BigQuery has the Google Cloud Console (slow web UI) and the bq CLI (text-only). For real day-to-day BigQuery work on Mac, you've been stuck with DBeaver's JDBC driver or DataGrip's JVM tool. QueryFlow is the native Swift BigQuery client, and BigQuery connections are now live in 1.6.2.
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Quick answer: QueryFlow connects to BigQuery by signing in with Google or a service account key. Browse projects, datasets, and tables, write GoogleSQL in a native editor, and ask the Ask panel questions in plain English. Flow Books and Watch This alerts also work against a connected project. As of 1.7, BigQuery is also a Data Sync target and job destination, with Insert, Update or Upsert. Credentials live in the macOS Keychain. Up to 100,000 rows per query.
BigQuery users on Mac currently choose between: Google Cloud Console (web UI, comprehensive but slow), bq CLI (text-only, scriptable), DBeaver with JDBC (JVM cold start, generic UI), DataGrip with JDBC (JVM cold start, JetBrains polish, $118/year), or Looker Studio (visualization-focused). None offer a fast native Mac SQL editor experience purpose-built for BigQuery.
Add a BigQuery connection from the connection screen and point it at your project. Once connected, the schema browser lists your datasets and tables the way it does for any other connection. We haven't tested every possible workspace or identity setup out there, so if something about your configuration is unusual, the connection screen will tell you what it needs.
BigQuery's web Console is comprehensive but slow on large result sets (rendering 100K+ rows takes meaningful time). The bq CLI is fast but you lose visual feedback. JVM-based tools have multi-second cold starts. A native Mac client launches in <1 second and renders large results without lag — important when you're iterating on BigQuery queries that run for minutes.
QueryFlow's SQL editor understands GoogleSQL syntax: UNNEST for array flattening, ARRAY_AGG and STRUCT for grouped operations, and the backtick-quoted project.dataset.table paths BigQuery uses everywhere. Syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and the Ask panel all work with the GoogleSQL dialect.
Once connected, the Ask panel sees the datasets and tables your connection can access. Ask a question like "how many orders came in last week" against your `analytics_prod.fact_sessions` table and it writes GoogleSQL with your actual project.dataset.table names and shows you the query before it runs. See asking BigQuery questions in plain English for a full walkthrough.
Run a query against BigQuery, click Watch This, and QueryFlow can alert Slack, Microsoft Teams, email, a webhook, or a macOS notification when a row count or value changes, or crosses a threshold you set. See BigQuery alerts to Slack and Teams for the details.
As of 1.7, BigQuery is also a Data Sync target and a scheduled job destination. Build a sync with BigQuery as the target, pick Insert, Update or Upsert, and for Update or Upsert choose a MATCH ON column, QueryFlow issues the MERGE for you. As a job destination, pick Append or Replace under Destinations. See upserting into BigQuery or Databricks and the Connect BigQuery tutorial.
BigQuery prices by data scanned, so it's worth developing a habit of checking which tables a query touches before running it against something large, whether you wrote the query yourself or the Ask panel did. See BigQuery's own query validator for an exact cost estimate before running anything at scale.
Yes. BigQuery connections shipped in 1.6.2. Connect a project, browse datasets and tables, write SQL, and use the Ask panel, Flow Books, and Watch This against it.
Yes, as of 1.7. BigQuery works as a source and as a Data Sync target, with Insert, Update or Upsert using MERGE on a key column you choose, and as a job destination with Append or Replace.
We haven't tested every configuration. QueryFlow connects with whatever permissions your project grants; treat access as exactly what your setup already allows rather than assuming anything extra.
It's available alongside your other connections on Studio and Pipelines. Watch This alerts and Slack/Teams destinations are a Pipelines feature; see /pricing for the breakdown.
Your SQL runs against your BigQuery project directly from your Mac. If you use the Ask panel, only your question and the context you choose to include go to the AI model you picked, on your own key.
14-day free trial, no card. Connect your project and see the schema browser fill in.
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