Connecting databases
MamaSQL connects to MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQLite. PostgreSQL and MySQL run through a small local engine bridge that opens the real database socket for the app; SQLite databases live right inside MamaSQL, with no server at all.
Add a connection
Click ＋ New connection in the sidebar, choose an engine, and fill in the details:
- PostgreSQL / MySQL — name, host, port, database and username. The password is requested when you connect and kept in your OS keychain.
- SQLite — just give it a name. MamaSQL creates a real local database — no host, port or file path required.
Hit Test to verify, then save. For PostgreSQL/MySQL the engine bridge must be running — it starts automatically with the desktop app and with docker compose up.
Connection settings
Each connection stores:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A friendly label shown in the sidebar |
| Engine | PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB or SQLite |
| Host & port | Where the database is listening (PostgreSQL/MySQL) |
| Database | The database to open |
| User & password | Password is kept in your OS keychain, never in plain text |
| Environment | Tag a connection dev / staging / prod for a colour cue so you never mix them up |
Read-only mode
Right-click a connection and toggle Read-only mode to block every write — INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, DROP and friends. A lock icon marks the connection while it's on, so you can explore a production database without fear of changing it.
Credentials stay on your device. Queries run straight from your machine to your database — there's no cloud relay and no telemetry.
Managing connections
Connections live in the left rail. Right-click any connection to connect or refresh it, edit its details, copy its connection string, toggle read-only, or remove it. Removing a connection also clears its saved password from the keychain.