If you are using MySQL, and need to manually fuck around with tables for whatever reason, it's really useful and beats most other options.

For us it sees plenty of use with poorly developed legacy software (e.g. Wordpress).

If you need to make a manual database change then Adminer is often a better option[1].

It's doesn't have the featureset as PHPMyAdmin but it has a huge advantage in that it's a single PHP file you can upload, make the necessary changes, and then delete. If you're interested in maintaining a secure server but you don't have any better options than using a script, then it's better to upload something when you need it than trying to secure an online admin tool.

[1] https://www.adminer.org/

> It's doesn't have the featureset as PHPMyAdmin but it has a huge advantage in that it's a single PHP file you can upload, make the necessary changes, and then delete

The days of painfully slow FTP servers are long gone where "it's one file" would count as advantage.

This leaves a massively worse UX and featureset.

(We are using adminer for postgresql databases, because there's no better alternative, and it makes me wish phpmyadmin supported postgres every time I have to use it.)

Didn't postgresql community just annouced pgadmin4 lately and it seems to come with a modern webclient https://www.pgadmin.org/

Do any of these web-based DB tools come with autocomplete? I'd say that's the feature I value most when using desktop DB tools.

TeamPostgreSQL[1] is a pretty good web interface for Postgres. It has SQL autocompletion too, with completion for schema objects as well as SQL keywords. It is free.

[1] http://www.teampostgresql.com

Thanks for the tip.

Latest version of PhpMyAdmin does, but not nearly as good as for example "Microsoft SQL Management" does for MsSQL.

My favorite feature is generally the graphical database relation view. Without it i am something like 500% less effective.

Having a single file isn't an advantage from a speed perspective; the advantage lies in only having to upload a file, make a change and delete the file again. There's no install, no config, etc.

MySQL Workbench works fine though?

+1 for this.

The profiler (visual explain) of queries in MySQL workbench is a godsend.

Also, for general querying and table layout lookup in OSX (macOS, whatever) I recommend Sequel Pro. It has a slightly better UI when working with multiple databases (easier to switch).

Last time I tried it (about two years ago). It would crash all the time on Ubuntu. Went back to PHPMyAdmin.

Mine kept crashing on Mac when viewing table information, turns out it was some old subversion plugin that integrated into the OS shell.

You might like this: https://www.dbninja.com/

I can't think of much reason to use it over Workbench or Sequel Pro.

Workbench has some great features that I can't do without, but when it comes to just browsing around a DB I much prefer PhpMyAdmin's interface over it. That said I haven't really tried any of the other offerings in the space, so I expect that's a big part of my opinion.

I agree with this comparison but Navicat is well worth the price. I use their data backup and synchronization (data and/or structure) all the time and it works extremely well. The "find in database" text search is a life saver too.

Sequel Pro - No native linux support

Workbench - Massively unstable on linux. (Although I do like the visualizing tools assuming I'm willing to put up with it crashing every hour or so).

Some dev environments aren't local, and sometimes this is faster, especially if you have to document the changes for future updates that don't include your fancy tools.

Sequel Pro's built-in SSH tunnel has worked for me in every remote development situation I've encountered.

It seems like a really bad idea to place a web-based database tool on a public-facing host when technology exists to route MySQL through SSH.

Even shared hosts support SSH these days. If yours doesn't, maybe it's time to find another shared host!

It's been a while but I'm pretty sure you can do so with PHPMyAdmin.

I seem to remember installing it on my own workstation, setting up the ssh tunnel and then pointing PHPMA to localhost.

It's not my favorite tool and I've avoided it due to security concerns but I've set it up for others as described and I recall it worked fine. Like I said though it's been a while and I'm fuzzy on the details.

Oh, if only were we using it only in dev environments…

Countless people maintaining WordPress sites do.

Every Drupal dev shop we've worked this insisted this was installed on the server. Its just firewalled off/tunneled/whatever for safety.

Anyone using shared hosting (e.g. most people who do web development for small businesses) does.

I think many (most?) web developers get their start on some shared hosting provider where your only obvious option for managing MySQL databases is phpmyadmin. You have to dig a little deeper to realize you cna use MySQL Workbench, but even then a lot of them disable remote MySQL and SSH so you're SOL.

So for me, at least, it's ingrained in my head that phpmyadmin is the best tool for the job given the limitations of what I've got. Although I recently switched my company's reseller hosting account to a provider that actually allows remote MySQL or SSH, so that's exciting.

What are some good alternatives? I've been using DataGrip the last couple of months, but prior to that I used phpMyAdmin all the time because I just couldn't find anything else as useful for MySQL. And even with DataGrip, I sometimes have to log in to phpmyadmin because there's stuff DataGrip doesn't do....

It usually comes by default with CPanel and Plesk on web servers, as well as MAMP / WAMP / XAMPP for development environments. In my experience it's still used a lot by junior devs who haven't yet learned any different, and people with absolutely no idea what they're doing.

Yes. A lot of times its available on shared hosting behind some login. Esp, if you don't have shell access on inexpensive hosts.

Its been available at places I've worked. It was locked down by IP. The database was restricted to access by ip too, in theory making outside access more difficult.

I used it a lot (less now) and honestly, I kind of like it. The interface is a little kludgy, but it gets the job done. Queries are editable, exportable in various formats. You can construct a search via gui then edit the SQL it generates . It seems to have a lot of functionality built in, user/table management etc..

For local instances I use sequel pro too (the ssh login function it has is nice and works well).

PHPMyAdmin is a lifesaver for newbies and those who are intimidated by the Command Line. It was for me, and I still prefer to use it when possible.

I can't thank the people who created it and maintain it enough.

I think it is one of the best mariadb/mysql gui's out there.

But to get the good stuff one has to configure it properly, and generally people don't bather configuring it. They just place the files in a folder.

No other web based tool for any database that i have tried even comes close.

I personally use Workbench when I can but a lot of clients with shared hosting use it. It still gets the job done for the most part.