usql — Universal Command-Line SQL Client for Every Database

Introduction

usql is a universal command-line SQL client inspired by psql. It provides a single binary that connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDB, and over 40 other database engines using a consistent URL-based connection string format. Instead of installing and learning separate CLI tools for each database, developers use one tool with familiar readline editing, tab completion, and backslash meta-commands across all supported engines.

What usql Does

• Connects to 40+ database engines through a unified URL connection string syntax
• Provides psql-style backslash commands (d, dt, di, l) that work across databases
• Supports readline-based editing with tab completion for tables and columns
• Outputs query results in multiple formats: aligned, CSV, JSON, HTML, and vertical
• Executes SQL scripts from files with variable substitution and conditional logic

Architecture Overview

usql is a single Go binary that dynamically loads database drivers at compile time. Each connection URL scheme (postgres://, mysql://, sqlite://) maps to the appropriate Go database/sql driver. The shell layer wraps the driver with readline support, backslash command parsing, and output formatting. Metadata introspection commands are translated to the appropriate INFORMATION_SCHEMA or catalog queries for each engine.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install a single static binary with no runtime dependencies
• Set USQL_DSN environment variable for a default connection
• Configure .usqlrc for startup commands, prompt format, and output preferences
• Use copy to import and export CSV data across different database types
• Pass -c for non-interactive single-command execution in scripts

Key Features

• One binary replaces psql, mysql, sqlite3, sqlcmd, and dozens of other clients
• Consistent backslash commands for schema introspection across all engines
• Copy data between different database types with copy
• Syntax highlighting and auto-completion in the interactive shell
• Supports ODBC and ADODB for connecting to any database with a driver

Comparison with Similar Tools

• psql — PostgreSQL only; usql covers 40+ databases with similar UX
• mycli / pgcli — single-database CLIs with rich auto-complete; usql trades depth for breadth
• DBeaver — full GUI client; usql is terminal-native and scriptable
• dbcli — Python-based per-database CLIs; usql is a single Go binary for all
• DataGrip — commercial IDE; usql is free, lightweight, and shell-friendly

FAQ

Q: Which databases does usql support? A: Over 40 engines including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SQL Server, Oracle, CockroachDB, Cassandra, MongoDB, Snowflake, BigQuery, ClickHouse, and more.

Q: Can I use usql in scripts? A: Yes. Use usql -c "SELECT ..." postgres://... for one-shot queries, or pipe SQL files with usql postgres://... < script.sql.

Q: Does it support SSH tunneling? A: usql itself does not handle SSH tunneling, but you can use standard SSH port forwarding and connect to the forwarded local port.

Q: How do I switch output format? A: Use pset format csv or pset format json to change the output format within a session.

Sources

• https://github.com/xo/usql
• https://github.com/xo/usql#database-support