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dbcli/pgcli

A Postgres command-line client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting, an alternative to the stock psql shell.

Open-source alternative to:psql

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What is it?

pgcli is an interactive command-line client for PostgreSQL. It suggests SQL keywords, table names and column names as you type, and highlights syntax in the query prompt, which makes writing and exploring queries in a terminal faster than with the plain psql shell.

Completion is context-aware by default. After FROM it offers only table names, and after WHERE it offers column names. Results are pretty-printed as tables, and the tool supports common psql backslash commands alongside its own options. Connections can be made with a database name or a full postgresql:// URL, and it honors standard PG* environment variables and SSL settings.

The project is built on prompt_toolkit and Pygments and is installed as a Python package via pip, pipx or uvx, with Homebrew and Debian/Ubuntu packages also available. It can also be run in Docker or launched inside an IPython session through the ipython-sql magic.

Key features

  • 01Auto-completes SQL keywords, tables and columns as you type.
  • 02Context-sensitive completion, such as only tables after FROM.
  • 03Syntax highlighting for queries in the terminal.
  • 04Pretty-prints tabular query results.
  • 05Supports common psql backslash commands and standard PG* environment variables.
  • 06Configurable via a config file created at ~/.config/pgcli/config.

Use cases

  • Writing and debugging SQL queries against a Postgres database from the terminal.
  • Exploring an unfamiliar schema by browsing table and column names through completion.
  • Connecting to Postgres over SSL or via DSN aliases in a daily workflow.
  • Running pgcli inside IPython to keep query results in a Python session.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install pgcli with pip

    pip install -U pgcli
  2. 2

    Connect to a database by name

    pgcli [database_name]

Things to know

  • Requires a local Postgres installation when installed via pip.
  • Some Linux and macOS install paths depend on distribution or Homebrew packages.

In collections

CLI & terminal toolsDatabases & SQL tools

Topics

#postgres#postgresql#cli#sql#database-client#autocompletion#terminal#database#psql#python

FAQ

What is pgcli?
A Postgres command-line client with auto-completion and syntax highlighting, an alternative to the stock psql shell. pgcli is an interactive command-line client for PostgreSQL. It suggests SQL keywords, table names and column names as you type, and highlights syntax in the query prompt, which makes writing and exploring queries in a terminal faster than with the plain psql shell.
Is pgcli free to use? What license does it have?
pgcli is open source under the BSD-3-Clause license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is pgcli still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to pgcli was on Oct 15, 2026.
What can I use pgcli for?
Writing and debugging SQL queries against a Postgres database from the terminal. Exploring an unfamiliar schema by browsing table and column names through completion. Connecting to Postgres over SSL or via DSN aliases in a daily workflow. Running pgcli inside IPython to keep query results in a Python session.
How do I install pgcli?
Install pgcli with pip: pip install -U pgcli Connect to a database by name: pgcli [database_name]
Where can I get pgcli?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/dbcli/pgcli

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