pglens vs pgAdmin
pgAdmin is the long-standing, free administration tool for PostgreSQL. It covers server administration end to end: roles, backup and restore, maintenance, a multi-user server mode, plus a graphical EXPLAIN, Schema Diff and an ERD tool.
pglens is a free, MIT-licensed web GUI built for the data work engineers do every day. You filter rows by picking a column, an operator and a value, click through foreign keys, edit cells with type-aware controls, and see the exact SQL behind each action. If you administer Postgres servers, pgAdmin covers more. If you mostly look up, filter and fix rows, pglens gets you there with fewer steps.
Facts about pgAdmin checked against its own site on October 10, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of this page.
At a glance
| pgAdmin | pglens | |
|---|---|---|
| License and price | Free, PostgreSQL Licence | Free, MIT license |
| How it runs | Desktop app, or a web server that several users can share | Local web app bound to 127.0.0.1, installed with one command |
| Filtering rows | Sort/Filter dialog where you type a SQL WHERE clause |
Filter builder (column, operator, value) with JSON and array operators; save setups as named views |
| Editing rows | Grid editing for tables with a primary key or OIDs; views are read-only | Type-aware cell editing and an insert form built from your schema; edits are pinned to the primary key |
| Foreign keys | Not described in the data grid docs | Click a value to open the referenced row, with breadcrumbs back |
| Query plans | Graphical EXPLAIN | EXPLAIN visualizer with per-node self time and planner misestimates flagged |
| Schema changes | Schema Diff and an ERD tool | Schema diff that writes forward and backward migrations, plus an editable ERD that generates DDL |
| Monitoring | Dashboard with server activity | Live sessions, blocking chains, replication lag and a slow-query view over pg_stat_statements |
| Server administration | Backup, restore and maintenance dialogs; login and group role management | Streaming backup and CSV import; no role or maintenance dialogs |
Day-to-day data work
In pgAdmin you open View/Edit Data, then add a filter by typing a SQL condition such as id > 25 AND created > '2018-01-01' into the Sort/Filter dialog. It works well if you think in SQL.
In pglens the same filter is a chip: pick id, pick >, type 25. Stack sorts by dragging, save the setup as a named view, and share it by link. When you want the query, Show SQL prints it, and Advanced Mode opens it in a schema-aware editor.
Performance work
Both tools draw EXPLAIN plans. pglens heat-maps each node by its own (exclusive) time, so the costly node lights up instead of its parents, and flags nodes where the planner's row estimate was far off. Its index assistant lists unused and duplicate indexes, and every DROP INDEX it suggests is shown for you to review. pglens never runs it for you.
Where pgAdmin is ahead
pgAdmin is the more complete administration tool. pglens has no dialogs for roles, tablespaces or VACUUM, no SSH tunnel support yet, and multi-table joins need Advanced Mode. pgAdmin's server mode also gives a team a shared web deployment; pglens runs as a single-user app on your machine.
Which one should you pick?
Pick pgAdmin if
- You administer Postgres servers: roles, tablespaces, maintenance, backup and restore.
- You want one shared web deployment for a team today (pgAdmin's server mode).
- You prefer the tool maintained alongside the PostgreSQL project.
Pick pglens if
- You spend most of your database time finding, filtering and fixing rows.
- You want filters built from clicks and foreign keys you can follow.
- You want to see the SQL for every action before trusting the tool with prod.
Questions
Is pglens a replacement for pgAdmin?
For everyday data work, yes: browsing, filtering, editing, importing, exporting, EXPLAIN plans and schema diffs. For server administration such as roles, maintenance and backup/restore dialogs, keep pgAdmin.
Are both free?
Yes. pgAdmin is released under the PostgreSQL Licence and pglens under the MIT license. Both are free to use.
Can I use both?
Yes. pglens connects with a normal connection string or parameters, so you can point both tools at the same database.
Sources
More comparisons: pglens vs DBeaver ยท pglens vs TablePlus