PounceSQL

Documentation

PounceSQL is a native macOS SQL client for Azure SQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and SQLite, with an AI assistant and a built-in MCP server.

Install

Homebrew (recommended):

brew install --cask senzalldev/tap/pouncesql

Upgrade later with brew upgrade --cask pouncesql.

Direct download: grab the latest .dmg from the releases page, open it, and drag PounceSQL into Applications. The app is Developer-ID signed and notarized, so it opens without a Gatekeeper prompt.

Requirements: macOS 13+ (Apple Silicon).

First run

Launch PounceSQL and click + Add in the left panel to connect your first database. The Add connection wizard has a tab for each engine — pick the one you need. Once connected, databases appear in the tree on the left; expand them to browse schemas, tables, and columns.

Azure SQL

Azure SQL uses your Azure CLI session — no passwords are stored.

  1. Install the CLI: brew install azure-cli
  2. Sign in: az login (or click the account chip in the title bar).
  3. In the wizard's Azure SQL tab, browse your subscriptions → servers → databases and pick one to pin.

SQL Server (2017–2025+)

Connect to local or domain-joined SQL Server. In the wizard's SQL Server tab, enter the server (host, host:1433, or host\instance) and choose an authentication mode:

  • SQL Server login — username + password.
  • Windows / domain (NTLM) — DOMAIN\user + password. Works from a Mac that isn't domain-joined.
  • Kerberos (SSO — no password) — click Get Kerberos ticket to run kinit; your password is entered at the OS prompt and never stored in PounceSQL. Requires an MSSQLSvc SPN registered for the server.

Pin the whole server to browse every database it hosts, or add a single database directly.

PostgreSQL

In the PostgreSQL tab, enter the server (host or host:5432), your role, and password, then pick an SSL mode (Prefer / Require / Disable). Click Connect & List Databases to pin the whole server (browse every database) or add one database directly.

SQLite

In the SQLite tab, click Browse… and pick a .db / .sqlite file. No server or login is needed — PounceSQL opens the file and lists its tables.

Browsing & queries

  • Expand a database to see tables and views; expand a table to see its columns (primary keys and nullability marked).
  • Double-click a table to preview its rows.
  • Right-click a table for actions — Select Top N, Row Count, Describe Schema, List Columns, Show Indexes — each generated in the correct dialect for the engine (LIMIT vs TOP, etc.).
  • Filter box searches databases and tables, including databases nested under a server.
  • Run queries with F5 or ⌘↵. Results appear in the grid below; multiple query tabs are supported.

AI assistant

Open the AI panel (the robot icon by Run, or the panel on the right) and ask in plain English. The assistant is grounded in the schema you're connected to and writes SQL in the correct dialect for the engine. Configure a provider in Settings → AI Provider — bring your own API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Azure OpenAI) or use an AI API gateway.

AI API gateway

If your organization fronts LLM access with an OAuth2 gateway, go to Settings → AI API GW, paste (or import) the credentials JSON, and click Test Gateway & Discover Models to verify and list available models. Secrets are stored only in the encrypted local settings file.

MCP server

PounceSQL runs a local Model Context Protocol server so agents like Claude Code can drive it. In Settings → MCP Server you'll find the SSE endpoint (http://127.0.0.1:7457/sse) and a one-line command to add it:

claude mcp add --transport sse pouncesql http://127.0.0.1:7457/sse

Agents can then list databases, run queries, browse schema, and read logs — and you watch the actions happen live in the app. Writes are blocked unless you enable them in Settings → Tools.

Themes & fonts

Settings → Themes offers a dozen editor themes (One Dark, Dracula, Monokai, Nord, Tokyo Night, Light, and more). Settings → Fonts lets you choose separate fonts for the interface and the editor, and set independent sizes for the editor, the tree/lists, the results grid, and the UI. Quick A− / A+ buttons in the tree header adjust the list size on the fly.

Security

  • All connection secrets are stored only in an encrypted local settings file (AES-256-GCM); the key lives in your login keychain.
  • The AI assistant and MCP server are read-only by default — writes (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE/DDL) require explicitly enabling them in Settings → Tools.
  • Azure SQL uses your az login session; Kerberos uses a ticket — neither stores a password.