<p align="center">
  <img src="ui/public/faucet-logo.svg" alt="Faucet logo" height="60">
</p>

<h1 align="center">Faucet: REST API and MCP server for any SQL database</h1>

<h3 align="center">Turn any SQL database into a secure REST API and MCP server.<br>One binary. One command.</h3>

<p align="center">
  <strong>Faucet is an open-source (MIT) single Go binary that turns PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake or SQLite into a REST API and an MCP server for AI agents, with role-based access control (RBAC), OpenAPI 3.1 and a built-in admin UI.</strong>
</p>

<p align="center">
  Endpoints, OpenAPI specs and MCP tools are generated from your database schema at runtime. No code generation, no ORM, no boilerplate.
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/faucetdb/faucet?style=flat-square&color=blue" alt="GitHub Release"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/blob/main/LICENSE"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/license/faucetdb/faucet?style=flat-square" alt="License: MIT"></a>
  <a href="https://hub.docker.com/r/faucetdb/faucet"><img src="https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/faucetdb/faucet?style=flat-square" alt="Docker Pulls"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/actions/workflows/ci.yml"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/faucetdb/faucet/ci.yml?branch=main&style=flat-square&label=CI" alt="CI Status"></a>
  <a href="https://goreportcard.com/report/github.com/faucetdb/faucet"><img src="https://goreportcard.com/badge/github.com/faucetdb/faucet?style=flat-square" alt="Go Report Card"></a>
  <a href="https://mcpservers.org/servers/faucetdb/faucet"><img src="https://mcpservers.org/badge.svg" alt="Listed on mcpservers.org"></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://faucetdb.ai">Website</a> &middot;
  <a href="https://wiki.faucetdb.ai">Docs</a> &middot;
  <a href="#60-second-quickstart">Getting Started</a> &middot;
  <a href="https://hub.docker.com/r/faucetdb/faucet">Docker</a> &middot;
  <a href="#mcp-server-for-ai-agents">MCP Server</a> &middot;
  <a href="https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/issues">Issues</a>
</p>

---

## What is Faucet?

Faucet is a **database-to-REST-API gateway** — a lightweight, self-hosted server that connects to your SQL databases, introspects the schema, and generates a full CRUD REST API with authentication, role-based access control (RBAC), and OpenAPI documentation. It also exposes an **MCP server** at `/mcp` so AI agents and AI app builders (Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Base44, Replit) can query your data through the same roles and API keys.

Think of it as an open-source alternative to [DreamFactory](https://www.dreamfactory.com/), [PostgREST](https://postgrest.org/), or [Hasura](https://hasura.io/), with multi-database support, a built-in admin UI, and native AI agent integration, all in a single binary. See [how it compares](#faucet-vs-postgrest-vs-hasura-vs-dreamfactory-vs-supabase).

<p align="center"><img src="screenshots/admin-databases.webp" alt="Faucet admin UI listing connected PostgreSQL and SQLite databases" width="800"></p>

### Use Cases

- **Instant backend for apps** — Skip writing CRUD APIs by hand. Point Faucet at your database and start building your frontend.
- **AI agent data access** — Give Claude, GPT, or any MCP-compatible agent governed, read/write access to your databases.
- **Internal tools & dashboards** — Generate APIs for internal databases without modifying existing infrastructure.
- **Legacy database modernization** — Put a REST API in front of SQL Server 2012, MySQL 5.7, or PostgreSQL 9.6 without code changes.
- **Multi-database aggregation** — Connect PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, and more to a single Faucet instance and query them all through one API.
- **Rapid prototyping** — Go from empty database to working API in under 60 seconds.

---

## How It Works

```
┌──────────────┐       ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐       ┌──────────────┐
│ PostgreSQL   │       │              F A U C E T              │       │   REST API   │
│ MySQL        │──────▶│                                       │──────▶│   /api/v1/*  │
│ MariaDB      │  SQL  │  ┌─────────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌───────────┐   │       ├──────────────┤
│ SQL Server   │◀──────│  │ Schema  │ │ RBAC │ │  OpenAPI  │   │──────▶│  OpenAPI 3.1 │
│ Oracle       │       │  │ Intro-  │ │ Auth │ │ Generator │   │       │ /openapi.json│
│ Snowflake    │       │  │ spection│ │      │ │           │   │       ├──────────────┤
│ SQLite       │       │  └─────────┘ └──────┘ └───────────┘   │──────▶│  MCP Server  │
└──────────────┘       │                                       │       │  (AI Agents) │
                       │  ┌──────────────────────────────────┐ │       ├──────────────┤
                       │  │   Embedded Admin UI (Preact)     │ │──────▶│   Admin UI   │
                       │  └──────────────────────────────────┘ │       │  :8080/      │
                       └───────────────────────────────────────┘       └──────────────┘
```

**Connect** any SQL database → Faucet **introspects** the schema → Instantly generates **REST endpoints**, **OpenAPI docs**, **MCP tools**, and an **Admin UI** — all secured with API keys, JWT auth, and role-based permissions.

---

## Screenshots

<p align="center">
  <img src="screenshots/admin-add-database.webp" alt="Adding a PostgreSQL database in the Faucet admin UI with host, port, user and password fields" width="800">
  <br><em>Connect a database with host, port, user and password. Faucet tests it before saving and tells you what to fix.</em>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <img src="screenshots/admin-schema.webp" alt="Faucet schema page showing columns, keys and schema drift on a locked table" width="800">
  <br><em>Browse tables, columns, keys and data, and lock your API contract against breaking schema changes.</em>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <img src="screenshots/admin-api-explorer.webp" alt="Faucet API explorer with a filtered query, JSON response and copy-as-curl" width="800">
  <br><em>Build requests with filters and pagination, then copy them as curl, JavaScript or Python.</em>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <img src="screenshots/admin-ai-agents.webp" alt="Faucet AI agents page with ready-made MCP configs for Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code and more" width="800">
  <br><em>Copy-ready MCP setup for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and ChatGPT.</em>
</p>

See the [Admin UI guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/admin-ui) for a tour of every page.

---

## Key Features

### API Generation
- **Full CRUD REST API** — GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE with filtering, ordering, and pagination
- **Schema introspection** — Discovers tables, columns, types, and constraints at runtime
- **Schema DDL** — Create, alter, and drop tables via API
- **Stored procedure calls** — Execute stored procedures with typed parameters
- **Human-readable query filters** — `(age > 21) AND (status = 'active')`
- **OpenAPI 3.1 spec** — Auto-generated from live database schema at `/openapi.json`

### Security & Access Control
- **API key authentication** — SHA-256 hashed keys with per-key role assignment
- **JWT authentication** — HMAC-SHA256 signed tokens for admin sessions
- **Role-based access control (RBAC)** — Per-table verb permissions (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
- **Row-level security filters** — Filter expressions are stored per access rule and returned by the API; applying them to queries is planned and not enforced yet
- **Schema contract locking** — Lock your API contract against silent breaking schema changes with three modes (none, auto, strict), drift detection, and CLI management

### AI Agent Integration (MCP)
- **Built-in MCP server** — 8 tools + 2 resources for Model Context Protocol, served at `/mcp` on the same port as the REST API
- **Works with your AI tools** — Copy-ready configs for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code and Windsurf; ChatGPT via a Custom GPT Action on `/openapi.json`
- **Streamable HTTP + stdio transport** — API-key authenticated over the network, or stdio on your own machine
- **Governed AI queries** — AI agents respect the same RBAC rules as API clients

### Developer Experience
- **Single binary** — Zero external dependencies, cross-platform (Linux, macOS, Windows)
- **Embedded admin UI** — connect databases with host, port, user and password (no connection strings), test before saving, browse schemas and data, build roles and keys, and copy ready-made MCP configs for Claude, Cursor, VS Code and more. Works offline; light and dark themes
- **SQLite config store** — All configuration stored locally, no external database required
- **npm + Homebrew + Docker** — Install in seconds on any platform (`npx @faucetdb/faucet`)
- **Health endpoints** — `/healthz` and `/readyz` for Kubernetes-style probes

---

## Supported Databases

| Database | Versions | Cloud Variants | Tutorial |
|----------|----------|----------------|----------|
| **PostgreSQL** | 9.6 – 17 | Amazon RDS, Aurora, Supabase, Neon, Azure Database | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-postgres) |
| **MySQL** | 5.7 – 9.x | Amazon RDS, Aurora MySQL, PlanetScale, Azure MySQL | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-mysql) |
| **MariaDB** | 10.2 – 11.x | Via MySQL driver | [MySQL guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-mysql) |
| **SQL Server** | 2012 – 2022 | Azure SQL Database, Amazon RDS | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-sqlserver) |
| **Oracle** | 12c – 26ai | Oracle Cloud (OCI), Amazon RDS, Azure | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-oracle) |
| **Snowflake** | Current | AWS, Azure, GCP | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-snowflake) |
| **SQLite** | 3.35+ | Local file, in-memory | [Guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-sqlite) |

Connector details, SSL options and driver notes: [Database connectors](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/database-connectors).

---

## 60-Second Quickstart

### Install

**npm (Node.js 18+):**
```bash
npx @faucetdb/faucet serve
```

**Homebrew (macOS / Linux):**
```bash
brew install faucetdb/tap/faucet
```

**Docker:**
```bash
docker run -p 8080:8080 -v faucet-data:/data faucetdb/faucet
```

**Go:**
```bash
go install github.com/faucetdb/faucet/cmd/faucet@latest
```

**Binary download:** See [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/releases) for pre-built binaries (Linux, macOS, Windows).

### Run

```bash
faucet serve
```

Open **http://localhost:8080**. The setup wizard creates your admin account and connects your first database: pick the engine, enter host, port, username and password, click **Test connection**, and save. Every table gets REST endpoints at `/api/v1/<name>/_table/<table>` and MCP tools right away. Then create a role on the **Roles** page and an API key on the **API keys** page, which hands you a ready-to-run `curl` command and an MCP setup command that already contain the new key.

Prefer the terminal? The same steps with the CLI:

```bash
# Create an admin account and add a database (no connection string needed)
faucet admin create --email admin@example.com --password changeme123
faucet db add --name mydb --driver postgres \
  --host localhost --user app --password 's3cret@!' --database mydb

# Create a role that can read every database, then an API key bound to it
faucet role create --name default --verbs GET
faucet key create --role default

# Start the server (it loads databases on startup), then query your data
faucet serve
curl -H "X-API-Key: faucet_YOUR_KEY_HERE" "http://localhost:8080/api/v1/mydb/_table/users?limit=10"
```

`--dsn` still works if you already have a connection string. A running server picks up databases added through the admin UI or API immediately; databases added with `faucet db add` are loaded the next time the server starts.

---

## MCP Server for AI Agents

Faucet includes a built-in [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) server, so AI agents such as Claude, Cursor, VS Code Copilot and Windsurf can query and modify your databases through governed, tool-based access.

`faucet serve` exposes the MCP server at **`http://localhost:8080/mcp`** (Streamable HTTP), on the same port as the REST API. Authenticate with an API key in the **`X-API-Key`** header. The key's role controls which databases and tables the agent can see and change, exactly as for the REST API.

The **AI agents (MCP)** page in the admin UI generates every config below with your key filled in. Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a key from the **API keys** page or `faucet key create`.

### Claude Code

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http faucet http://localhost:8080/mcp \
  --header "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

### Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf

Cursor (`~/.cursor/mcp.json` or `.cursor/mcp.json`):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "faucet": {
      "url": "http://localhost:8080/mcp",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

VS Code (`.vscode/mcp.json`, used by Copilot Chat in agent mode):

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "faucet": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8080/mcp",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}
```

Windsurf (`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`): the same as Cursor, with `serverUrl` instead of `url`.

### Claude Desktop

Claude Desktop's config file only launches local commands, so use the [`mcp-remote`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/mcp-remote) bridge (needs Node.js) in `claude_desktop_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "faucet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "http://localhost:8080/mcp", "--header", "X-API-Key:YOUR_API_KEY"]
    }
  }
}
```

For a Faucet server on another machine over plain `http://`, add `"--allow-http"` to the args. See [examples/claude-desktop-config.json](examples/claude-desktop-config.json).

### ChatGPT

ChatGPT connectors sign in with OAuth, which Faucet does not support. Use a **Custom GPT Action** instead: expose Faucet over HTTPS, import `https://your-host/openapi.json`, and set authentication to API key with the custom header `X-API-Key`.

### Local stdio (your machine only)

MCP clients can also launch Faucet as a subprocess. stdio mode reads the databases configured with `faucet serve` or `faucet db add` (`~/.faucet` by default) and runs with **local admin rights**: roles are not applied. Use it only on your own machine; for anything shared, use `/mcp` with an API key.

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "faucet": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@faucetdb/faucet", "mcp"]
    }
  }
}
```

The same config is in [examples/mcp-stdio-config.json](examples/mcp-stdio-config.json). If `faucet` is installed (Homebrew, Go or a release binary), use `"command": "faucet", "args": ["mcp"]`. `faucet mcp --transport http --port 3001` runs a standalone, API-key authenticated HTTP server on its own port.

Full guide, including a curl test and the OpenAI Responses API: [MCP server docs](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/mcp-server).

### Available MCP Tools

| Tool | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `faucet_list_services` | List all connected databases |
| `faucet_list_tables` | List tables in a database |
| `faucet_describe_table` | Get column names, types, and constraints |
| `faucet_query` | Query records with filters, ordering, pagination |
| `faucet_insert` | Insert new records |
| `faucet_update` | Update existing records |
| `faucet_delete` | Delete records |
| `faucet_raw_sql` | Execute raw SQL (admin only) |

---

## CLI Reference

```bash
faucet serve                    # Start HTTP server (default :8080)
faucet db add NAME              # Add database connection
faucet db list                  # List configured databases
faucet db test NAME             # Test database connectivity
faucet db schema NAME           # Dump database schema
faucet db lock NAME             # Lock schema contract
faucet db unlock NAME           # Remove contract locks
faucet db diff NAME             # Show schema drift
faucet db promote NAME          # Promote contracts to match live schema
faucet key create               # Create API key
faucet key list                 # List API keys
faucet role create              # Create RBAC role (--verbs grants its first rule)
faucet role grant               # Add an access rule to a role
faucet role list                # List roles and their rules
faucet admin create             # Create admin account
faucet mcp                      # Start MCP server (stdio)
faucet openapi                  # Generate OpenAPI spec
faucet config set KEY VALUE     # Set configuration value
faucet version                  # Show version info
```

### Access rules (RBAC)

A role is a list of rules `{service_name, component, verb_mask}`. An API key inherits the rules of the role it is bound to; every request is checked against them. Admin JWT sessions (the dashboard and `/api/v1/system/*`) bypass RBAC.

**Verb bits** — combine with bitwise OR:

| Verb | Bit |
|------|-----|
| GET | 1 |
| POST | 2 |
| PUT | 4 |
| PATCH | 8 |
| DELETE | 16 |
| all | 31 |

**Matching** (case-sensitive — patterns must match the service and table names exactly as they appear in the URL):

- `service_name`: `*` (any service), an exact name (`mydb`), or a prefix wildcard (`prod_*`)
- `component`: `*` (anything), an exact component (`_table/customers`, `_schema`), a prefix wildcard (`_table/*` — every table *and* the `_table` listing), or a bare name (`customers`, which matches `_table/customers`, `_schema/customers`, ...)

**Fail closed.** A role with no rules, a rule with `verb_mask` 0, or an inactive role denies everything with `403` and an error envelope that says why:

```json
{"error":{"code":403,"message":"Role \"readonly\" does not permit POST on mydb/_table/orders",
          "context":{"role":"readonly","service":"mydb","component":"_table/orders","verb":"POST"}}}
```

Services flagged `read_only` reject every non-GET request regardless of role.

**MCP.** Tools map onto the same verbs: `faucet_query` = GET, `faucet_insert` = POST, `faucet_update` = PATCH, `faucet_delete` = DELETE, `faucet_list_tables` = GET on `_table`, `faucet_describe_table` = GET on `_schema/{table}`. `faucet_raw_sql` requires all five verbs on a rule matching component `_sql` (e.g. `*`). `faucet_list_services` only lists services the role can reach. `faucet mcp` in stdio mode runs with local admin privileges; `faucet mcp --transport http` requires the same API key or JWT credentials as the main server.

**Granting rules** from the CLI:

```bash
faucet role create --name readonly --verbs GET                                        # GET on every service
faucet role grant --role readonly --service mydb --component "_table/orders" --verbs GET,POST
```

or through the admin API, which replaces the whole rule list:

```bash
curl -X PUT -H "Authorization: Bearer $JWT" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  http://localhost:8080/api/v1/system/role/1 -d '{
    "name": "readonly",
    "is_active": true,
    "access": [
      {"service_name": "*",    "component": "*",              "verb_mask": 1, "requestor_mask": 1, "filters": [], "filter_op": "AND"},
      {"service_name": "mydb", "component": "_table/orders",  "verb_mask": 3, "requestor_mask": 1, "filters": [], "filter_op": "AND"}
    ]
  }'
```

> Row-level `filters` on a rule are stored and returned by the API but are not yet applied to queries.

**Upgrading.** Before this fix, role rules were stored but never enforced for API-key requests. Roles created with `faucet role create` that were never given rules will now be denied with `403` — grant them rules with `faucet role grant` or the admin UI. Roles created in the admin UI default to GET-only on all services, so API keys that previously wrote data through such roles now need `POST`/`PUT`/`PATCH`/`DELETE` granted explicitly. On startup `faucet serve` logs a warning for every role that has active API keys but would deny all requests (no rules, only `verb_mask: 0` rules, or inactive), together with the `faucet role grant` command that fixes it.

The admin JWT signing secret is no longer a built-in default: when `auth.jwt_secret` / `FAUCET_AUTH_JWT_SECRET` (alias `FAUCET_JWT_SECRET`) is not configured, a random secret is generated on first start and persisted in the data directory. Existing admin sessions are invalidated by the upgrade unless the secret was already configured — log in again.

## API Routes

```
GET  /healthz                                    # Liveness probe
GET  /readyz                                     # Readiness probe
GET  /openapi.json                               # OpenAPI 3.1 spec

POST   /api/v1/system/admin/session              # Admin login
GET    /api/v1/system/service                    # List services
POST   /api/v1/system/service                    # Create service
GET    /api/v1/system/role                       # List roles
POST   /api/v1/system/role                       # Create role
POST   /api/v1/system/api-key                    # Create API key

GET    /api/v1/{service}/_table                  # List tables
GET    /api/v1/{service}/_table/{table}          # Query records
POST   /api/v1/{service}/_table/{table}          # Insert records
PUT    /api/v1/{service}/_table/{table}          # Replace records
PATCH  /api/v1/{service}/_table/{table}          # Update records
DELETE /api/v1/{service}/_table/{table}          # Delete records

GET    /api/v1/{service}/_schema                 # List table schemas
POST   /api/v1/{service}/_schema                 # Create table
GET    /api/v1/{service}/_proc                   # List stored procedures
POST   /api/v1/{service}/_proc/{proc}            # Call procedure
```

## Query Parameters

| Parameter | Example | Description |
|-----------|---------|-------------|
| `filter`  | `(age > 21) AND (name LIKE 'A%')` | SQL-style filter syntax with safe parameterization |
| `order`   | `created_at DESC, name ASC` | Sort order |
| `limit`   | `25` | Max records to return |
| `offset`  | `50` | Skip N records for pagination |
| `fields`  | `id,name,email` | Select specific columns |
| `ids`     | `1,2,3` | Filter by primary key values |
| `include_count` | `true` | Include total record count in response metadata |

---

## Faucet vs PostgREST vs Hasura vs DreamFactory vs Supabase

A short comparison of how each project is shaped. It covers only facts you can check in each project's own docs; if something here is out of date, please [open an issue](https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/issues).

| | Faucet | PostgREST | Hasura | DreamFactory | Supabase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Primary API** | REST + OpenAPI 3.1, plus a built-in MCP endpoint at `/mcp` | REST | GraphQL-first | REST | REST (via PostgREST), realtime, auth, storage |
| **Databases** | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, SQLite | PostgreSQL | PostgreSQL plus other sources via connectors | Many SQL and NoSQL sources | PostgreSQL |
| **Admin UI** | Embedded in the binary | None | Console | Web admin app | Studio |
| **How you run it** | Single Go binary, config in embedded SQLite | Single binary | Engine plus a Postgres metadata database (v2) | PHP/Laravel application | Hosted platform, or self-host a multi-service Docker stack |
| **License** | MIT | MIT | Apache 2.0 (graphql-engine repo) | Apache 2.0 (open-source edition), paid editions available | Apache 2.0 |

---

## FAQ

**What is Faucet?**
Faucet is an open-source (MIT) single Go binary that turns a SQL database into a REST API and an MCP server for AI agents. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake and SQLite, and includes RBAC, an OpenAPI 3.1 spec and a built-in admin UI.

**Which databases does Faucet support?**
Seven: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB (through the MySQL driver), SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake and SQLite. See [Supported Databases](#supported-databases) for versions and per-database tutorials.

**How do I connect Claude Code or Claude Desktop to my database?**
Run `faucet serve`, connect your database in the admin UI, create an API key, then run `claude mcp add --transport http faucet http://localhost:8080/mcp --header "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"`. Claude Desktop uses the `mcp-remote` bridge; see [Claude Desktop](#claude-desktop).

**How do I connect Cursor, VS Code or Windsurf?**
Add `http://localhost:8080/mcp` as an HTTP MCP server with an `X-API-Key` header. Copy-paste configs are in [Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf](#cursor-vs-code-windsurf) and on the admin UI's **AI agents (MCP)** page.

**How do I connect ChatGPT to my database?**
Expose Faucet over HTTPS, create an API key with a read-only role, and add a Custom GPT Action that imports `https://your-host/openapi.json` with API-key authentication (header `X-API-Key`). ChatGPT connectors need OAuth, which Faucet does not support.

**Can I use Faucet with Base44, Replit or other AI app builders?**
Yes. Expose Faucet over HTTPS and create a scoped API key. Then add `https://your-host/mcp` with an `X-API-Key` header as a custom MCP server, or call the REST API (`/api/v1/...`) and OpenAPI spec (`/openapi.json`) from your app.

**Is Faucet self-hosted? Where does my data live?**
Yes. Faucet runs wherever you run it (your laptop, a server next to an on-prem database, a container) and talks to your database directly; rows are not copied anywhere. Its own configuration (connections, roles, API keys, admin accounts) is stored in an embedded SQLite file in the data directory (`~/.faucet` by default, `/data` in Docker). Anonymous usage telemetry is described, with how to turn it off, in [TELEMETRY.md](TELEMETRY.md).

**Is Faucet free?**
Yes. Faucet is open source under the [MIT license](LICENSE), with no paid tiers for core functionality.

**How is Faucet different from PostgREST?**
PostgREST only supports PostgreSQL. Faucet supports 7 databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake, SQLite), includes a built-in admin UI, and provides native MCP support for AI agents, all in a single binary.

**How is Faucet different from Hasura?**
Hasura is GraphQL-first. Faucet generates REST APIs with an OpenAPI 3.1 spec (not GraphQL), runs as a single binary that keeps its configuration in an embedded SQLite file, and includes a built-in MCP server for AI agents.

**How is Faucet different from DreamFactory?**
DreamFactory is a PHP/Laravel application that runs on a web server stack with PHP. Faucet is a single Go binary with no runtime dependencies. Faucet is fully open-source under the MIT license with all features included, with no paid tiers required for core functionality.

**How is Faucet different from Supabase?**
Supabase is a PostgreSQL platform (database, auth, storage, realtime) that you use hosted or self-host as a set of services. Faucet does not host your data: it puts a REST API and an MCP server in front of a database you already have, including MySQL, SQL Server, Oracle, Snowflake and SQLite.

**Does Faucet support GraphQL?**
Not currently. Faucet generates REST APIs and OpenAPI 3.1 specs. GraphQL support may be added in the future.

**Is Faucet production-ready?**
Faucet is under active development. It is suitable for internal tools, prototyping, and AI agent integration. Check the [releases page](https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/releases) for the latest version.

**Can AI agents write data through Faucet?**
Yes. MCP tools include `faucet_insert`, `faucet_update`, and `faucet_delete`. All operations respect RBAC roles, so you can give AI agents read-only or read-write access per table. Raw SQL is off unless you allow it for a service and grant all verbs.

**Does Faucet require a separate database for configuration?**
No. Faucet uses an embedded SQLite database for all configuration, credentials, roles, and API keys. Everything is stored locally in a single file.

---

## Building from Source

```bash
git clone https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet.git
cd faucet
make build      # Builds UI + Go binary
make test       # Runs all tests
make dev        # Dev mode with hot reload
```

## Tech Stack

- **Go 1.25+** — Chi router, sqlx, Cobra/Viper CLI
- **Preact + Vite + Tailwind** — Embedded admin UI
- **SQLite** (pure Go, no CGO) — Configuration store
- **MCP** (Model Context Protocol) — AI agent integration

## Documentation

Full documentation is at **[wiki.faucetdb.ai](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai)**:

- [Getting started](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/getting-started): install, connect a database, make your first request
- [Admin UI guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/admin-ui): a tour of every page
- [MCP server](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/mcp-server): connect Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and ChatGPT
- [Roles and API keys (RBAC)](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/rbac)
- [Filter syntax](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/filter-syntax)
- [API reference](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/api-reference)
- [CLI reference](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/cli-reference)
- [Schema locking](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/schema-locking)
- [Deployment](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/deployment): Docker, Kubernetes, systemd, reverse proxies, production checklist
- [Database connectors](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/database-connectors) and tutorials for [PostgreSQL](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-postgres), [MySQL / MariaDB](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-mysql), [SQL Server](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-sqlserver), [Oracle](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-oracle), [Snowflake](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-snowflake) and [SQLite](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/tutorial-sqlite)
- [Architecture](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/architecture)
- [LLM guide](https://wiki.faucetdb.ai/llm-guide): a compact reference written for AI coding assistants

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines, or open an [issue](https://github.com/faucetdb/faucet/issues) to report bugs and request features.

## License

[MIT](LICENSE) — free for commercial and personal use.