Adminer

What is Adminer?

Adminer is a single PHP file that bundles a full-featured database management interface. It supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, and more, and has been available since 2010. The project is maintained by a small team, with frequent security updates and a stable release cycle.

It is aimed at developers, sysadmins, and power users who prefer a quick, browser-based interface over heavy desktop clients. Because it runs inside a web server, it can be accessed from any machine with a browser, making it convenient for remote database administration.

Compared to HeidiSQL, Adminer feels more minimalistic; it lacks some of the advanced query builder features and the Windows‑style GUI. However, its simplicity and low resource footprint make it a solid choice for quick tasks and for environments where installing a full desktop client is impractical.

Best for: Quick, web‑based database administration when a lightweight tool is needed.

Key features of Adminer

• Single PHP file, no installation required
• Supports MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, and more
• Built‑in import/export for SQL, CSV, XML, JSON
• User‑defined shortcuts and themes
• Session management and password protection
• Extensible via plugins
• Responsive UI for mobile browsers

Tips for Windows users

When moving from HeidiSQL to Adminer, remember that Adminer operates inside a web server; you’ll need to place the adminer.php file in a web‑accessible directory and access it via http://yourserver/adminer.php. Import/export formats remain the same (SQL, CSV, XML, JSON). Keyboard shortcuts differ: Adminer uses Ctrl+S for save and Ctrl+F for find, while HeidiSQL uses Ctrl+S for save and F3 for find. Workflow changes: you’ll no longer have a local GUI; instead, you’ll use a browser, which may feel slower for large result sets but is consistent across machines.