PostgreSQL ships with psql, a capable CLI, but most teams working with Postgres day-to-day reach for a GUI at some point. Whether that is for schema exploration, query development, or one-off administrative tasks, the tooling landscape has matured considerably. pgAdmin remains the reference implementation, but it is no longer the only credible option.
pgAdmin 4: Architecture and Installation
pgAdmin 4 is a complete rewrite of the original pgAdmin3, built on a Python/Flask backend with a ReactJS frontend. That architecture choice has a practical consequence: pgAdmin runs as a local web server even in desktop mode. The Electron-based desktop runtime wraps that server and presents it through a built-in browser window, so you are always dealing with a web application, regardless of how you installed it.
There are two distinct deployment modes. Desktop mode runs a single-user instance with Flask's development server and no authentication - each developer runs their own copy. Server mode deploys pgAdmin behind a proper WSGI stack (typically Apache with mod_wsgi, or gunicorn) and adds per-user accounts, login management, and multi-user access. For teams managing shared infrastructure, server mode is the appropriate choice, though the connection affinity requirement matters: pgAdmin requires a single Python process in server mode because transactional state (a running BEGIN block, for example) is held in-process. You cannot run multiple WSGI workers with a load balancer in front without breaking this.
Installing pgAdmin 4 on Debian/Ubuntu from the official APT repository is straightforward:
# Add the pgAdmin APT repository
curl -fsS https://www.pgadmin.org/static/packages_pgadmin_org.pub | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/packages-pgadmin-org.gpg
sudo sh -c 'echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/packages-pgadmin-org.gpg] https://ftp.postgresql.org/pub/pgadmin/pgadmin4/apt/$(lsb_release -cs) pgadmin4 main" > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/pgadmin4.list'
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pgadmin4-web
The snap package (sudo snap install pgadmin4) is an option for quick setup but adds isolation overhead and can create friction with local socket connections.
The Query Tool and EXPLAIN Plans
The Query Tool is where pgAdmin earns most of its keep. It functions as a multi-tab SQL editor with keyboard shortcuts, result grids, query history, and the ability to export results to CSV. For ad hoc work it is fast enough, though it does not match the editing experience of a dedicated SQL IDE.
Where pgAdmin genuinely adds value over raw psql is the graphical EXPLAIN visualizer. When you run EXPLAIN (ANALYZE, BUFFERS, FORMAT JSON) through the Query Tool, pgAdmin renders the plan as an interactive node tree. Each node shows estimated versus actual rows, loop counts, and exclusive timing. Nodes are color-coded: red if a node consumes more than 90% of total query time, orange above 50%, yellow above 10%. That color coding makes it quick to identify where the planner went wrong without mentally parsing nested JSON or wrestling with explain.depesz.com externally.
The PSQL tool - an embedded terminal - is disabled by default in server mode because users can run arbitrary shell commands through it. Enable it only in controlled environments where you trust everyone with pgAdmin access. In desktop mode it is available out of the box and useful for quickly running \d, \timing, or meta-commands that are awkward in the query editor.
GUI vs psql: Knowing When to Use Which
A GUI is not always the right tool. psql has concrete advantages that no GUI replicates: it is scriptable, pipeable, works over SSH tunnels without a web interface, and carries almost no overhead. For any task you need to automate - schema migrations, data exports, scheduled maintenance - psql with a .sql script or a heredoc is cleaner and more reliable than clicking through pgAdmin.
psql also handles restore workflows that pgAdmin cannot. pg_dump in its default plain-text format emits SQL COPY commands (the server-side form) along with other SQL and psql-specific meta-commands. Loading that output through pgAdmin's SQL editor will fail or behave unexpectedly because pgAdmin silently wraps the execution in a transaction. If a single statement fails, the entire script rolls back with no clear indication of which statement caused it. Use psql -f dump.sql for restoration, not a GUI.
That said, a GUI accelerates work that is exploratory or visual in nature. Browsing foreign key relationships, editing a row inline, or visualizing an execution plan are all faster in pgAdmin than piecing together CLI output. Most teams end up using both: psql for automation and production scripting, a GUI for development and investigation.
Alternatives Worth Considering
pgAdmin is Postgres-specific and browser-based. If your team manages multiple database engines or wants a native desktop feel, there are better-suited options.
DBeaver (Community Edition, Apache 2.0) connects to virtually any JDBC-compatible database. The feature set is broad: ER diagrams, data transfer between databases, and a query editor with completion. The interface is dense - it is built on Eclipse - and can feel cluttered, but for teams that need one tool across MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Redshift, it removes the overhead of maintaining separate clients.
TablePlus takes the opposite approach: a lightweight, native macOS, Windows, and Linux application (with an iOS version as well) with a minimal UI. It handles table browsing, row editing, basic querying, and visual EXPLAIN plans well. It does not include role management dashboards or schema diff. The pricing is a one-time purchase per platform rather than a subscription. It suits developers who want fast, low-friction access to a database without the weight of a full management tool.
DataGrip (JetBrains) is an SQL IDE rather than a database manager. It has the best SQL editing experience of the group: code completion that understands schema context, usage search across queries, safe renaming of database objects, and schema diff. It does not include administration dashboards or monitoring. As of October 2025, DataGrip is free for non-commercial use; commercial use requires a paid subscription (around $10/month for individuals). Teams that write a lot of complex SQL and are already in the JetBrains ecosystem find it fits naturally; teams that primarily do database administration will find it underpowered for that work.
Practical Tips for Production Workflows
When using pgAdmin against a production database, a few operational habits matter. Always connect through an SSH tunnel or a VPN rather than exposing the PostgreSQL port or the pgAdmin server directly. In server mode, set ENHANCED_COOKIE_PROTECTION = True in pgAdmin's config, and place it behind a reverse proxy (nginx or Apache) that handles TLS termination.
Connection pooling is a common source of confusion. pgAdmin manages its own persistent connections per user session and does not play well with PgBouncer in transaction-mode pooling, because transaction-mode breaks session-level state that pgAdmin's query editor depends on. If your production cluster sits behind PgBouncer in transaction mode, connect pgAdmin directly to the Postgres instance or use a separate PgBouncer pool in session mode for tooling connections.
For schema work, pgAdmin's schema diff tool (under Tools > Schema Diff) compares two database schemas and generates the DDL required to bring one in line with the other. It is useful for auditing configuration drift between staging and production, though the generated DDL should be reviewed carefully before execution - it does not account for data-dependent constraints or runtime dependencies. Treat the output as a starting point for a migration, not a ready-to-run script.
