Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB: Time-Series Data in Excel, Tableau and Power BI on Windows, Mac and Linux
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB is a commercial ODBC driver, $139.95 per year for one user on one platform, that connects Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Access, FileMaker, DBeaver and scripts to a QuestDB time-series database. It talks to QuestDB over its PostgreSQL wire protocol (port 8812 by default), supports QuestDB servers up to 8.x, and comes in Windows, macOS and Linux editions, with SSH and HTTP tunneling built in.
QuestDB is where sensor readings, market ticks and metrics land at high speed. Getting them out again into the tools a business analyst actually uses is the harder part, especially when the database sits on a Linux box behind a firewall. That's the gap this driver fills.
Quick facts
- Version: 2.2.0, released October 16, 2026 (first released August 10, 2022)
- Developer: Devart
- Platforms: Windows x86 and x64 (including Terminal Server); macOS on Intel and Apple Silicon; Linux x86 and x64, as DEB and RPM packages
- Server: QuestDB up to 8.x, over the PostgreSQL wire protocol; direct TCP/IP, no client library needed
- Secure access: SSH tunnel or HTTP/HTTPS tunnel (with Bearer token support since version 2.0)
- Price: $139.95 per year, or $279.95 perpetual, for a Desktop license on one platform
- Trial: 30 days, activated with a trial key from a Devart account
- Refund: within 30 days of purchase, and only for a technical fault Devart's support can't fix
- What we checked: the Buy Now order page charged $139.95 for the default choice, Desktop for Windows on a 1-year subscription. The download page listed version 2.2.0: a 30.92 MB Windows EXE, a 32.48 MB MSI, a 19.85 MB macOS PKG and Linux DEB and RPM packages of about 6 MB. All checked on November 14, 2026. We didn't install the driver or query a QuestDB server
Before you buy
QuestDB answers on the PostgreSQL wire protocol, so PostgreSQL clients can talk to it, and the free PostgreSQL ODBC driver (psqlODBC) is the natural thing to compare against. Run both during the trial with your own queries and tools. Devart's driver earns its price with things the free route doesn't bundle: an SSH or HTTP tunnel inside the driver, the same configuration dialog on Windows, macOS and Linux, and Devart's fixes for specific tools (Tableau, FileMaker, Linked Server, Qlik Replicate). Also note the license is per platform: a Mac user and a Windows user need two Desktop licenses.
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Overview
Unlike Devart's drivers for SaaS products, this one is a true database driver. It opens a TCP/IP connection to the QuestDB server you name, logs in with a user and password, and passes your SQL to QuestDB. A DSN needs five things: server, port, user ID, password and database name, exactly as the dialog below shows.
The driver has been cross-platform from its first release in August 2022, when it already shipped for Windows, Linux and macOS (including Apple Silicon). Version 2.0 in November 2025 gave Mac and Linux users a graphical configuration window instead of hand-edited odbc.ini files, and version 2.2 added a workaround for a DSN-handling bug in unixODBC 2.3.13 and 2.3.14, plus compatibility work for Ubuntu 24 and 26 and CentOS 10.
The Windows configuration dialog: server localhost, port 8812, a user ID and saved password, database questdb, with tabs for Advanced Settings, Security Settings and Tracing.
Features
Reach a QuestDB server behind a firewall
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB can connect through an SSH tunnel, or through an HTTP/HTTPS tunnel when only web ports are open, and version 2.0 added Bearer token authentication for that HTTP tunnel. You don't need to expose port 8812 to the office network or set up a separate SSH client.
One driver on three operating systems
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB installs from an EXE or MSI on Windows, a PKG on macOS and a DEB or RPM on Linux, and each edition works with 32-bit and 64-bit applications. Devart also offers a free ODBC Administrator PKG for macOS, which has no DSN manager of its own.
Tuning for big result sets
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB lets you set Min Fetch Rows, the minimum number of rows fetched per round trip, which matters when a dashboard pulls millions of time-stamped rows, and an IP Version option to force IPv4 (the default), IPv6 or either. Local caching and connection pooling help repeated queries.
Batches and Unicode
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB can combine SQL statements into batches for bulk changes, and it is fully Unicode, so symbol names, device labels and tags in any script come through intact.
Benefits
- Time-series data for non-developers. Analysts query QuestDB from Excel or Tableau instead of asking engineers for CSV dumps.
- Same setup on every desk. Windows, Mac and Linux users get the same driver and dialog, so one set of instructions covers the team.
- Safe remote access. The built-in tunnel keeps the database port closed while still letting reporting tools in.
- Legacy tools included. Anything that speaks ODBC, from Access to FileMaker to Visual FoxPro, can read QuestDB.
Real-World Uses
- Factory dashboard. A plant engineer charts machine temperature and vibration readings stored in QuestDB in Power BI, refreshed every shift.
- Trading desk review. An analyst pulls minute bars for a list of symbols into Excel to check a strategy without writing Python.
- Linux reporting job. A cron job on a Linux server runs a PHP or Python script through the DEB-installed driver and emails a daily summary.
- Mixed-data report. A SQL Server linked server joins QuestDB metrics with asset records held in the company's main database.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB fits teams that already run QuestDB and want its data in desktop BI, office and legacy database tools, particularly when users are spread across Windows, macOS and Linux or the server is only reachable through SSH.
Skip it if your developers query QuestDB from code with its native client libraries or a PostgreSQL driver, or if QuestDB's own web console and Grafana dashboards already cover your reporting. And if the free psqlODBC driver connects cleanly from your tools in testing, you may not need to pay at all.
Usage Guide
- Download the trial for your platform with the Download button (a free Devart account is needed): EXE or MSI for Windows, PKG for macOS, DEB or RPM for Linux.
- Install it and activate the trial key from your Devart account.
- On Windows, open ODBC Data Sources matching your application's bitness and add a DSN with Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB. On macOS or Linux, open the driver's configuration window (version 2.0 and later).
- Enter the server, port 8812 (or your custom PGWire port), user ID, password and database.
- If the server is remote, fill in the SSH or HTTP tunnel settings on the Security Settings tab, then click Test Connection.
- Pick the DSN from Excel, Power BI, Tableau or your script.
Tip
Time-series tables grow fast. Filter on the timestamp column in your query rather than importing a whole table into Excel and filtering there; it keeps the transfer, and the spreadsheet, small.
Where It Falls Short
- Thin QuestDB-specific documentation. Devart's docs cover connection settings, but say little about QuestDB's own SQL extensions, so test the queries you depend on during the trial.
- Per-platform licensing. Each Desktop license covers one operating system and one user at a time.
- Version ceiling. Devart lists support up to QuestDB 8.x; check the compatibility page before upgrading your server to a new major version.
- A free alternative exists. Because QuestDB speaks PostgreSQL's protocol, part of what you pay for is convenience and support rather than access itself.
What Users Say
There are no published reviews of the QuestDB driver by itself. G2, Capterra and TrustRadius collect reviews of Devart's ODBC drivers as a family, so the comments here describe that family as a whole.
TrustRadius (5.2 out of 10, 58 ratings)
TrustRadius gives the line its lowest aggregate score, though the written reviews lean positive. One reviewer summed up the appeal as "High performance and new features are really useful." Another, comparing with an earlier tool, reported "Far less connection failures. We had a lot of failures with the tool that we were using before." The same site's reviewers mark down the user interface and the error messages, and one found support good "but still, it could be better."
Capterra (4.7 out of 5, 26 reviews) and G2 (4.6 out of 5, 18 reviews)
Capterra's reviewers are kinder overall. Among its complaints, one is directly relevant to time-series work: "Some of the connections to date fields are difficult for queries." Another reviewer had installation trouble across machines: "I have not been able to get them to work well on my older computer, and I have been unable to get them to work at all on my new Laptop." G2's reviewers rate the line 4.6 out of 5.
For a QuestDB buyer, the two warnings above point at the same test: during the trial, check how timestamp columns arrive in your tool, and install the driver on every type of machine your team uses before you buy licenses for them.
Comparisons
Devart QuestDB driver vs the free PostgreSQL ODBC driver
The free psqlODBC driver costs nothing and is a reasonable first try, since QuestDB uses the PostgreSQL wire protocol. Devart's driver adds a tunnel inside the driver, a graphical setup on all three operating systems, tool-specific compatibility fixes released twice a year and a support team to ask. If the free driver works in your tools, keep it; if you hit connection, tunneling or tool quirks, the Devart driver is the paid fix.
Devart QuestDB driver vs Devart PostgreSQL driver
Devart's ODBC Driver for PostgreSQL targets PostgreSQL servers. The QuestDB driver is the one Devart lists as compatible with QuestDB versions up to 8.x, so buy that one for a QuestDB server.
Editions and Pricing
Every edition is ordered with the same Buy Now button; on the order page you pick the edition and platform, and choose a subscription or a perpetual license. Prices as listed on November 14, 2026.
| Edition | Platforms | 1-year subscription | Perpetual | Use |
|---|
| Desktop (Windows is the order page's default) | Windows, macOS or Linux | $139.95 | $279.95 | One computer, one user at a time |
| Server Standard | Windows, macOS or Linux | $899.95 | $1,799.95 | One server up to 6 cores, concurrent users |
| Server Enterprise, Site, OEM | All three | Quote | Quote | Any core count, device ranges, redistribution |
The perpetual license activates offline and keeps the version you bought; a subscription needs internet access to activate and verify. Longer 2-year and 3-year terms and premium support are options on the order page.
FAQs
Does Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB work on Apple Silicon Macs?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB has supported macOS on both Intel (x64) and Apple Silicon (ARM) since its first release, and installs from a PKG.
Which port does the QuestDB ODBC driver use?
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB defaults to port 8812, QuestDB's PostgreSQL wire protocol port. Change it in the DSN if your server listens elsewhere.
Do I need one license for Windows and another for Linux?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB is licensed per platform: Desktop for Windows, Desktop for macOS and Desktop for Linux are separate editions at the same price.
Can several analysts share one QuestDB driver license?
No. A Devart Desktop license allows one user at a time on one computer. Several people working through one server, such as a Power BI gateway or a reporting server, need Server Standard ($899.95 a year) or Server Enterprise.
What's Devart's refund policy for the QuestDB driver?
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB is refundable within 30 days of purchase only if a technical problem or bug stops it from working and Devart's support can't resolve it. Use the 30-day trial to decide.
Which Linux distributions does the QuestDB driver support?
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB ships DEB and RPM packages for 32-bit and 64-bit Linux, and its latest release names Ubuntu 24, Ubuntu 26 and CentOS 10 among the systems it improved compatibility with.
System Requirements
- Windows x86 or x64, including Terminal Server
- macOS x64 or ARM (Apple Silicon)
- Linux x86 or x64 with a DEB or RPM package manager and an ODBC driver manager such as unixODBC
- QuestDB server up to 8.x, reachable on its PostgreSQL wire protocol port, directly or through SSH or HTTP
- Internet access to activate and check a subscription license
Conclusion
Devart ODBC Driver for QuestDB is a sound buy at $139.95 a year when QuestDB data has to reach desktop tools on mixed Windows, Mac and Linux machines, or through an SSH tunnel, with a vendor to call when a tool misbehaves. The main reason to hold back is that QuestDB speaks PostgreSQL's protocol, so a free driver may already be enough. Test both during the 30-day trial and buy the Devart one if it saves you the setup and troubleshooting time.
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