What Is TextQuery and What Does It Do?

TextQuery is a desktop app for macOS and Windows that lets you import raw data files, query and modify them with SQL, and turn the results into charts — all locally on your machine. It fits you best if you already know some SQL and want to analyze local files (spreadsheets, CSVs, JSON, archives) without setting up a database, defining a schema, or writing import code. If you don't know SQL at all, the SQL editor will be the main thing to learn before the app is useful.

What TextQuery actually does

The app covers four steps in one place: import, query, modify, and visualize.

• Import — Load data files in a few clicks. TextQuery says you don't need to define a schema, write code, or run commands.
• Query — Use a built-in SQL editor to explore and transform the imported tables.
• Modify — Edit values inline and commit the changes, or filter rows without writing queries by hand.
• Visualize — Build charts inside the app and export or copy them.

Supported file formats

Because archives are supported, you can point TextQuery at a compressed file and let it handle the contents rather than unpacking everything manually first.

The SQL editor

The editor is positioned as the core of the app. Its listed features:

• SQL autocomplete
• Query history and favorites
• Query formatter
• Multiple selections

If you already write SQL, the site claims there's "essentially no learning curve" — one reviewer, Greg Williams, describes it that way and calls the chart feature "fantastic." That's a user's impression, not a guarantee, but it matches the app's stated design goal of skipping setup work for people who know SQL.

Charts and visualization

You can create charts directly in the app and customize them:

• Chart types: line, bar, area, scatter, pie
• Customization: title, description, colors
• Output: export to a file or share from the clipboard

This means a typical workflow — import a CSV, run a query, chart the result — stays inside one window instead of moving between a database tool and a separate charting app.

Features that speed up everyday work

• Inline editor — Edit values directly, collect your changes, and commit them in one go.
• Filters — Narrow down table rows without writing SQL manually.
• Tabs — Work on multiple queries and tables at the same time.
• Data export — Export as CSV, JSON, Excel, or SQL, or create a new table from your results.
• Keyboard shortcuts — Frequently used functions are reachable by shortcut.

Privacy and local analysis

TextQuery states that it neither records nor sends anything related to your usage, and it's built as a local desktop app. That matters if you're working with sensitive data you don't want uploaded to a third-party service. The trade-off of a desktop app versus a browser extension is exactly this: local processing and file access, at the cost of installing software and updating it yourself.

Pricing and platform

• Platforms: macOS and Windows.
• Pricing model: A perpetual license — "Pay Once, Use Forever" — with free updates, rather than a subscription.
• Free version: There's a free version with "certain limitations" you can evaluate before upgrading to Pro.

The site links to a pricing page but doesn't list specific prices here, so check that page for current numbers and what the free tier limits.

When TextQuery is a good fit

Choose it if:

• You're comfortable with SQL and want to query local files quickly.
• Your data lives in spreadsheets, CSVs, JSON, or archives rather than a database.
• You want charts without exporting to another tool.
• You care about keeping data on your own machine.

Look elsewhere if:

• You don't want to learn SQL — the app is SQL-centric.
• You need a hosted, collaborative, or browser-based tool.
• You need to connect to live database servers rather than import files (the site describes file import, not server connections).

To try it, download the free version for macOS or Windows, import one of your own files, and run a simple query to see whether the workflow matches how you already work.