How to Connect SQL Developer to PostgreSQL

Set up a PostgreSQL connection in SQL Developer in just a few clicks. No complex configuration required - the PostgreSQL driver is built-in.

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Before You Start

What you'll need

SQL Developer installed (download free)
PostgreSQL server running and accessible
Connection details: hostname, port, username, password, database name

Good news: Unlike MySQL, you don't need to download a separate JDBC driver. SQL Developer includes PostgreSQL support out of the box.

Connect to PostgreSQL Step by Step

Follow these steps to set up your connection

Open Connection Dialog

Click the green + icon in the Connections panel on the left side of SQL Developer. This opens the New Database Connection dialog.

Select PostgreSQL

In the connection dialog, click the PostgreSQL tab on the left side. The form will update to show PostgreSQL-specific fields.

Enter Connection Details

Connection Name: Any name (e.g., "My Postgres DB")
Username: postgres (or your user)
Password: Your password
Hostname: localhost or server IP
Port: 5432 (default)
Database: postgres (or your DB name)

Test and Connect

Click Test to verify the connection works. If successful, click Save then Connect.

PostgreSQL Connection Examples

Common configurations for different setups

Local PostgreSQL


                            Hostname: localhost

                            Port: 5432

                            Database: postgres

                            Username: postgres

Heroku Postgres


                            Hostname: ec2-xx-xxx-xxx-xx.compute-1.amazonaws.com

                            Port: 5432

                            Database: (from Heroku dashboard)

                            Username: (from Heroku dashboard)

                            SSL: Required

Amazon RDS PostgreSQL


                            Hostname: your-instance.xxxx.region.rds.amazonaws.com

                            Port: 5432

                            Database: postgres

                            Username: your_master_user

DigitalOcean Managed Database


                            Hostname: your-db-do-user-xxxxx-0.db.ondigitalocean.com

                            Port: 25060

                            Database: defaultdb

                            SSL: Required

PostgreSQL Connection Troubleshooting

Fix common connection problems

Connection Refused

PostgreSQL isn't accepting connections. Check that the service is running:
sudo systemctl status postgresql
Also verify pg_hba.conf allows your connection.

FATAL: password authentication failed

Wrong password or username. PostgreSQL usernames are case-sensitive. Try resetting the password:
ALTER USER postgres PASSWORD 'newpass';

FATAL: no pg_hba.conf entry

PostgreSQL is rejecting your IP. Edit pg_hba.conf and add:
host all all 0.0.0.0/0 md5
Then restart PostgreSQL.

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