Introduction

sql.garden is a local-first desktop app for querying and exploring data on an infinite canvas. It runs DuckDB in-process — no servers, no cloud, no latency.

What it is

• An infinite canvas where you place SQL query nodes, charts, data tables, and markdown notes
• A local DuckDB environment that can query Parquet, CSV, JSON, databases, and S3-compatible stores
• An MCP server that exposes the canvas to AI assistants like Claude and Cursor

What it isn't

sql.garden is not a replacement for a production database GUI. It's a scratchpad and exploration tool — built for analysts, engineers, and anyone who thinks visually about data.

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│          Desktop App            │
│  ┌──────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  │
│  │  Vue 3   │  │   Go/Wails  │  │
│  │ Frontend │◄─►│   Backend   │  │
│  └──────────┘  └──────┬──────┘  │
│                        │        │
│                ┌───────▼──────┐ │
│                │   DuckDB     │ │
│                │ (in-process) │ │
│                └──────┬───────┘ │
└───────────────────────┼─────────┘
                        │
          ┌─────────────▼──────────────┐
          │     MCP Server :37421      │
          │  Claude / Cursor / etc.    │
          └────────────────────────────┘

• The frontend is a Vue 3 app embedded via Wails. In the browser sandbox it runs as a standalone SPA.
• The backend (Go) owns DuckDB and exposes it via Wails bindings and the MCP server.
• The MCP server runs on http://127.0.0.1:37421/mcp and is reachable by any local MCP client.

Open source

sql.garden is released under the GPL v3 license. The source is on GitHub.