- MySQL Workbench is free: Oracle's download page offers the Community (OSS) edition of MySQL Workbench 26.7.0 under the GPL, at no cost.
- The source code is public. Workbench 26 is built from Oracle's mysql-shell-plugins repository on GitHub, whose licence file names GPL version 2.
- The old Workbench 8.0 series also had paid Commercial editions (Standard and Enterprise) with extra features; that series is now end of life.
- Two features of Workbench 26.7 point at paid Oracle products: the MySQL Enterprise Backup screens and the HeatWave Migration Assistant for Oracle Cloud.
Is MySQL Workbench free?
Yes. MySQL Workbench is free to download and use. On 8 October 2026 the official download page offered MySQL Workbench 26.7.0 for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus source code, and stated that the Community (OSS) edition is available from that page under the GPL. There is no trial period and no paid tier that unlocks the editor itself.
Workbench 26.7 is a new generation of the tool. Oracle's product page says it replaces earlier Workbench releases, which have reached end of life, and Oracle's announcement describes it as open source and built on MySQL Shell. For an overview of the product itself, see our MySQL Workbench review.
MySQL Workbench licence: GPL open source
The licence is the GNU General Public License. Two official sources say so:
- The download page states that the Community (OSS) edition is distributed under the GPL.
- The GitHub repository that contains the Workbench 26 source (
mysql/mysql-shell-plugins) has a licence file stating that the software is released under version 2 of the GPL (GPLv2), with additional permissions for linking to separately licensed software such as OpenSSL.
The GPL version 2 text in that file says that activities other than copying, distribution and modification are outside its scope, and that the act of running the program is not restricted. Its conditions are about copying, modifying and redistributing the software. Using Workbench as a desktop tool, including at work, does not cost anything. If you plan to bundle, redistribute or modify Workbench, read the full licence text or ask your legal team.
Community vs Commercial editions
The MySQL Workbench Manual, which documents the 8.0 series up to 8.0.47, lists two editions: MySQL Workbench Community (open source, GPL) and MySQL Workbench Commercial (Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition). According to the manual, the Commercial edition added Enterprise features such as access to MySQL Enterprise Backup, MySQL Firewall and MySQL Audit. A few modelling features were also Commercial only, for example catalog validation during forward engineering and the DBDoc model reporting dialog.
For Workbench 26.7 the picture is simpler. The download page offers one Community build, and neither the product page nor Oracle's announcement describes a separate paid Workbench edition. Oracle's pages checked for this article do not publish a price for Workbench itself.
| Version | Status | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.7.0 Community | Current release | Free (GPL) | Windows, macOS, Linux and source on the download page |
| 8.0.47 Community | End of life, in the download archives | Free (GPL) | No new releases; Oracle advises moving to 26.7 |
| 8.0 Commercial (Standard, Enterprise) | End of life | Not published on the pages checked | Added Enterprise features such as MySQL Enterprise Backup, Firewall and Audit support |
Limits and paid add-ons in the free version
Oracle does not document user, connection or row limits for the free edition. The practical limits are elsewhere:
- MySQL Enterprise Backup. Workbench 26.7 has backup and restore screens, but Oracle's blog describes them as an experience for customers using MySQL Enterprise Backup, which is part of Oracle's commercial MySQL offering.
- HeatWave Migration Assistant. This wizard moves databases to MySQL HeatWave on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. The wizard is part of the free tool; the HeatWave service it migrates to is billed by Oracle.
- Features not yet rebuilt. Oracle says Workbench 26 is a ground-up rebuild and that not every Workbench 8 capability is available yet. The current product page does not list visual EER modelling or the old Migration Wizard, so check before you rely on them.
- MySQL only. Workbench 26.7 supports MySQL 8.4 LTS and newer servers.
Free alternatives if Workbench is not enough
If you need a free tool that also covers other engines, or still run MySQL 8.0 servers that Workbench 26 does not officially support, compare DBeaver and HeidiSQL. Our MySQL Workbench alternatives list explains the trade-offs, and DBeaver vs MySQL Workbench compares the two most common free choices.
Frequently asked questions
Is MySQL Workbench free for commercial use?
The Community edition costs nothing and is released under GPLv2, whose text states that running the program is not restricted. The licence conditions concern copying, modifying and redistributing it.
Is MySQL Workbench open source?
Yes. Oracle's announcement describes Workbench 26.7 as open source, the download page offers source packages, and the source is on GitHub in the mysql/mysql-shell-plugins repository under GPLv2.
Is there a paid version of MySQL Workbench?
The 8.0 series had Commercial editions (Standard and Enterprise), and that series is now end of life. For Workbench 26.7, Oracle offers one Community download and does not publish a separate Workbench price; paid Oracle products such as MySQL Enterprise Backup and MySQL HeatWave are sold separately.
Is the old MySQL Workbench 8.0 still free to download?
Yes, 8.0.47 and older releases are in Oracle's download archives under the GPL, but Oracle says 8.0 is no longer maintained and will have no new releases.
Sources
- Download MySQL Workbench (Oracle)
- MySQL Workbench product page (Oracle)
- Introducing MySQL Workbench 26 (Oracle MySQL blog)
- Five Things to Try in MySQL Workbench 26.7 (Oracle MySQL blog)
- MySQL Workbench Manual: General Information
- MySQL Workbench Manual: Editions
- MySQL Workbench Manual: Forward Engineering to a Live Server
- MySQL Workbench archived versions (Oracle)
- mysql/mysql-shell-plugins on GitHub (Workbench 26 source)
- mysql-shell-plugins LICENSE.txt
Checked 8 October 2026.
How we research tool guides: our editorial method. CodeWithSQL earns nothing from the vendors mentioned.