Whether you’re a database administrator or a jack-of-all-trades sysadmin, Oracle databases can be tricky to manage and monitor. In this article, we’ll dive into seven of the best database tools you can use to manage your Oracle database.
Here are the best Oracle database tools:
- SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer For medium to large-sized organizations that need to improve their coding efficiency, speed up projects, and automate their reporting or troubleshooting tasks.
- RazorSQL Built-in efficiency tools and customizable dashboards.
- dbForge Studio for Oracle Features Code Refactoring to speed up the development and testing process.
- Navicat Features cloud-based team collaboration between databases.
- Toad Built-in health database health checker with reporting.
- Dbwatch Suited for larger development teams with multi-tiered pricing.
- MyOra A completely free lightweight database monitor.
The best Oracle database tools
1. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) is a high-level cross-platform tool to help database administrators and MSPs closely monitor the performance of their most important Oracle-based databases. At its core, you can pull up the real-time status of your database or quickly toggle to your historical metrics from the past.
Why do we recommend it?
With real-time status updates and access to historical metrics, SolarWinds DPA empowers users to keep a close eye on their Oracle-based databases. Its robust backend collects data at a granular level and utilizes anomaly detection, ensuring potential performance issues are identified and addressed proactively. DPA also offers valuable wait-time analysis and query optimization features, including tuning advisors, which guide users in optimizing their databases. By focusing on query and table optimization, DPA helps maintain optimal response times, making it a highly recommended tool for organizations prioritizing database performance.
The backend of the monitoring system collects data down to the nearest second and leverages anomaly detection to bring potentially problematic activity to your attention before it causes any downtime. Anomaly detection is designed to work even better over time as it learns the normal ranges and average response times of your different databases.
Wait-time analysis works in conjunction with anomaly detection to help you visualize specific elements of your Oracle database that may need your attention. SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer focuses on query and table optimization to help improve and maintain ideal response time. This includes built-in tuning advisors to help guide you towards corrective action for the problems that it detects. The tuning advisor helps highlight indexing opportunities, inefficient query structures, and further optimizations based on how your users are querying for data.
Under the Performance tab, you can sort both and monitor the metrics for your database server, as well as the database itself. You can sort key data by the highest wait time, upward wait time trends, and physical resource utilization through an intuitive reporting feature. SolarWinds DPA puts you in a proactive state, so you can focus more on optimizations, and less on putting out fires.
Who is it recommended for?
SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is recommended for database administrators, MSPs, and organizations that rely on Oracle databases and prioritize maintaining optimal performance. It is suitable for those who require 100% uptime for their Oracle databases and need a tool that offers proactive monitoring and in-depth performance insights. Whether for large enterprises or businesses with mission-critical databases, DPA provides the necessary features to keep databases running smoothly. The flexible licensing options, including monthly subscriptions and perpetual licenses, make it accessible for a wide range of users.
If you need 100% uptime for your Oracle databases in your business, SolarWinds DPA has the tools and proactive monitoring features you need to keep things running smoothly. Licensing is available as both a monthly subscription as well as a perpetual license. You can grab a free 14-day trial of SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer to try out for yourself.
2. RazorSQL
While RazorSQL supports many different database types, it specifically does a great job with Oracle while still being flexible enough to support other environments. RazorSQL has a dedicated Oracle database browser and PL/SQL editor to provide extended functionality and decision-making.
Why do we recommend it?
RazorSQL stands out as a versatile database tool capable of handling various database types, with a particular emphasis on Oracle. Its dedicated Oracle database browser and PL/SQL editor provide extended functionality for Oracle users, making it an excellent choice for Oracle database management. The tool’s user-friendly features, such as schema and table management, streamline the database management process and significantly expedite code writing. RazorSQL offers a customizable user interface that facilitates efficient work across multiple tables while providing a comprehensive database overview. Despite its simplicity, RazorSQL remains effective and accessible for users seeking a reliable database tool.
Circling back to the database browser, managing schemas and tables is intuitive through the table creation tool. Managing different aspects of your database through the tool helps move things along a lot quicker, and speeds up the code writing process significantly.
The user interface is customizable and makes it easy to work on multiple tables while maintaining an overview of your database. While there are other tools that incorporate reporting and graphing features into their dashboards, RazorSQL does a great job at keeping its features simple and easy to access.
Who is it recommended for?
RazorSQL is recommended for users who work with Oracle databases and require a robust, yet flexible, database management tool. Its Oracle-specific features make it an attractive choice for Oracle database administrators and developers. Additionally, its compatibility with Windows, Linux, and macOS ensures broad accessibility. The tool’s perpetual licensing starting at $99.95 per user makes it suitable for a wide range of users, from individual developers to enterprises.
RazorSQL is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS. Licensing for RazorSQL starts at $99.95 (£79.95) per user for a perpetual license. You can test-drive RazorSQL free for a full 30-day trial.
3. dbForge Studio for Oracle
dbForge Studio for Oracle from Devart is built to help Oracle developers increase their coding speed and efficiency through helpful data editing and troubleshooting tools. If you’re managing multiple Oracle servers you’ll have the ability to sync data between your systems as well as automate schema management during development.
Why do we recommend it?
dbForge Studio incorporates IntelliSense code completion, which significantly accelerates SQL query and PL/SQL code writing by suggesting relevant objects based on context. The quick information feature eliminates the need to repeatedly search for up-to-date object properties during development. Additionally, the tool employs code refactoring to simplify tasks like renaming tables, views, functions, and packages, ensuring that all references are updated seamlessly. dbForge Studio for Oracle is a versatile and time-saving solution for Oracle database administrators and developers.
Inside you’ll find helpful features such as IntelliSense code completion that significantly speeds up the process of writing out SQL queries or PL/SQL-based code. The automatic code completion feature analyzes the block of code and suggests objects depending on their placement and context within the database.
In dbForge Studio you don’t have to search the database every time to pull the most current information on existing objects. The quick information feature allows you to access the most current properties on an object during the development process within the same coding window.
Lastly, dbForge Studio utilizes code refactoring to rename tables, views, functions, and packages in just a few clicks. Code refactoring automatically seeks out and updates all references to the newly renamed object. Keeping track of these changes can all be viewed under the Rename window.
Who is it recommended for?
Its comprehensive feature set aids in increasing coding speed, improving database administration efficiency and reducing development time. If you manage one or more Oracle databases, this tool offers essential capabilities to streamline your workflow. Pricing starts at $199.95 for a single one-year license, making it accessible to both individual developers and enterprises. The availability of a free express edition allows users to explore its features at no cost.
If you’re primarily running one or more Oracle databases, dbForge Studio is a flexible tool that will help you increase your coding speed and shave time off of routine database administration. Pricing for a single one year starts at $199.95 (£162.79). You can download the express edition for free.
4. Navicat
Navicat for Oracle features key tools to help optimize your Oracle development and quickly share, create, and organize information securely between teams. Navicat comes with the features you’d expect from IDE software such as code completion, data synchronization, and an intuitive object designer.
Why do we recommend it?
It is an intuitive IDE software equipped with standard features such as code completion, data synchronization, and an object designer, making database management more efficient. A standout feature of Navicat is its ability to seamlessly transform database data into a clean and visually appealing graph format, providing a refreshing perspective on the stored information. Additionally, its dark mode feature offers a comfortable change from the typical bright interfaces seen in other platforms. Navicat is adaptable and supports various database environments, including cloud databases like Amazon RDS and Oracle Cloud, as well as local Oracle servers.
One of my favorite features in Navicat is the ability to turn your database data into a clean graph format without much work or planning. This is a nice break if you’ve been stuck in a CLI all day and need a fresh look at the data you’ve been working on all day. There is also a dark mode feature, which is a welcome change to the bright white background that many other platforms use. If you manage any cloud databases such as Amazon RDS or Oracle Cloud, Navicat can also integrate and support those environments as well as on local Oracle servers.
Navicat helps you leverage automation to take some of the workload off of running reports or performing routine database maintenance. Under the Automation tab, you can easily schedule tasks to run queries and reports, transfer or sync data, or import new data from other databases. You can also choose to receive email notifications to be alerted when your scheduled task has been completed, or if it failed.
Navicat Cloud allows for distributed database access and collaboration with little configuration needed ahead of time. All of your connection settings, queries, and virtual groups will be synchronized across the cloud. Where most Oracle database tools fail to get collaboration right, Navicat makes the process of collaboration between teams easy. Navicat uses Amazon S3 for storage and encrypts files using 256-bit AES encryption. All files are protected by SSL while in transit.
Who is it recommended for?
The tool’s automation capabilities streamline routine tasks, enabling users to schedule and execute queries, reports, and data transfer operations effortlessly. The ability to receive email notifications for task completions or failures enhances its user-friendly approach to task management. Furthermore, Navicat Cloud simplifies distributed database access and collaboration across teams by synchronizing connection settings, queries, and virtual groups. Its security measures, utilizing Amazon S3 storage and 256-bit AES encryption for file protection, offer a secure platform for sensitive data.
Navicat is available for purchase as both a monthly service and a perpetual license for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Monthly pricing starts at $34.00 (£27.68) per user, per month.
5. Toad for Oracle
Despite the quirky name, Toad by Quest is a powerful database management tool built specifically to improve Oracle database performance in the cloud or on-premises. Features like Sensitive Data Protection help you define and protect specific data across Oracle quickly, and dynamically update all of those records with ease. Built-in performance testing makes Toad a great resource to promote the DevOps process and allows you to run simulated workload replay testing, stress tests, and more before the database is deployed.
Why do we recommend it?
Its Sensitive Data Protection simplifies data identification and protection, while built-in performance testing supports DevOps by facilitating simulated workload replay testing and stress tests pre-deployment. Toad offers comprehensive database performance diagnostics, team coding, and auditing features. Its database health checker allows for an array of health tests and reports to evaluate schema, performance, configuration, and vulnerability, making it a valuable asset for Oracle database management.
Toad comes with an extensive set of database performance diagnostic tests that can be run to fix database errors, as well as highlight areas for improvement and optimization. Similar to Navicat, Toad has DevOps-ready team coding that provides collaboration and auditing across schema objects.
Lastly, Toad has an excellent database health checker that lets you run a number of tests and reports to gather specific information about an entire database within a set scope. For example, you can quickly run a report to list all-powerful roles that have been granted to users, and what objects those permissions can influence. There are dozens of preconfigured health checks you can run to test your schema, performance, configuration, and overall vulnerability.
Who is it recommended for?
Toad by Quest is a top choice for database administrators, DevOps teams, and developers working with Oracle databases. It suits organizations aiming to optimize Oracle database performance in diverse environments. The tool is particularly beneficial for those looking to define and protect specific data in Oracle databases using Sensitive Data Protection. DevOps teams can leverage its performance testing for thorough testing and simulations pre-deployment. Additionally, it caters to administrators and developers seeking effective database performance diagnostics, collaborative team coding, and auditing features, making it a valuable asset for Oracle database management.
Toad is available as a free 30-day trial. Pricing for the base model of Toad for Oracle starts at $1054.00 (£857.51) per seat.
6. dbWatch
DbWatch focuses on Oracle performance monitoring and automated testing to help keep your databases optimized and fully functioning. The features in dbWatch make this tool more tailored to larger enterprises or development teams and can support over 1000 instances. Features like server consolidation help DBAs cut down on unnecessary resource consumption and eliminate the complexity of larger database environments.
Why do we recommend it?
DbWatch is a dedicated Oracle performance monitoring and automated testing tool designed to optimize and maintain large enterprise-level databases with over 1000 instances. It offers features such as server consolidation to streamline resource consumption and enhance complex database environment management. DbWatch’s customizable dashboard provides real-time and historical performance monitoring, promoting proactive database administration.
Through a customizable dashboard, you can monitor the real-time and historical performance and health of your database. You’ll receive a breakdown of servers, hardware, and resource utilization that helps you shift to a more proactive state of database administration.
DbWatch comes in three versions. Essentials, Professional, and Enterprise. Essentials only offers database monitoring, while the Professional version includes many of the other IDE features like alerting, reporting, and automation. Like most Oracle database tools dbWatch is cross-platform and viable in the cloud, virtual, or physical environments.
Who is it recommended for?
The product is tailored for large enterprises with substantial database environments. DbWatch is an ideal choice for those who require advanced features like alerting, reporting, and automation. Whether in the cloud, virtual, or physical environments, it is a versatile tool suitable for enhancing database performance. The various versions, from Essentials to Enterprise, provide flexibility to meet specific monitoring and management needs.
Pricing starts at $2699 (£2195.85) for five instances for a full year. You can try a full 30-day free trial of dbWatch to see if it’s right for your database management needs.
7. MyOra
MyOra is a completely free Oracle database monitoring tool that’s lightweight and ideal for smaller companies or DBA teams on a budget. While MyOra lacks some of the more complex enterprise features like predictive analysis and anomaly detection, it excels in being a simple and free alternative for less demanding database monitoring.
Why do we recommend it?
While it lacks advanced enterprise features like predictive analysis and anomaly detection, MyOra excels as a simple and cost-effective solution for less demanding database monitoring needs. It provides real-time data without requiring an internet connection and offers interactive displays to visualize metrics such as Wait Analysis, System Waits, DB Activity, and top processes.
No internet connection is required for MyOra to start working, simply run the installer and point it to your Oracle database. MyOra will instantly start pulling real-time data into the dashboard’s six interactive displays. You can view metrics such as Wait Analysis, System Waits, DB Activity, and overall top five processes.
You can drill down and further customize the dashboard to display over a dozen different metrics across your database like Latch Misses, Call Rate, or Physical I/O. Both the Performance Monitor and DB Activity section gives you a simple graphical look at your database usage through pie charts, bar charts, and graphs. MyOra does lack the ability to save and export historical data, so if long-term data collection is a priority MyOra might not be for you.
Who is it recommended for?
MyOra is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, database administrators, and IT teams operating on a budget who require basic Oracle database monitoring. It offers a straightforward and portable solution for real-time monitoring without the need for complex features or long-term data storage. If you need a tool that can be easily installed and run from a flash drive for simple real-time monitoring, MyOra is an excellent choice.
MyOra is one of the most portable tools on the list, and can easily be thrown on a flash drive, and run through a simple executable. If all you need is simple real-time monitoring, it’s tough to beat MyOra. You can download MyOra for free on their official website.
Conclusion
No matter what database you’re working with, having a performance monitoring and automation tool to assist you could save you countless hours and potential outages. So which of the seven Oracle database tools are right for you?
If you’re a medium to large-sized development team, SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer is going to be your best tool to monitor critical databases and improve the efficiency of your workflow in Oracle. Features like anomaly detection will put your department in a proactive position, and give you the peace of mind to focus on optimizations rather than putting out fires.
Smaller organizations that don’t need some of the enterprise features or automation might benefit from dbWatch’s feature-based packages. Lastly, if you’re on a budget and just need real-time monitoring, MyOra is a great lightweight tool that can do just that.
Do you use any Oracle database tools in your development process? Let us know what your favorite tool is in the comments below.
