10 Best Free Database Migration Tools for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle DB

Oracle Database, MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL are the top 4 most popular databases around the world, according to C# Corner, the global community of software and data developers.

Companies often move existing data to another database for saving cost, performance improvement, or scalability based on specific business needs. In this article, I’ll list 5 official and 5 open-source database migration tools to convert MySQL, PostgreSQL, MS SQL Server, and Oracle DB for your information.

1. MySQL Workbench

MySQL Workbench is a free visual application and graphical user interface tool that combines SQL development, data migration, database design, creation, maintenance, backup, and recovery for MySQL systems.

It is available on all mainstream operating systems, like Windows, Linux, and macOS with 3 different editions: open-source MySQL Community edition, commercial MySQL Standard, and Enterprise editions. The latest release is MySQL Workbench 8.0.

Compatibility with v8.0:

• CentOS 8;

• macOS 12;

• Windows 11;

• Oracle Linux 8, 9;

• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS;

• MySQL 5.7 and 8.0;

• Windows Server 2022;

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9.

Features

1. SQL development: execute SQL commands with SQL editor; build and manage database server connections;

2. Data design: create database schema models; engineer reversing and forwarding between a schema and live database; edit database Tables, Columns, Triggers, Petitioning, and more with Table Editor;

3. Server administration: manage database users; perform backup and recovery; inspect audit data; check database health; monitor MySQL performance;

4. Data migration: migrate Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Sybase ASE, SQLite, SQL Anywhere, PostgreSQL, generic databases, and earlier MySQL to MySQL;

5. Support for MySQL Enterprise: MySQL Enterprise Backup, Firewall, and Audit.

Usage:

Migrate Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL to MySQL.

Download it from the MySQL website.

2. Oracle SQL Developer

Oracle SQL Developer is a free Java-powered application to simplify the management of Oracle DB in traditional and cloud deployments. You can manage your Oracle database through desktop, browser, or command line interfaces. It works with Windows, Linux, Mac OS, and other platforms. The most recent version is Oracle SQL Developer 22.2.1, which supports Oracle Database 11gR2, 19c, and 21c.

Compatibility with Oracle SQL Developer 22.2.1:

• Windows 10,11;

• Linux or Mac OS X;

• Windows Server 2016/2019/2022.

Features

1. Data extraction, loading, and querying;

2. Simple installation without Oracle Client needed;

3. Support Oracle DB in the cloud and on-premises;

4. Migrate Microsoft SQL Server, Sybase Adaptive Server, Microsoft Access, PostgreSQL, and IBM DB2 to Oracle DB;

5. Desktop: full PL/SQL IDE; manage the contents, performance, settings and more of Oracle DB; data modeling; support RESTful Services Development and Oracle REST Services Integration;

6. Command line: edit SQL and PL/SQL scripts; see the SQL history; format query results automatically; produce object DDL or get the metadata; integrate Liquibase; small footprint;

7. Browser: run Oracle SQL or PL/SQL in the SQL Worksheet; create and edit the Oracle schema objects and users; generate ERDs; Load information from CSV, JSON, and AVRO into new or current Oracle tables.

Usage: 

Migrate MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and PostgreSQL to Oracle;

Migrate Oracle Database to MySQL.

Download it from the Oracle website.

3. SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA)

Microsoft SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) is a program made to automate the transfer of databases from Microsoft Access, DB2, MySQL, Oracle, and SAP ASE to SQL Server. The newest edition is SSMA 9.2.

Compatibility with SSMA:

• Azure SQL Database;

• Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10;

• Azure Synapse Analytics;

• Azure SQL Managed Instance;

• Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012 R2, 2012, 2016;

• SQL Server 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019 on Windows and Linux.

Features

1. SSMA for Oracle: migrate data from Oracle database(s) to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Database Managed Instance and Azure SQL Data Warehouse;

2. SSMA for Access: migrate data from Microsoft Access database(s) to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Database Managed Instance;

3. SSMA for DB2: migrate data from IBM DB2 database(s) to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Database Managed Instance;

4. SSMA for MySQL: migrate data from MySQL database(s) to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Database Managed Instance;

5. SSMA for SAP ASE: migrate data from SAP ASE database(s) to SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Database Managed Instance.

Usage: 

Migrate MySQL to SQL Server;

Migrate Oracle Database to SQL Server.

Download it for Oracle, Access, DB2, MySQL, and SAP ASE.

4. Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a platform under full SQL Server license for creating solutions for enterprise-level data conversions and integration. You can use the tool to copy or download files, load data warehouses, or manage objects and data of SQL Server. The latest version of SSIS 4.4 is released on Jan 17th, 2023.

Compatibility with SSIS:

• SQL Server 2005, 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2014, and 2016 except Express and Workgroup editions.

Features

1. Data management: data extraction and transformation from XML, flat files, relational data sources, and more, and loading them to another destination;

2. SQL Server maintenance: maintain SQL Server databases and updates;

3. Create and manage packages: provide graphical tools to build packages with or without code and manage them.

Usage: 

Migrate SQL Server to PostgreSQL;

Migrate Oracle Database to SQL Server.

In the SQL Server> SQL Server Setup Wizard> New SQL stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation>on the Feature Selection page, Shared Features>Integration Services to Download SSIS.

5. MySQLyog

SQLyog is a powerful GUI tool for the management and devolvement of MySQL and MariaDB databases. SQLyog allows database administrators and developers to graphically compare, improve, and document schemas. This C++-developed tool is distributed as both free software (Community Edition at GitHub) and paid versions (Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate Editions). The most recent SQLyog Community Edition is 13.2.0

Compatibility with SQLyog:

• Windows Vista to Windows 10 (Linux, Unix, and macOS via Wine).

Features

1. Import data from ODBC databases;

2. Perform unattended databases backups;

3. Foreign key lookup and Redundant Index Finder;

4. Automatically synchronize and visually compare data;

5. Syntax highlighting editor and automatic formatting choices;

6. Multiple connectivity options like HTTP/HTTPS, or SSH tunneling;

7. Mail alerting, job reporting, and SQL statements automatic execution;

8. Do not need dependencies or databases abstraction layers like ODBC;

9. Intelligent Code Completion, Visual Schema Designer, Query Profiler and Formatter, and Visual Query Builder.

Usage: 

Migrate SQL Server to MySQL.

Download it from the GitHub website.

6. Ora2Pg

Ora2Pg is a free database migration tool that automatically converts Oracle or MySQL databases to PostgreSQL. It is an easy-to-use tool that can be used from reverse engineering Oracle DB to enterprise-level data migration. The latest version is Ora2Pg v23.2.

Features

1. Export privileges for users and groups;

2. Generate Oracle database content and migration cost/difficulty assessment reports;

3. Support PostgreSQL 14 procedure with out parameters and 14 as the default target version;

4. Provide command line options and multiprocessor to count rows in PostgreSQL tables (-P);

5. Export all database schema including tables, views, etc. with foreign key and check constraints;

6. Export range/list partitions, sub-partitions, a table selection, predefined functions, triggers, procedures, and packages.

Usage: 

Migrate MySQL and Oracle to PostgreSQL.

Download it from the GitHub Ora2Pg release page.

7. Pgloader

Pgloader is a free migration tool under a PostgreSQL license that enables users to load data from files into PostgreSQL or migrate the whole database to the target. The newest version is Pgloader 3.6.9.

Features

1. Migrate to PostgreSQL in a single command line;

2. Migrate from MySQL, SQLite, and MS SQL Server to PostgreSQL;

3. Migrate database files in the DBF, CSV, COPY, Archive, and IXF formats.

Usage: 

Migrate MySQL to PostgreSQL.

Download it from the GitHub Pgloader page.

8. Pg2mysql

Pg2mysql is an online database converter tool to migrate PostgreSQL database(s) to MySQL. This tool discards all stored procedures and views though. The latest version is pg2mysql 1.9.

Features

1. Convert PostgreSQL to MySQL database;

2. Allow users to unzip the website for web usage;

3. Offer auto-increment key type for auto-increment fields.

Usage: 

Migrate PostgreSQL to MySQL.

Download it from here.

9. Sqlserver2pgsql

Sqlserver2pgsql is a data migration tool written in Perl to convert SQL Server to PostgreSQL database. It should work on Linux, Windows, and Unix systems.

Features

1. Do not migrate PL procedures;

2. Convert the schema of SQL Server to PostgreSQL;

3. Create an incremental version of this job to migrate any database changes since the last run;

4. Optionally create a Pentaho Data Integrator (Kettle) task to move all the data from SQL Server to PostgreSQL.

Usage: 

Migrate SQL Server to PostgreSQL.

Download it from the GitHub sqlserver2pgsql page.

10. Bcp and pg_dump

The bulk copy program utility (bcp) transfers data in a user-specified format in bulk between a Microsoft SQL Server instance and a data file. The latest version of Bcp utility is 15.0.2000.5.

Compatibility with Bcp:

• Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11;

• Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2008 R2 SP1, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022.

Features

1. Create a format file to back up data;

2. The file doesn’t include schema or format information;

3. Export data out of tables into data files or load huge numbers of new rows into SQL Server tables.

Pg-dump exports PostgreSQL to a script or an archive file that contains query commands to reconstruct the database even on other machines or architectures. The newest version is Pg-dump 15.

Compatibility with pg-dump:

• PostgreSQL 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Features

1. Only dump a single database;

2. Back up PostgreSQL database;

3. Output dumps in scripts or archive formats.

Usage: 

Migrate PostgreSQL to SQL Server.

Download Bcp Utility for SQL Server x64 or x86; pg-dump is a tool built in PostgreSQL that you can download the PostgreSQL binary file and keep the pg-dump.exe.

Complete Backup for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle DB

The database conversion process involves hidden risks that may cause data corruption or loss; therefore, preventive database backup is not only necessary but also essential.

Vinchin Backup & Recovery delivers user-friendly and effective database backup for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, Oracle DB, Postgres Pro, and MariaDB.

Compatibility:

• MySQL 5.5.62 ~ 8.0.28

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 ~ 2019

• Oracle Database 11g ~ 21c

• Oracle RAC 11g R2, 19c

• PostgreSQL 12.1 ~ 14.2

• Postgres Pro 14.5

• MariaDB 10.5.4 ~ 10.10.2

With the backup solution, you can manage backups of various databases and virtualizations via a single web console and secure them (and the Vinchin server) from malicious actors with an IO monitor that denies any unauthorized visit except the Vinchin applications.

You can also perform full, differential, incremental, archive log, and transaction log backup that change with databases with a single click based on your individual needs. And enable data deduplication and compression to reduce by 50% of the size.

Restore the database easily to the original database or a new destination and prepare an offsite backup copy as needed.

Download the 60-day free trial of the Enterprise version now:

Summary

This article lists 10 free database converters for MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and Oracle DB for your reference. And database backup is also a priority before and after the conversion for data protection.