Alternatives

Sidequery is a versatile tool, but it's not for everyone. We'll be real with you about some of our strengths and weaknesses compared to some other alternatives.

Sometimes you just want to write a query, make a chart, and move on. No charting library decisions, no Jupyter magic syntax, no Python DB API.

We know Sidequery can be polarizing. It might work for you, it might not. If you're just starting out building analytics for a small project or startup, it could be a great choice. You can version control your work with git, easily read the files (no .ipynb nonsense), and heck, probably have an LLM convert them to another format for another tool if you ever outgrow Sidequery. We're not going to lock your data or "api access" behind an enterprise plan.

You can see what we're good at here. Below are some situations where Sidequery might not be the best choice:

Python Notebooks

If you're set on Python notebooks, it's hard to beat the price of Jupyter. jupysql is a great option for SQL in Jupyter notebooks. Hex does a great job with both Python and SQL notebooks and has many similarities with Sidequery. Marimo is another great option for Python notebooks with more predictable dataflow (maybe you've seen Joel Gru's I Don't Like Notebooks presentation.

Desktop Database Tools

DBeaver, DataGrip, and TablePlus are GUI-heavy tools for database administration: point-and-click record editing, visual query builders, server configuration panels. If you prefer GUIs for editing rows or managing database settings, those tools are probably a better fit.

Multi-player BI

If you need enterprise access controls, Sidequery is probably not the tool for you. Heck, Sidequery doesn't even let you share results yet, but that's coming soon, along with team project collaboration. Lots of other tools handle collaboration & data governance very well today, like Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Mode, Omni, Metabase, Preset.