Oracle Database remains a global leader in database management, valued for its power and enterprise-level features. It is often the default choice for managing large databases and handling complex transactions, despite its complexity and cost.
Effective tools for working with Oracle Database can significantly ease the workload for specialists. Both Oracle Corporation and various third-party vendors have developed a range of solutions designed for diverse database-related tasks in Oracle environments. This article reviews the most popular and effective tools, from robust, multi-featured IDEs to specialized solutions for specific tasks.
We have picked the following tools for our examination:
- Oracle SQL Developer – the only official Oracle Database client created and supported by Oracle Corporation.
- dbForge Studio for Oracle – a comprehensive integrated development environment for all tasks in Oracle Database
- Navicat for Oracle – a cross-platform solution for handling database development tasks in Oracle
- dbForge Data Generator for Oracle – a specialized tool for producing high-quality test data
- Toad for Oracle – an advanced IDE for Oracle Database with high security and teamwork capacities
- dbForge Documenter for Oracle – a professional tool for creating comprehensive database documentation
- PL/SQL Developer – a popular software solution for working with Oracle PL/SQL stored program units
- dbForge Schema Compare for Oracle – a tool for the most precise and flexible schema comparison in Oracle
- DataGrip for Oracle – a smart cross-platform IDE for database management in Oracle
- dbForge Data Compare for Oracle – a dedicated solution for table data comparison and syncing
- How to choose the right Oracle tool – some helpful tips on choosing the most suitable solution
Let’s start.
Oracle SQL Developer
Official Oracle Database client, created and supported by Oracle Corporation
Pricing: Free
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Oracle SQL Developer is the primary client software for Oracle Database, developed and supported directly by Oracle Corporation. As the official tool, it provides full support for all Oracle versions, both on-premises and in the cloud, with regular updates and patches from the vendor.
It is a cross-platform product available for Windows, Linux, and macOS, offering a wide range of database development and management features. These include PL/SQL coding, data migration, database administration, visual tools for database design and query building, and more.
Pros:
- Context-aware code auto-completion
- Data reporting
- Version control integration
- Unit testing for PL/SQL entities
- Reverse and forward engineering
- User management and performance monitoring
- Database backup and recovery
- Migration of third-party databases to Oracle
- Multi-language graphical user interface
Cons:
- High resource consumption
- Steep learning curve with limited documentation
dbForge Studio for Oracle
Comprehensive integrated development environment for all tasks related to Oracle Database
Trial: 30 days (full functionality)
Pricing: subscription-based license from $149.95/year, perpetual license from $299.95
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
dbForge Studio for Oracle is a powerful IDE designed specifically for Oracle Database, offering a multitude of features that is often not found in other solutions. It supports all modern Oracle versions, both on-premises and in the cloud, and provides complete database development, management, and administration functionality.
The primary goal of dbForge Studio for Oracle is to minimize manual effort by automating routine tasks, speeding up processes through its visual interface, and ensuring faster and more precise task execution. Although developed as a Windows-native application, it runs on Linux and macOS via Wine or CrossOver.
Pros:
- Code auto-completion, formatting, debugging, syntax validation, and more
- Database schema and data comparison and synchronization
- Visual Query Builder for easy, no-code query creation
- Data migration with support for up to 14 file formats
- Unlimited test data generation
- Automated database documentation
- User management tools
- Task automation via CLI
- Comprehensive product documentation
- Extensive learning resources, including video tutorials
- Free Express edition with basic functionality
Cons:
- Limited features in the free Express edition
- No native cross-platform compatibility
- GUI is available only in English
Download dbForge Studio for Oracle
Navicat for Oracle
Cross-platform solution for handling database development tasks in Oracle
Trial: 14 days
Pricing: subscription-based license from $20.99/month, perpetual license from $399
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Navicat for Oracle is one of the most popular GUI-based solutions for database development and administration in Oracle Database. It is compatible with both on-premise systems and cloud platforms, enhancing users’ capabilities in doing tasks related to data management, database design, data migration, database comparing and synchronization, query building, and many other areas. Overall, Navicat provides Oracle specialists with all features to efficiently handle databases, servers, and user accounts.
Pros:
- Robust SQL coding and editing
- Advanced connection management
- Collaborative tools for teamwork
- Data analysis with charts and dashboards
- Server security management
- Connection settings and queries synchronization
- Intuitive data modeling
- Data transfer across databases
- Test data generator
- Automated task scheduling
Cons:
- Limited functionality in Query Builder
- Limited features in lower editions
- Lack of learning resources and documentation
- Short trial period
dbForge Data Generator for Oracle
Specialized tool for producing high-quality test data
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: subscription-based license from $169.95/year, perpetual license from $329.95
dbForge Data Generator for Oracle is a standalone tool for filling Oracle tables with realistic test data. With a variety of basic and predefined generators, this solution provides high-quality test data of any required type and volume.
Data Generator supports essential column data types while maintaining data integrity through foreign key, trigger, and check constraint support. Its user-friendly graphical interface and flexible configuration options enable easy and precise task configuration for each column. Additionally, all tasks can be automated and scheduled via the command line.
Pros:
- Over 200 predefined data generators
- Custom generators for diverse categories
- Inter-column dependency support
- Editable data generation templates
- Command-line automation for tasks
Cons:
- Limited to data generation functionality
- GUI is available exclusively in English
Download dbForge Data Generator for Oracle
Toad for Oracle
Advanced IDE for Oracle Database with high security and teamwork capacities
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: from $625/year
Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Created by Quest Software, renowned for its secure, professional data tools, Toad for Oracle is highly valued by users for its ability to simplify and automate database management, boosting overall productivity.
Toad for Oracle is a robust database management tool designed for developers, administrators, and analysts. It offers a versatile suite of features, from coding support to DevOps, aimed at optimizing workflows, reducing code defects, enhancing output quality, improving security, and enabling team collaboration.
Pros:
- Coding assistance, including code analysis, debugging, and snippets
- Visual query building, analysis, and optimization
- Code reviewing
- Database schema and data comparison and synchronization
- Data modeling with reverse engineering
- Data import and export
- Test data generation
- Source control integration
- Database administration
- Automated PL/SQL unit testing
- Task automation
Cons:
- High cost
- Complex, less intuitive UI
- High resource usage in query optimization
dbForge Documenter for Oracle
Professional tool for creating comprehensive database documentation
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: subscription-based license from $89.95/year, perpetual license from $169.95
dbForge Documenter for Oracle is a visual tool designed to simplify the creation of comprehensive database documentation. It efficiently manages databases of any size or complexity, automatically generating documentation in multiple formats (HTML, PDF, and Markdown) for easy navigation and object search.
This tool provides a detailed view of the entire database structure, covering all Oracle schema objects along with their properties, inter-object dependencies, and scripts. The schema view is organized in a tree-like format for clarity, while style templates allow users to customize the layout to fit their preferences.
Pros:
- Flexible settings to include or exclude specific objects or object groups
- Option to add or edit descriptions for Oracle schema objects
- Quick object search capability
- Automated generation via the command-line interface
Cons:
- The functionality is limited to documentation tasks only
- GUI is available exclusively in English
Download dbForge Documenter for Oracle
PL/SQL Developer
Popular software solution for working with Oracle PL/SQL stored program units
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: permanent license from $243 per user
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
PL/SQL Developer is a professional IDE for Oracle that comprises a full set of features for developing, testing, and debugging stored program units (applications, triggers, packages, etc.).
The software delivers robust functionality in a user-friendly interface. With advanced coding assistance, integration with version control systems, data analysis and reporting, and more, PL/SQL Developer stands out as a versatile and reliable tool that helps its users to boost performance significantly.
Pros:
- Unicode-compliant PL/SQL editor with powerful functionality
- Integrated debugger and code formatter
- Test Manager for efficient regression testing
- Tree-view Object Browser for accessing object info
- Connection management for multiple connections
- Graphical Query Builder for creating and editing statements
- SQL and PL/SQL performance optimization tools
- Built-in data reporting capabilities
- Database schema comparison and synchronization
Cons:
- Requires an additional plugin for version control
- Complex and non-intuitive interface
- Limited documentation and learning resources available
dbForge Schema Compare for Oracle
Handy tool for the most precise and flexible schema comparison in Oracle
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: subscription-based license from $119.95/year, perpetual license from $229.95
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (5 out of 5 when it is a part of dbForge Compare Bundle for Oracle)
dbForge Schema Compare for Oracle is a standalone tool for comparing and synchronizing Oracle database schemas. It supports live databases, script folders, snapshots, and backups, efficiently detecting all differences between databases, and providing detailed reports.
The tool enables easy synchronization, allowing users to deploy changes across production and staging environments. With its intuitive visual UI, convenient wizards, and flexible configuration options, users can easily set up and run comparison and synchronization tasks. Additionally, it integrates well into DevOps workflows.
Pros:
- In-depth database analysis for accurate comparison
- Comparison of Oracle table structures
- Manual or automated schema synchronization
- Flexible synchronization options (single differences, groups, or all discrepancies)
- Reusable synchronization scripts
- Detailed discrepancy reports in HTML and Excel
- Automation of comparison and sync tasks via the command line
Cons:
- Limited to schema comparison and synchronization (data comparison and synchronization are available in Compare Bundle for Oracle)
- Requires a paid license
Download dbForge Schema Compare for Oracle
DataGrip
Smart cross-platform IDE for Oracle database management
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: subscription-based, from $9.90 per month
Rating: 4.6 out of 5
DataGrip is a versatile, subscription-based IDE designed to support a range of database tasks. It equips Oracle developers, administrators, and analysts with numerous integrated tools helping work with PL/SQL queries and efficiently manage database objects.
This software is popular for its highly customizable interface with multiple UI skins, enabling users to tailor the looks to their preferences, hide unnecessary elements, and arrange features and options for easy access. DataGrip also offers intelligent PL/SQL coding assistance, code editing and debugging tools, visual database design capabilities, database connection management, and many other features.
Pros:
- Advanced SQL auto-completion and code editing
- Visual database designer for tables and views
- Visual query analysis and optimization
- Data viewing and editing
- User management
- A variety of plugins for extended functionality
- Comprehensive documentation with tutorials
Cons:
- Limited features compared to some advanced IDEs
- High resource consumption
- Lacks database administration features
dbForge Data Compare for Oracle
Dedicated solution for table data comparison and synchronization
Trial: 30 days
Pricing: subscription-based license from $119.95/year, perpetual license from $229.95
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 (5 out of 5 when it is a part of dbForge Compare Bundle for Oracle)
dbForge Data Compare for Oracle is a standalone tool for comparing and synchronizing data between Oracle tables. It helps users quickly identify data differences and deploy changes across supported platforms.
The tool supports all Oracle versions from 9i to 23c and allows data comparison across tables, views, materialized views, and custom queries, even in databases with different structures. After comparison, users can synchronize data with flexible options, seamlessly applying changes from development to staging or production.
Pros:
- Flexible comparison settings, with options to exclude objects individually or by mask
- Detailed analysis of data differences
- Customizable synchronization settings to deploy individual changes, grouped changes, or all at once
- Automated generation and reusable storage of synchronization scripts
- CLI-based automation for data comparison tasks
- Comprehensive reporting of data differences in HTML and Excel formats
Cons:
- Limited functionality to data comparison and synchronization only (schema comparison and synchronization are available in Compare Bundle for Oracle)
- No monthly subscription option
Download dbForge Data Compare for Oracle
How to choose the right Oracle tool
To help Oracle Database specialists select the right tools, several key factors should be considered:
Functionality
Clarify your objectives and daily tasks, and ensure the tools you’re considering can fully support these needs. And of course, it’s always better to find a single solution that has everything you need in one place.
Compatibility
Ensure compatibility with your current setup and flexibility to adapt to future environments, including various Oracle versions, whether on-premise or in the cloud, across different operating systems.
Simplicity
Consider software with an intuitive, customizable interface that simplifies the configuration and execution of tasks.
Vendor Support
Opt for tools backed by reliable vendor support, including comprehensive documentation and personalized help across multiple channels.
Price
Pricing flexibility is crucial, with options like subscriptions or perpetual licenses and trials allowing you to evaluate before committing.
Conclusion
Given the prominence of Oracle in the database management landscape, there is a strong demand for effective tools. Fortunately, a range of high-quality solutions is available to meet the needs of Oracle specialists.
In this article, we have reviewed some of the most popular and highly functional software tools for Oracle Database. One notable option is dbForge Studio for Oracle, which offers a wide range of features for standard Oracle tasks. It can save you significant time and costs and comes with a fully functional 30-day free trial. Download the trial to experience how it can improve your workflows.
