Native macOS Menu Bar App

Connect TablePlus to Your Remote SQLite Database

A macOS menu bar app that connects your database GUI tools to remote SQLite databases over SSH. Open TablePlus, connect to localhost, and browse your data. Queries return in ~85ms.

Download for macOS See How It Works

Free 7-day trial. $50 one-time after. macOS 13+ required.

Remote SQLite — Watch the demo

SQLite is amazing. Remote access is not.

SQLite is the best choice for a growing number of web applications. But when your database is on a remote server, there's no way to connect your GUI tools to it. You're stuck SSH'ing into servers and typing raw SQL in a terminal.

What you're doing now

$ ssh user@server

Welcome to Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS

$ sqlite3 /var/data/app.db

SQLite version 3.45.1

sqlite> SELECT * FROM users LIMIT 5;

1|john@example.com|2024-01-15

2|jane@example.com|2024-01-16

3|bob@test.com|2024-02-01

No formatting. No autocomplete. No export.

With Remote SQLite
TablePlus connected to a remote SQLite database via Remote SQLite, browsing production data

Up and running in 60 seconds

Three steps. No server-side installation required.

1

Add a connection

Choose Fly.io or SSH. Enter your server details and the path to your SQLite file. Test the connection. Save.

2

Click start

Hit the play button in the menu bar. Remote SQLite establishes a persistent SSH session and starts the local proxy.

3

Open your GUI tool

Point TablePlus at localhost. Browse tables, run queries, export data. It works like any other database.

How it works under the hood

Remote SQLite speaks the PostgreSQL wire protocol locally and translates everything to SQLite over SSH. Your database tool doesn't know the difference.

Your Mac

TablePlus
localhost:5432
Remote SQLite Proxy
SSH Tunnel ~85ms

Remote Server

/var/data/app.db

SQLite Database File

~85ms query response time via persistent SSH — not 3-4 seconds per query.

Built for developers who ship

Every feature exists to save you time and remove friction from your database workflow.

Fly.io + SSH Support

Connect to SQLite databases on Fly.io machines or any server you can SSH into. Password and private key auth supported.

~85ms Queries

Persistent SSH sessions keep queries fast. No 3-4 second handshakes. Every query reuses the same connection.

Read-Only Mode

Block all write operations per connection. Perfect for AI agents, safe browsing, and junior team members.

One-Click TablePlus Import

Add your connection directly to TablePlus with one click. No manual configuration needed.

iCloud Sync

Connection configurations sync automatically across all your Macs. Set up once, access everywhere.

Keychain Security

Passwords and SSH keys stored in macOS Keychain. Encrypted at rest. No plain-text config files.

Multiple Connections

Connect to as many remote SQLite databases as you need. Each runs on its own local port.

Auto-Reconnect

SSH connections automatically re-establish if they drop. Wake from sleep and keep working.

Query Logging

Log every query for debugging and auditing. See exactly what SQL your GUI tool sends under the hood.

Works with the tools you already use

Any database GUI that connects to PostgreSQL works with Remote SQLite. No plugins or extensions needed.

Database GUI Tools

TablePlus

DBeaver

DataGrip

Postico

pgAdmin

Beekeeper Studio

+ any PostgreSQL client

Hosting Providers

Fly.io (native)

Hetzner

DigitalOcean

AWS EC2

Railway

Render

+ any SSH server

Frameworks

Laravel

Ruby on Rails

Django

Phoenix

SvelteKit

Go / Rust / Node

+ any SQLite app

See it in action

A native macOS app that lives in your menu bar. Always accessible, never in the way.

Remote SQLite menu bar dropdown showing active database connections
Manage all your connections from the menu bar. Hit play, open TablePlus, you're in.
TablePlus connected to a remote SQLite database via Remote SQLite, browsing production data
Browse your remote SQLite database in TablePlus like it's local.

Developers love it

What early users are saying about Remote SQLite.

“I almost switched back to Postgres just for TablePlus access. Remote SQLite saved my stack.”

Marcus Chen

Backend Engineer

“I deploy every app on Fly.io with SQLite. This was the one tool I was missing.”

Sarah Bennett

Indie Developer

“The read-only mode is exactly what I needed for connecting AI agents to production data safely.”

Diego Ramirez

ML Engineer

One price. Yours forever.

Try free for 7 days. No subscriptions. No monthly fees.

Remote SQLite

macOS Menu Bar App

$50

one-time, after a free 7-day trial

Download Free Trial

No credit card required. macOS 13+.

  • One-time purchase — not a subscription
  • All current and future features included
  • Free updates for the current major version
  • Per device license
  • Signed and notarized by Apple

Pay once, use it forever. No monthly fees. No yearly renewals.

Articles

Guides, tutorials, and insights about SQLite in production.

View all articles

Questions? Answers.

What database GUI tools does Remote SQLite work with?
Any tool that can connect to PostgreSQL. This includes TablePlus, DBeaver, DataGrip, Postico, pgAdmin, Beekeeper Studio, DbVisualizer, and many others. If it can connect to Postgres, it can connect through Remote SQLite.

How does it work technically?
Remote SQLite runs a local TCP server that speaks the PostgreSQL wire protocol. When your database tool sends a query, Remote SQLite translates it from PostgreSQL syntax to SQLite-compatible SQL, sends it to your remote server over a persistent SSH connection, parses the results, and sends them back in PostgreSQL format. Your tool never knows the difference.

What's the query performance like?
Queries typically return in about 85 milliseconds over a persistent SSH connection. This is possible because Remote SQLite maintains a long-lived SSH session rather than opening a new connection for each query. Without this optimization, each query would take 3-4 seconds.

Does it work with Fly.io?
Yes. Fly.io has first-class support. Remote SQLite can connect via fly ssh console using your Fly CLI authentication. Just enter your Fly.io app name and the path to your SQLite database file.

Can I connect to multiple databases at once?
Yes. Each connection gets its own local port. You can have as many connections as you need running simultaneously, each pointed at a different remote SQLite database.

What is read-only mode?
When read-only mode is enabled for a connection, Remote SQLite blocks all write operations (INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and DDL statements). Only SELECT, PRAGMA, EXPLAIN, and SHOW queries are allowed through. This is useful when connecting AI agents, LLMs, or other automated tools that should be able to read data but never modify it.

Is this a subscription?
No. Remote SQLite is a one-time purchase of $50. You pay once and own it forever — no monthly fees, yearly renewals, or usage limits. Every download includes a free 7-day trial, so you can try it before you decide. When you're ready to upgrade, do it right inside the app.

Is it secure?
Yes. All connections go over SSH (encrypted in transit). Credentials are stored in the macOS Keychain (encrypted at rest). The proxy only listens on localhost. The app is code-signed and notarized by Apple. No ports are opened on the remote server.

Stop SSH'ing. Start browsing.

Your remote SQLite databases deserve a real GUI. Get Remote SQLite and connect your favorite database tool in under a minute.

Download for macOS

Free 7-day trial. $50 one-time after. macOS 13+.