See JSONB the way it is shaped: as a tree, or expanded into real table columns across every row. Build queries visually, draw ER diagrams from foreign keys, and chart results, with MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite and MongoDB in the same workspace.
pgAdmin is the official administration tool for PostgreSQL. It is free, open source, and covers deep Postgres administration: server dashboards, backups with pg_dump, a PL/pgSQL debugger, and schema diff.
Many developers use it only because it came with Postgres. Its query tool is text-first, there is no visual query builder, and it only connects to PostgreSQL, so a MySQL or MongoDB database means a second app.
JSONB is where the difference is clearest. pgAdmin keeps each JSONB value inside one grid cell and opens it one value at a time. VisuaLeaf can show every result row as an expandable tree, or expand a JSONB key or array into real columns across all rows, so you can scan, sort and compare nested fields like any other column.
Around that, VisuaLeaf covers day-to-day development: browse schemas, edit rows and nested values in place, build joins visually, read EXPLAIN as a plan, chart the results, and work with your other databases in the same window.
Choose pgAdmin for PostgreSQL server administration: debugging functions, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, pg_dump backups, schema diff and terminating sessions. Choose VisuaLeaf for daily development work across PostgreSQL and your other databases.
The features SQL developers ask about most, including the ones where pgAdmin is ahead.
| Feature | VisuaLeaf | pgAdmin |
|---|---|---|
| SQL editor with autocomplete Schema-aware completion, formatting, run selection | ||
| Visual query builder Drag tables, draw joins, get SQL | ||
| JSONB as grid columns Expand a JSONB key or array into real columns across every row | ||
| Tree view of result rows Browse every row as an expandable document | ||
| Edit nested JSONB in place Change one nested value; VisuaLeaf rewrites the column | ||
| ER diagrams Generate from foreign keys and edit visually | ||
| Visual EXPLAIN plan Read execution plans as a tree | ||
| Charts and dashboards Chart query results and pin them to dashboards | ||
| Table data compare Diff rows between two tables | ||
| Schema diff Compare and sync DDL between databases | ||
| PL/pgSQL debugger Step through functions and procedures | ||
| Backup and restore with pg_dump Native PostgreSQL dump formats | ||
| Terminate sessions and queries Kill a running query from the GUI | ||
| Scheduled jobs Run exports and transfers on a schedule | ||
| MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite and MongoDB Other databases in the same app | ||
| Price Licence cost |
Based on pgAdmin 4 public documentation, checked September 2026. Partial means the feature exists but is limited or needs a paid edition; hover a partial mark for details.
pgAdmin is a good tool used by many teams. Here is the fair read.
Three places VisuaLeaf goes further, in more detail.
Switch a result to Tree view and every row becomes an expandable document, with nested objects and arrays laid out the way they are stored. Or stay in Table view and expand a JSONB key into real columns across every row (metadata.plan, tags.0 and so on), up to twelve levels deep in one click. Edit a nested value in its own cell and VisuaLeaf writes the jsonb column back, with no jsonb_set by hand.
Drag tables onto the builder, connect joins, add filters and aggregates, and keep the generated PostgreSQL SQL.
Connect PostgreSQL, Supabase, Neon, RDS and Aurora alongside MySQL, SQL Server, SQLite and MongoDB, and move data between them with scheduled transfers.
VisuaLeaf does not have a PL/pgSQL debugger, EXPLAIN ANALYZE, schema diff, pg_dump integration or session termination. If those are your daily tools, keep pgAdmin; many teams use both.
Practical migration notes.
Paste your postgresql:// or JDBC URL, or fill in host, port and database; SSL mode and SSH tunnels are supported. Keep pgAdmin for server administration and use VisuaLeaf for everyday querying, editing and charting.
Download VisuaLeaf and every Pro feature is unlocked for a 14-day trial, no credit card required. After that, Basic is $79 and Pro is $149, one-time, with a year of updates included.
The questions we hear most often from teams evaluating VisuaLeaf against pgAdmin.
pgAdmin shows each JSONB value in a single cell and opens it in an editor one value at a time. VisuaLeaf can show every row as an expandable tree, or expand JSONB keys and arrays into real table columns across all rows, and lets you edit a nested value in place.
For daily development work, yes: it adds a visual query builder, a JSONB tree editor, charts and data compare. For server administration such as debugging, EXPLAIN ANALYZE and pg_dump backups, pgAdmin remains stronger.
Yes. VisuaLeaf has connection types for Supabase, Neon, Amazon RDS and Aurora PostgreSQL, Azure PostgreSQL, TimescaleDB, Citus and CockroachDB, with SSL and SSH tunnel options.
Not yet. VisuaLeaf shows the estimated EXPLAIN plan visually. Use pgAdmin or psql when you need actual run times.
Yes. Unlike pgAdmin, VisuaLeaf also connects to MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, SQLite, MongoDB and more, and can transfer data between them.
No. VisuaLeaf includes a 14-day trial of every Pro feature, then Basic is $79 and Pro is $149 as a one-time purchase with a year of updates.
Keep pgAdmin for administration, and try VisuaLeaf for the everyday work of reading, querying and charting your PostgreSQL data.
Every Pro feature free for 14 days. No credit card required.