MySQL Download: Community Server, Installer & Versions

Before you download MySQL — or hand the deployment to a MySQL server support team — decide which release series you need. MySQL Community Server is free software under the GPL, distributed by Oracle from dev.mysql.com; MySQL Enterprise Edition is the same server plus commercial extensions (audit, firewall, backup, monitoring) and is not a public download — it comes through an Oracle subscription and Oracle Software Delivery Cloud. Everything on this page covers the Community edition: the official download sources for every platform, the current version numbers, and which series to install.

Official download sources

All Community downloads come from dev.mysql.com/downloads. There is no reason to use a third-party mirror; the official packages are free and are the only ones covered by Oracle's published checksums and GnuPG signatures.

Version numbering changed in 2026. The LTS track continues as before — 8.4.x and 9.7.x are the two current LTS series, each supported for years with bug and security fixes only. The Innovation track moved to year-based numbers: 26.7.0 is the current Innovation release, carrying the newest features on a quarterly cadence. Older references to "9.x Innovation" describe the pre-2026 scheme.

Windows: MSI packages, not MySQL Installer

The MySQL Installer for Windows — the bundled wizard that installed server, Workbench, and connectors together — is deprecated. Oracle's notice on the installer download page states that MySQL 8.0 is the final series with MySQL Installer, and that from MySQL 8.1 onward each product installs from its own MSI or ZIP archive. Server MSIs since 8.1 bundle MySQL Configurator, which handles the initial configuration steps the old installer used to perform.

For a current Windows install, download the standalone MSI for 8.4 LTS or 9.7 LTS from the Community Server page (about 130 MB), run it, then let MySQL Configurator set the root password, service name, and port. Workbench and each connector are separate MSI downloads. The legacy MySQL Installer remains available only for MySQL 5.7–8.0 installs.

Linux: official APT and Yum repositories

Oracle publishes native repositories so the server installs and updates through the distribution's package manager. On Debian and Ubuntu, install the repo config package from the MySQL APT repository page, then install the server:

wget https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql-apt-config_0.8.34-1_all.deb
sudo dpkg -i mysql-apt-config_0.8.34-1_all.deb
sudo apt update
sudo apt install mysql-server

The dpkg step opens a text menu where you pick the release series (8.4 LTS by default). On RHEL, Oracle Linux, Rocky, Alma, and Fedora, use the MySQL Yum repository:

sudo dnf install https://dev.mysql.com/get/mysql84-community-release-el9-1.noarch.rpm
sudo dnf install mysql-community-server
sudo systemctl enable --now mysqld

Check the repo page for the exact config-package filename matching your distribution release before running these; Oracle revs the version suffix periodically.

Two notes on distribution default repositories. Ubuntu's own archive ships a mysql-server package without adding any repo — on Ubuntu 24.04 that package is MySQL 8.0, which is now past end of support, so the Oracle repository is the correct source for new installs. RHEL-family distributions do not ship MySQL at all in their default repos; their mysql-compatible default is MariaDB, a separate fork covered in our MariaDB overview. For a full walkthrough on Ubuntu, see how to install MySQL on Ubuntu 24.04.

macOS

The Community Server page offers a native DMG installer for macOS on Apple silicon (ARM) and Intel, plus a TAR archive. The DMG installs a preference pane for starting and stopping the server. Homebrew is the common alternative: the mysql formula tracks the current release and manages the service through brew services. Homebrew builds are community-packaged, not Oracle-signed — for a checksum-verifiable install, use the DMG from dev.mysql.com.

Docker

Two official image sources exist. The Docker Hub image at hub.docker.com/_/mysql is the Docker Official Image, with tags for each active series (8.4, 9.7, latest). Oracle also publishes its own build as mysql/community-server on the Oracle Container Registry, maintained by the MySQL team. Both are legitimate; the Docker Hub image is the more widely used in CI pipelines and compose files. Pin a series tag such as mysql:8.4 rather than latest, so a major-version jump never arrives as a silent image update.

Which version to download

For production, download an LTS series. Within LTS, always take the latest patch release — patches within a series contain no behavior changes, only fixes. Upgrades move forward only: an 8.0 data directory upgrades in place to 8.4, but a downgrade requires a logical dump and reload.

Verify the download

Every package page on dev.mysql.com lists an MD5 checksum next to the download button, and Oracle signs all packages with its GnuPG build key. Compare the checksum after download (certutil -hashfile on Windows, md5sum on Linux) and, for scripted deployments, verify the GnuPG signature per the signature-checking section of the MySQL Reference Manual. The APT and Yum repositories handle signature verification automatically through the package manager once the repo config package installs Oracle's key.

FAQ

Is MySQL free to download?

Yes. MySQL Community Server is free under the GPLv2 license for any use, including production. The Enterprise Edition subscription adds commercial tooling and Oracle support, not a different server core.

What replaced MySQL Installer on Windows?

Standalone MSI packages per product, plus MySQL Configurator bundled with the server MSI for initial setup. MySQL Installer only covers the 5.7–8.0 series and is deprecated.

Should I download MySQL 8.4 or 9.7?

Both are LTS. 8.4 has the larger installed base and the widest third-party tool certification; 9.7 has a longer remaining support window. New deployments with no compatibility constraints can start on 9.7; estates standardized on 8.4 lose nothing by staying there.