SQLite viewers on Mac and Windows: a practical checklist
Try your SQLite viewer with a real database copy on the computer you’ll use every day. Open a table, apply a filter and export a small result. Check the platform details too: Mac and Windows builds can have different features.
Check the platform first
plainDB requires macOS 14.4 or later, Apple silicon, or Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11, 64-bit. Windows builds are tested on a Windows CI runner; physical-PC acceptance testing remains pending. If you use an older Mac, check its macOS version before downloading.
DB Browser for SQLite’s official download page is another starting point. Select the package for your system and check its requirements. An Apple silicon machine and an Intel Mac are different installation targets; do not assume an M1 keyword guarantees compatibility with every app version.
Use the same evaluation file
Prepare a consistent copy with a few tables, a view, an index and representative text values. Avoid a live application file for a first comparison. Open the copy read-only, inspect the table definitions, then confirm the viewer has not created an empty file elsewhere.
Run a small query whose expected answer you know. For example, in an illustrative notes table, select an exact ID and compare the shown text with the original application. This catches misunderstandings about a table’s purpose more effectively than browsing thousands of rows.
Test the details that change daily work
- Can you see long text without resizing every column?
- Can filters distinguish NULL from an empty string?
- Does sorting remain predictable between pages?
- Is the filename or environment obvious before an edit?
- Can you inspect CREATE statements and indexes?
Check export differences explicitly
In plainDB, Windows table exports can fetch all matching rows. Mac table exports can fetch all rows matching current filters. Query-result exports use fetched results on both platforms. Count the exported records before treating a file as complete.
CSV import and additional schema tools are implemented on both platforms; the feature matrix is the current reference. A desktop SQLite viewer is not automatically a backup or recovery tool.
Continue with opening SQLite, making a consistent backup or the DB4S workflow.