Best Oracle Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) in 2024
If you search for the most popular database management system, the search result will surely include Oracle Database. Despite the competition from other major RDBMSs, Oracle remains one of the global leaders in its niche of enterprise-grade, sophisticated database management systems. Therefore, database experts face the need to master Oracle quite often.
On the other hand, it also means that vendors who produce various database management software with user-friendly graphical interfaces also target Oracle Database users to help them cope with this quite demanding system effectively. In this article, we'll explore some of the most popular IDEs developed for Oracle.
We've picked the tools for our review according to the most essential criteria:
- Database Compatibility and Integration: Though this demand seems obvious, it will be useful to stress it once again: the tool must support various versions of Oracle, including related cloud services.
- Performance Tuning and Optimization: The primary reason for database professionals to use additional database management tools, especially GUI-based, is that such tools can help enhance performance and ensure higher quality of results. For example, this concerns coding assistance and query analysis and optimization.
- Database Administration and Management: Database developers and administrators require reliable tools to organize their data, maintain its integrity, and optimize its performance. They benefit from real-time database monitoring features to identify, track, and fix issues. Also, the required functionality often includes database user management capabilities.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Oracle users employ different operating systems in their work. For instance, Linux is often the default choice for database and software development, macOS has its devotees, and Windows remains the most popular OS in the world. Therefore, some users require Oracle database management tools to be compatible with different operating systems.
- Cost and Licensing: The price factor is one of the deciding considerations for users. We examined the available pricing options for the reviewed solutions and the free trial options to help readers make the right decision.
Side-by-Side Comparison
We have summarized the functionality of all five tools reviewed in this article, so have a look at all their features compared side by side.
|
Feature |
dbForge Studio for Oracle |
Oracle SQL Developer |
Toad for Oracle |
Beekeeper Studio |
PL/SQL Developer |
|
Coding Assistance |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
+ |
|
Visual Database Design |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Oracle Debugger |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Visual Query Builder |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
- |
|
Schema/Data Comparison & Sync |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
- |
|
Data Editor |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Test Data Generation |
+ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Data Import & Export |
+ |
+ |
+ |
(export only) |
+ |
|
Data Analysis and Reporting |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Performance Monitoring |
+ |
+ |
- |
- |
- |
|
User Management |
+ |
+ |
+ |
- |
+ |
|
Database Documenter |
+ |
- |
Limited |
- |
- |
dbForge Studio for Oracle
Platform: Windows (native), macOS (through Parallels® Desktop or the CrossOver compatibility solution), and Linux (through Wine or the CrossOver compatibility solution)
dbForge Studio for Oracle is one of the most feature-rich solutions for database management tasks in Oracle – an integrated development environment covering all aspects of database development and administration within a single application. With comprehensive support for all active Oracle versions as well as cloud services (Oracle Cloud and Oracle on Amazon RDS), the Studio is a favored choice for many Oracle professionals all over the world.
An advanced coding assistance module with auto-completion, formatting, and debugging features, database comparison and synchronization tools, support for over 10 data formats for import/export tasks, highly functional server session monitoring and user management modules, and other features grant all the functionality to work with Oracle databases effectively.
Pros:
- Database schema and table data comparison with changes deployment
- Intelligent code completion (context-aware suggestions)
- Customizable code snippets library
- Visual query construction in the integrated Query Builder
- Visual database construction in the integrated Database Designer
- Powerful test data generator (comprising 200+ generators of column-intelligent data)
- Robust data analysis and reporting capacities
- Task automation through the command line
- Professional personal support from the vendor
Cons:
- Lack of native support for macOS and Linux
- Advanced functionality is only available in paid editions
Pricing:
- Free – Express edition (basic features)
- Subscription-based license – starts from $149.95/year
- Perpetual license – starts from $299.95
Free Trial: Available for 30 days (fully featured) - Download
Oracle SQL Developer
Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux (separate installation files for each OS with native compatibility)
Oracle SQL Developer is the official visual client designed for Oracle Database. It supports both on-premises and cloud platforms and allows Oracle specialists to perform tasks related to database development and deployment effectively and quickly. Notably, Oracle SQL Developer offers the tools for PL/SQL coding along with direct script execution and query analysis, visual query construction, data migration with all popular file formats supported, and many other features to simplify the work of Oracle specialists.
As Oracle SQL Developer is provided by the Oracle Corporation itself, it is available for free (comes with any Oracle Database licenses).
Pros:
- Visual creation and editing of database models
- Reverse and forward engineering in the integrated Data Modeling tool
- Database administration capacities including server monitoring and user management
- Unit Testing for specific PL/SQL entities
- Third-party database migration into Oracle
- Multi-language interface
Cons:
- Lack of vendor support
- Steep learning curve
- Intensive resource consumption
Pricing: Free - Download
Toad for Oracle
Platform: Windows, macOS
Toad for Oracle is a multi-functional software solution that focuses on streamlining and automating various database tasks in Oracle. Its goal is to help users save time and effort on database development, management, optimization, and maintenance, allow them to automate regular tasks, and mitigate risks. Toad's functionality covers all essential areas from coding assistance and data modeling to CI/CD building.
The software supports all active Oracle versions, both on-premise and cloud (Amazon EC2 Oracle Database as a Service).
Pros:
- Database administration tools
- Visual query builder for complex queries
- Advanced PL/SQL code debugging, tuning, and optimization
- Database performance monitoring and troubleshooting
- Code review module with 200+ rules available
- Data modeling with reverse engineering option
- utPLSQL unit testing
- Task automation
Cons:
- High price
- Complicated procedure of the trial request
- Requires an Oracle Client
- No Linux support
Pricing: Subscription-based license – from $819/year
Free trial: Available for 30 days (provided on direct request only) - Download
PL/SQL Developer
Platform: Windows (all versions)
PL/SQL Developer is a popular software solution focusing on Oracle development, particularly code writing, testing, debugging, and optimizing stored program units. It offers the users a broad range of features including context-aware suggestions, syntax highlighting, direct access to database object descriptions, direct data editing for large data amounts, and more. The primary purpose of PL/SQL Developer is to make all Oracle development tasks faster and easier, ensuring high quality of the output and enhanced productivity.
Pros:
- In-built PL/SQL Editor with numerous coding assistance features
- Powerful code debugger covering any program units
- Visual Database Designer
- Unicode compliance
- Version control integration
- Collection of plug-ins for developing DDL statements
- Customizable interface with various light and dark mode styles
Cons:
- Limited functionality in comparison with other solutions
- Only runs on Windows
- Requires an Oracle Client to connect to Oracle Database
Pricing: Perpetual license – from $243.00 per user (can be run on multiple instances)
Free trial: Available for 30 days - Download
Beekeeper Studio
Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
Beekeeper Studio is database management software that supports all major database systems. A smart user-friendly graphical interface and robust functionality make a great combination for Oracle users who need a reliable toolset to perform standard database tasks both in a visual mode and through direct coding.
Coding assistance helps users write code much faster using the Oracle-specific auto-completion functionality. Among other helpful features of Beekeeper Studio, we can single out database and table design tools, data export into several popular data formats, and connection security options.
Pros:
- Compatibility with major database management systems
- SQL editor with syntax coloring and code formatting features
- Support for CSV, SQL, and JSON formats for data export
- Multi-tabbed interface for query writing and editing
- Advanced connection security with SSL and SSH support
- Teamwork mode
Cons:
- Only basic functionality
- Lack of support and community
- Short free trial period
Pricing:
- Free – Community Edition (limited features)
- Subscription-based license – starts from $14/month per user
Free trial: Available for 14 days - Download
Conclusion
Oracle Database continues to be, and likely will remain, one of the leading database management systems. This prominence encourages software developers to create and enhance tools designed to support Oracle users with their everyday tasks. In this article, we've examined the most popular tools available — robust solutions that significantly assist Oracle specialists in managing a variety of database-related tasks more efficiently and with less effort. We trust you'll find this information valuable.