Introducing SQEEL: A Fast, Vim-Native SQL Client in Rust

published: 2026-04-24

tags: [ #rust, #cli, #sql, #vim, #tui, #gui, #database, #open source, #sqeel ]

Every SQL client I tried eventually annoyed me. DBeaver hauls a JVM. TablePlus is closed-source. The Electron crowd burns 500MB of RAM to show a grid. I wanted something that starts instantly, lives in the terminal, and respects my muscle memory. So I built one.

Meet SQEEL.

What is SQEEL? ⚡

SQEEL is a fast, vim-native SQL client written in Rust. No Electron. No JVM. It ships two binaries from one workspace:

sqeel — a terminal UI built on ratatui
sqeel-gui — a native GUI built on iced

Same core, same keybindings, same config. Pick the one your mood wants today.

Features

Native Rust — instant startup, single binary
Vim bindings first class, not an afterthought
Mouse support in every pane (even in the TUI)
MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite via sqlx
tree-sitter SQL syntax highlighting, dialect-aware
LSP integration with sqls for completions and inline diagnostic underlines
Schema browser — click or hjkl to expand/collapse
Editor tabs with lazy loading and 5-minute RAM eviction
Auto-save SQL buffers, result history, query history
tmux-aware pane navigation — Ctrl+HJKL crosses tmux panes cleanly
Vim status bar and command mode (:q, :w, all the muscle memory)

Layout

┌──────────┬─────────────────────────────┐
│          │  [tab1] [tab2]              │
│  Schema  │         Editor              │
│  (15%)   │         (85%)               │
│          │                             │
│          ├─────────────────────────────┤
│          │         Results             │
│          │      (shows on query)       │
└──────────┴─────────────────────────────┘

Results hide when empty so the editor fills the right pane. Run a query and the results pane expands to 50%. Dismiss with q and you're back to full-size editing. No wasted pixels.

Connections as Files

Every connection is one TOML file in ~/.config/sqeel/conns/. Filename becomes the display name.

# ~/.config/sqeel/conns/prod.toml
url = "postgres://user:pass@host/db"

# ~/.config/sqeel/conns/local.toml
url = "mysql://localhost/mydb"

Drop a file in, it shows up in the connection switcher (<leader>c). Version control it, symlink it, rsync it between machines. No proprietary blob.

The Vim Bit

If you already live in vim, you already know how to drive SQEEL. i to insert, Esc to normal, v for visual, : for command mode, / to search. Leader key (default Space) opens the fun stuff:

Key	Action
`<leader>c`	Connection switcher
`<leader>n`	New scratch tab
`<leader>r`	Rename current tab
`<leader>d`	Delete tab (confirm)
`<leader><leader>`	Fuzzy file picker

Running a query is Ctrl+Enter for the statement under the cursor, or Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run every statement in the buffer.

LSP-Powered Autocomplete

Point editor.lsp_binary at sqls and you get schema-aware completions, hover docs, and inline diagnostic underlines — the same machinery your editor already uses, wired into the SQL editor pane. No bespoke completion engine to maintain, no magic.

Two UIs, One Core

The workspace splits cleanly:

sqeel-core/   # state, DB, query runner, schema, config
sqeel-tui/    # ratatui terminal provider
sqeel-gui/    # iced native GUI provider
sqeel/        # binaries: sqeel + sqeel-gui

All the logic — connections, schema, query execution, history, eviction — lives in sqeel-core. The TUI and GUI are thin providers that render the same state. Fix a bug in the core, both UIs benefit. Want a web provider next? Drop in another crate.

Why Rust?

Same reasons as always: performance, single-binary distribution, and sqlx. SQEEL opens instantly, connects to a real production database without a JVM warming up, and fits in a cargo install one-liner. No runtime to manage, no package manager to fight.

How to Get It 📦

cargo install --git https://github.com/sqeel-sql/sqeel --bin sqeel
cargo install --git https://github.com/sqeel-sql/sqeel --bin sqeel-gui

Or clone and build:

git clone https://github.com/sqeel-sql/sqeel
cd sqeel
cargo build --release

Binaries land in target/release/sqeel and target/release/sqeel-gui.

Final Thoughts

SQEEL started the way most of my tools do — I was annoyed at something, and a weekend later there was a prototype. It's now my daily driver for every database I touch. If you live in vim, write a lot of SQL, and resent every Electron SQL client you've ever opened, give it a spin. Issues and PRs welcome at github.com/sqeel-sql/sqeel. 🍻