MySQL Workbench Review: Version 26, Features, Limits (2026)

Vendor

Oracle

Price

Free

Platforms

Windows, macOS, Linux

Licence

GPL (Community edition, per Oracle's download page)

Works with

MySQL 8.4 LTSMySQL 9.7 LTSMySQL 26.7 InnovationMySQL HeatWave

Short answer

If you run MySQL 8.4 LTS or newer and want Oracle's own free tool for writing SQL, checking server status, managing users and reading execution plans, MySQL Workbench 26 is the obvious first thing to try. Be careful in two situations. First, if you still run MySQL 8.0, Oracle does not officially support it with Workbench 26, and the old 8.0 series of Workbench is end of life. Second, if you rely on EER modelling or the Migration Wizard, the current product page does not list either, and Oracle's pages disagree about what carried over, so confirm on the release you install before you upgrade. For several database engines, a multi-database client such as DBeaver is a better fit.

How we know: This review is research-based. Version, features, supported servers, platforms and licence were checked against Oracle's MySQL Workbench product page, download page, manuals, release notes index, supported-platforms page and MySQL blog on 7 October 2026. Oracle's own pages were inconsistent on that date, and the review points out where. We have not run MySQL Workbench 26, so nothing here is a test result.

Overview

MySQL Workbench is Oracle's official graphical tool for MySQL. In 2026 Oracle released MySQL Workbench 26.7.0, which its product page calls "the next generation" of the tool. It is a new application built on the MySQL Shell foundation; Oracle's announcement describes it as a desktop application built on MySQL Shell using modern web frameworks and Electron. The product page states that earlier Workbench releases "have reached end of life and are no longer maintained", and that MySQL Shell for VS Code has been discontinued. Workbench now follows a single version series, so there is one current release rather than parallel 8.0 and 8.4 lines.

According to the product page, the new Workbench covers four areas. Development: a Script Editor and SQL Notebooks, with SQL, JavaScript and TypeScript, updated auto-completion, SQL formatting, result editing and execution controls. Administration: server status and configuration, users and grants, and client connections. Performance: Performance Reports for slow queries, plus Visual Explain and Visual Explain Analyze. Backup and migration: MySQL Enterprise Backup integration for full and incremental backups, and the HeatWave Migration Assistant for moving databases to MySQL HeatWave on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

Oracle's pages do not agree with each other. On 7 October 2026: the product page does not list EER (visual data) modelling or the Migration Wizard; the download page, which offers 26.7.0, still lists "Database Design & Modeling" and "Database Migration"; the MySQL Workbench Manual still documents versions 8.0 through 8.0.47, including modelling and the Migration Wizard; the Workbench chapter of the MySQL 26.7 Reference Manual still says Workbench "is developed and tested with MySQL Server 8.0"; the release notes index stops at 8.0.47 (23 April 2026); and the supported-platforms page is still headed MySQL Workbench 8.0. Oracle's announcement says the rebuild is in active development and that some features found in Workbench 8 may not be available yet. Treat the product page and the announcement as the current description, and check the build you install for any feature you depend on.

On supported servers, Oracle's announcement says Workbench 26.7 supports MySQL 8.4 LTS and newer, MySQL 9.7 LTS, MySQL 26.7 and the Innovation releases in between; MySQL 8.0 and older end-of-life versions may work but are not officially supported. Downloads are offered for Windows (MSI installer and ZIP, x86 64-bit), macOS, Debian Linux and generic Linux, plus source code. The Windows download page lists the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 and the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2019 as prerequisites.

Key features

Script Editor and SQL Notebooks that combine queries, results and notes, with SQL, JavaScript and TypeScript (product page)
Auto-completion, SQL formatting, result editing and execution controls
Administration screens for server status and configuration, users and grants, and client connections
Visual Explain and Visual Explain Analyze, plus Performance Reports for investigating slow queries
MySQL Enterprise Backup integration for visual full and incremental backups (requires the commercial backup product)
HeatWave Migration Assistant, a guided wizard for migrating databases to MySQL HeatWave on OCI

Pros and cons

Pros

Free, official tool from the MySQL vendor, with a GPL Community edition
Built on MySQL Shell, which Oracle now positions as the common foundation for its MySQL tools
Visual Explain and Visual Explain Analyze for reading execution plans
SQL Notebooks alongside a traditional script editor
Downloads for Windows, macOS and Linux

Cons

MySQL 8.0 servers are not officially supported by Workbench 26, and the old Workbench 8.0 series is end of life
EER modelling and the Migration Wizard are not listed on the current product page, and Oracle's other pages still describe them, so their status is unclear
Oracle's manual, release notes and supported-platforms pages had not caught up with version 26 in October 2026
MySQL only: it is not a client for PostgreSQL, SQL Server or other engines
Backup integration depends on MySQL Enterprise Backup, a commercial product

Pricing

MySQL Workbench Community is a free download, and Oracle's download page states that the Community (OSS) edition is available under the GPL. There is no paid tier to unlock the editor itself. Some capabilities on the product page depend on paid MySQL products: the backup screens integrate with MySQL Enterprise Backup, which is part of Oracle's commercial MySQL offering, and the HeatWave Migration Assistant targets MySQL HeatWave on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, which is billed by Oracle. Oracle does not publish a price for these on the Workbench pages checked.

Pricing checked on the vendor's official page on 7 October 2026. Prices change; confirm before buying.

Who it is best for

MySQL developers and DBAs on MySQL 8.4 LTS, 9.7 LTS or 26.7 who want Oracle's own free tool for writing SQL, reading execution plans and handling everyday administration.

Who should look elsewhere

Teams still running MySQL 8.0 servers, which Workbench 26 does not officially support. Compare clients that support MySQL generally, such as DBeaver or HeidiSQL.
Anyone whose workflow depends on EER diagrams or forward and reverse engineering until Oracle confirms those features in version 26. See best ER diagram tools.
People who work across several database engines: a multi-database client such as DBeaver or DataGrip covers more than MySQL.
Anyone weighing the move to version 26 against other tools: see best MySQL Workbench alternatives.

Verdict

Our take

MySQL Workbench is still the default free tool to evaluate if MySQL is your engine, but it is a different product from the Workbench many tutorials describe. Version 26 is a rebuild on MySQL Shell, with SQL Notebooks, Visual Explain and administration screens, aimed at MySQL 8.4 LTS and later. The weak points are transition problems: MySQL 8.0 is not officially supported, the visual modelling and migration features of the old version are not on the current product page, and Oracle's documentation contradicts itself. Upgrade once you have confirmed the features you rely on, and look at DBeaver vs MySQL Workbench or HeidiSQL vs MySQL Workbench if they are missing.

MySQL Workbench how-to guides

Frequently asked questions

Is MySQL Workbench free?

Yes. Oracle's download page offers MySQL Workbench Community 26.7.0 free of charge under the GPL. Some integrations, such as MySQL Enterprise Backup and the HeatWave Migration Assistant, work with paid Oracle products.

Is MySQL Workbench 8.0 still supported?

No. Oracle's product page states that earlier Workbench releases have reached end of life and are no longer maintained. The last 8.0 release in the release notes index is 8.0.47 (23 April 2026). The current release is MySQL Workbench 26.7.0.

Does MySQL Workbench 26 work with MySQL 8.0?

Oracle's announcement says Workbench 26.7 supports MySQL 8.4 LTS and newer, 9.7 LTS and 26.7; MySQL 8.0 and older versions may work but are not officially supported. If you cannot upgrade the server yet, test carefully or use a client that supports MySQL generally.

Does the new MySQL Workbench still have EER diagrams and the Migration Wizard?

Oracle's pages disagree. The current product page lists neither, while the download page and the older manual still describe database design and modelling and database migration. Oracle's announcement says some Workbench 8 features may not be available yet. Check the release you install. For modelling alternatives, see best ER diagram tools.

Does MySQL Workbench work with MariaDB?

Oracle does not list MariaDB among the servers Workbench 26 supports. For MariaDB, HeidiSQL and DBeaver list MariaDB support.

Sources

Checked October 2026.

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