Adminer Looks Like 2005
Adminer works, but the UI is painful. No dark mode, no AI, no modern features. Just a PHP script from another era.
Adminer is ugly. pgAdmin is heavy. QueryGlow is the modern, lightweight container that completes your dev stack—with AI, web-based access, and beautiful UI.
Adminer is free but ancient. pgAdmin is free but heavy. QueryGlow: $79 once. Modern, lightweight, AI-powered.
You've got a beautiful containerized stack... and then Adminer from 2005.
Adminer works, but the UI is painful. No dark mode, no AI, no modern features. Just a PHP script from another era.
pgAdmin in Docker consumes 1-2GB of RAM. Your laptop fan spins up. Your other containers starve for resources.
Need to switch between Postgres and MySQL? You need two different tools. QueryGlow handles 6 databases in one UI.
Docker containers run headless. You need a web UI to reach your database from any device. Most tools require desktop installs instead.
Clone, add to compose, build, done.
services:
# Your existing database
postgres:
image: postgres:16
environment:
POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
volumes:
- postgres-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
# Add QueryGlow - the modern GUI
queryglow:
build: ./queryglow # Path to cloned repo
ports:
- "3000:3000"
environment:
- SESSION_SECRET=${SESSION_SECRET}
- DATA_DIR=/app/data
volumes:
- queryglow-data:/app/data
depends_on:
- postgres
volumes:
postgres-data:
queryglow-data:Step 1
git clone queryglow
Step 2
Add to docker-compose.yml
Step 3
docker compose up --build
| Feature | Adminer | pgAdmin | QueryGlow |
|---|---|---|---|
| UI Design | Early 2000s PHP | Functional but dated | Modern web-based UI |
| Memory Usage | ~50MB | 1-2GB | 512MB-1GB |
| Database Support | Many databases | PostgreSQL only | 6 databases |
| AI SQL Generation | None | None | OpenAI, Claude, Gemini |
| Safe Mode | None | None | Blocks DROP, limits queries |
| Dark Mode | No | Yes | Yes |
| SSH Tunnels | No (needs external) | Yes | Yes (paste private key) |
| CSV Import | Basic | Yes | INSERT/UPSERT/REPLACE |
| Credential Encryption | None | Optional | AES-256-GCM always |
| Price | Free | Free | $79 once |
Adminer
Early 2000s PHP
pgAdmin
Functional but dated
QueryGlow
Modern web-based UI
Adminer
~50MB
pgAdmin
1-2GB
QueryGlow
512MB-1GB
Adminer
Many databases
pgAdmin
PostgreSQL only
QueryGlow
6 databases
Adminer
None
pgAdmin
None
QueryGlow
OpenAI, Claude, Gemini
Adminer
None
pgAdmin
None
QueryGlow
Blocks DROP, limits queries
Adminer
No
pgAdmin
Yes
QueryGlow
Yes
Adminer
No (needs external)
pgAdmin
Yes
QueryGlow
Yes (paste private key)
Adminer
Basic
pgAdmin
Yes
QueryGlow
INSERT/UPSERT/REPLACE
Adminer
None
pgAdmin
Optional
QueryGlow
AES-256-GCM always
Adminer
Free
pgAdmin
Free
QueryGlow
$79 once
Honest note: Adminer and pgAdmin are free. QueryGlow is $79. If you just need basic access and don't care about UI, Safe Mode, or AI—the free tools work fine. QueryGlow is for developers who value a great experience.
512MB RAM minimum. No Java, no bloat. Starts instantly. Your laptop fan stays quiet.
Connect to other containers by service name. Use host.docker.internal for host databases.
Run dev, staging, and production on the same server. Deploy script auto-finds available ports.
Describe what you want in English. Get working SQL. Supports OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini.
Access your Docker databases from any device with a browser. No desktop app needed—just open a URL.
All saved connections encrypted with AES-256-GCM. Even if someone reads your volume, passwords are safe.
Use the Docker service name as the hostname.
Host: postgresPort: 5432For databases running on your host machine (not in Docker).
Host: host.docker.internalPort: 5432Try the live demo first. No signup, no credit card. If it clicks, grab a lifetime license for $79.