How to Download & Install HeidiSQL (Windows, Linux, macOS and Wine)

HeidiSQL download: which file to choose

The official HeidiSQL download page lists version 12.21, released on 3 August 2026. All builds are free (see Is HeidiSQL free?). If the download buttons do not appear, the page notes that you need to disable your ad blocker and reload.

Installing HeidiSQL on Windows

The help page says HeidiSQL runs on Windows 11 and on Windows 7, 8 and 10 with some minor issues; on Windows on Arm devices it runs through emulation. The installer is x64 only. The documented options are:

1. Installer. Run the downloaded setup file. The Inno Setup script offers these tasks: Create a desktop icon, Create example SQL snippet files (unticked by default), Associate .SQL files with HeidiSQL, and, under Telemetry, automatic update checks and reporting client and server versions to heidisql.com. Untick any you do not want. The installer copies the client libraries for MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Interbase and Firebird, plus plink.exe for SSH tunnels.
2. Portable ZIP. Unzip and run. HeidiSQL starts in portable mode when it finds a portable.lock or portable_settings.txt file and keeps its settings there; when upgrading, copy portable_settings.txt from the old folder or the session manager will be empty.
3. Package managers. The download page lists the commands below.

If you see an error that a vcruntime DLL is missing, install the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, as the installation notes advise. If HeidiSQL starts and closes immediately, the help page points to Windows Exploit protection settings (Mandatory ASLR, Bottom-up ASLR, Validate heap integrity) and suggests an exception for heidisql.exe only.

winget install HeidiSQL.HeidiSQL
choco install heidisql

Installing HeidiSQL on Linux

HeidiSQL has a native Linux version, built with Lazarus and FreePascal from a separate code base. The download page gives these install commands for the DEB and RPM packages, and notes that on Ubuntu 24.04 the libqt6pas library must be installed first because it is not yet in the repositories:

curl -L -o /tmp/libqt6pas6_6.2.10-1_amd64.deb https://github.com/davidbannon/libqt6pas/releases/download/v6.2.10/libqt6pas6_6.2.10-1_amd64.deb
sudo apt install /tmp/libqt6pas6_6.2.10-1_amd64.deb

# DEB
sudo apt install ~/Downloads/heidisql...deb
# RPM
sudo yum install Downloads/heidisql...rpm

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flatpark https://dl.flatpark.org/flatpark.flatpakrepo
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
flatpak install flatpark com.heidisql.HeidiSQL

Database client libraries on Linux

Unlike the Windows installer, the Linux version does not ship database client libraries. The DEB package pulls them in as dependencies (MariaDB or MySQL client, libpq5 for PostgreSQL, libsqlite3-0 and libsybdb5, the FreeTDS library used for SQL Server) and recommends openssh-client for SSH tunnels. With a tarball you install them yourself, for example sudo apt-get install libmariadb-dev and sudo apt-get install libpq5, as the help page shows.

Settings on Linux are stored in a JSON file. To move sessions from Windows, use File > Export settings on Windows and File > Import settings on Linux.

HeidiSQL on Wine: still an option?

Before the native Linux build existed, many Linux users ran the Windows version through Wine. The current help page is clear: running HeidiSQL on Wine is "currently quite unstable", and the native Linux version may be an alternative if you get issues through Wine. The issue tracker keeps a separate wine label for problems in the Windows version running through Wine, distinct from the native Linux version.

The one case where Wine may still matter is SQL Server: the native Linux build connects through FreeTDS, which the project describes as not yet fully mature (see Connect HeidiSQL to SQL Server). HeidiSQL's own error message for failed SQL Server connections on Wine suggests installing MDAC with winetricks. Treat this as unsupported territory and prefer the native build where it works.

macOS and the v13 preview

macOS. The download page offers a macOS arm64 app bundle. The help page states that it supports only Apple silicon Macs and does not run on Intel-based Macs.

v13 preview. The Windows v13 preview is labelled "new codebase". According to the Lazarus branch README, from v13 onwards the Windows version will be compiled from the same Lazarus code base as Linux and macOS. The download page says to unzip the preview into your existing HeidiSQL directory, so you can use both versions in parallel. It is a preview, not the stable release.

Once installed, continue with connecting HeidiSQL to MySQL.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• HeidiSQL downloads and installation notes
• HeidiSQL help: requirements, libraries, compatibility, portable mode
• HeidiSQL home page
• HeidiSQL Windows installer script (Inno Setup)
• HeidiSQL Debian package control file
• HeidiSQL Lazarus branch README
• HeidiSQL issue tracker labels (wine)
• HeidiSQL source: dbconnection.pas (Wine hint for SQL Server)

Checked 8 October 2026.

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