Databricks is a platform more than a database, and its workspace already includes most of the GUI you need: a SQL editor, notebooks, a catalog explorer and dashboards. The reasons to look beyond it are specific. Engineers want Databricks SQL in the same client they use for other databases or inside their code editor. And people outside the data team need to see or correct a small slice of lakehouse data without a workspace seat and a SQL warehouse running on their behalf.
Below are six Databricks GUI tools, grouped by who they serve, with the point where each one stops.
What a Databricks GUI needs to do
- Authenticate with personal access tokens, OAuth or service principals.
- Browse Unity Catalog: catalogs, schemas, tables, views and volumes, with permissions respected.
- Run SQL against a SQL warehouse and show the query profile.
- Avoid keeping warehouses running when nobody is querying, since compute is billed while they are up.
The six Databricks GUI tools at a glance
| Tool | Type | Who it is for | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet Admin | Web app builder | Teams who need lookups, forms and dashboards on Databricks data | Free plan; paid tiers |
| Databricks SQL editor and notebooks | Workspace UI | Analysts and engineers | Included; compute billed |
| Databricks Apps | Code-based apps in the workspace | Data teams who write Python or JavaScript | Included; compute billed |
| Databricks extension for VS Code | Editor extension | Developers | Free |
| DBeaver | Desktop, multi-database | Engineers across several databases | Free Community; paid PRO |
| DataGrip | Desktop IDE | Developers who keep SQL in a repository | Paid; free for non-commercial use |
For teams working on Databricks data
1. Jet Admin
Jet Admin connects to Databricks and builds an app on it: searchable tables, record detail pages, forms and dashboards that read live from your SQL warehouse. You describe what you need and Jet generates the screens, then refine them in a visual editor or in code. Jet queries Databricks in place and keeps no second copy of your data.
The point is who can use it. An operations lead who needs a supplier's latest shipments, or a finance analyst who needs to correct a mapping, signs in to the app and sees only what their role allows. You connect Databricks once with a service principal scoped to the tables the app needs, instead of adding workspace users. Granular permissions, SSO and audit logs are on the Business plan and above; unlimited users are on every plan, including Free.
Where it stops: it is not for notebooks, pipelines or ad hoc SQL. Data engineers should keep the workspace for that.
Built by Databricks
2. Databricks SQL editor and notebooks
The workspace SQL editor, notebooks and Catalog Explorer are where most Databricks work happens. You get autocomplete, query history, query profiles, AI/BI dashboards and Genie spaces for natural-language questions, all governed by Unity Catalog.
Where it stops: every user needs workspace access and permissions, and it is built for people who analyze data rather than people who run operational processes.
3. Databricks Apps
Databricks Apps lets you deploy web apps written with frameworks such as Streamlit, Dash or Flask inside your workspace, with Unity Catalog governance. For a data team that writes Python, it is a direct path from a query to an interactive page.
Where it stops: every screen is code, so changes go back to the engineers who wrote it, and apps consume compute while running.
Editor and desktop clients
4. Databricks extension for VS Code
The official extension connects VS Code to your workspace so you can run code on Databricks compute, sync files and work with Databricks Asset Bundles. It suits engineers who manage Databricks projects as code.
Where it stops: it is a development tool, not a data browser.
5. DBeaver
DBeaver connects to Databricks SQL warehouses through the Databricks JDBC driver, giving you its familiar schema browser and SQL editor alongside your other databases.
Where it stops: Unity Catalog features such as lineage and volumes are only visible in the workspace.
6. DataGrip
DataGrip supports Databricks with schema-aware completion, making it a fit for teams who keep Databricks SQL and dbt models in a repository.
Where it stops: it is paid for commercial use and aimed at developers.
Which Databricks GUI to use
- People outside the data team need Databricks data in a safe, narrow view: Jet Admin.
- You analyze data in Databricks daily: the SQL editor and notebooks.
- Your data team writes Python and wants interactive pages: Databricks Apps.
- You manage Databricks projects as code: the VS Code extension or DataGrip.
- Databricks is one of several databases you use: DBeaver.
Frequently asked questions
Does Databricks have a GUI?
Yes. The Databricks workspace is a web GUI with a SQL editor, notebooks, Catalog Explorer and dashboards.
Can I connect DBeaver to Databricks?
Yes. DBeaver connects to a Databricks SQL warehouse using the Databricks JDBC driver and a personal access token or OAuth.
How do I give business users access to Databricks data without workspace seats?
Build an app on top of Databricks that connects with a service principal and manages access by role itself. Jet Admin does that, with forms and dashboards that read live from your SQL warehouse.
Start with who needs the data
Data teams already have the workspace. The people in operations and finance who need lakehouse data need an app, not a notebook. Connect Databricks to Jet Admin and give them one.