Harlequin
Terminal-native SQL IDE built for DuckDB and beyond.
About
Harlequin is a terminal-based SQL IDE, often described as DBeaver for the terminal with the snappiness of htop. It offers a multi-buffer editor with syntax highlighting and auto-format, a browsable data catalog of schemas, tables, and types, a scrollable result grid with CSV and Parquet export, and multiple query tabs with simultaneous connections.
DuckDB is the default adapter so harlequin with no arguments spins up an in-memory analytical engine instantly, and a plugin architecture adds adapters for Postgres, MySQL, Snowflake, BigQuery, Trino, and others as ordinary Python packages. The newest positioning pitches hsql, the companion SQL client, as agent-friendly, riding the wave of terminal-first data tooling.
What it can do
- Terminal SQL IDE with catalog browser
- DuckDB and SQLite adapters built in
- Plugin adapters for major warehouses
- CSV and Parquet result export
- Remappable keys and dozens of themes
Setup
uv tool install harlequin or pipx install harlequin; run harlequin to open an in-memory DuckDB session.
Prerequisites
Python 3.9+; optional database credentials for non-DuckDB adapters.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 7/10
Scored 7/10 (metrics tier, metrics-v1). Evidence: Verified via vendor site/docs/GitHub and reputable coverage, wave 90; Trending score 68/100 from researcher assessment.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.