vs SQL Developer.
What can replace SQL Developer Data Modeler?
Oracle still publishes SQL Developer Data Modeler as a separate free download. Commercial options include the Toad editions that bundle Toad Data Modeler or erwin Data Modeler Lite for Oracle, and the modellers in our ER diagram tools guide.
Sources
- Oracle SQL Developer 26.2 user guide: concepts and usage
- Oracle SQL Developer 26.2 system recommendations (JDK 17)
- Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code (Visual Studio Marketplace)
- Oracle SQL Developer for VS Code: getting started
- Oracle SQLcl documentation
- Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler documentation
- DataGrip: Oracle
- DataGrip: debugging PL/SQL code
- DBeaver: Oracle
- Toad for Oracle 2026 R1 release notes (Quest, PDF)
- Toad for Oracle 2026 R2 announcement (Toad World)
- PL/SQL Developer (Allround Automations)
- dbForge Studio for Oracle editions (Devart)
- Navicat for Oracle
Checked October 2026.
How we research these guides: our editorial method.