Dbeaver *REQUIRES* MySQL Workbench Full (server included) but no tutorial says it straight!

[cosmin1981]

Hi all!

Title says it all - despire bragging to be an alternative to MYSQL Workbench, Dbeaver tutorials and various FAQ pages forget to mention a tiiiiny, yet crucial detail - DBeaver absolutely NEEDS (as in mandatory needs,..) a working, full installation, of MySQL Workbench - the full version (the 500 MB one...not the 200 MB one...), because it needs its server and connectors.

Without MySQL WORKBENCH installed, when trying to create a new mysql connection in DBeaver, the user gets an error about a failure to connect (which ofcourse it makes sense, there is no mysql server db engine to connect to! duuh!).

The problem...?
DBeaver tutorials arent being 100% honest with the user!

There is no straight, direct mention of this little crucial fact anywhere!
It goes straight into "oh just input connection details and you re fine" mode - which is deeply disingenous!

For MySQL tutorial pages, Dbeaver should create a yellow disclaimer right at the top of the page: "You need a full working MySQL WORKBENCH installation (server and connectors included)."

I found out by doing parallel testing - one laptop with mysql workbench, the other without!
Also the fact that in pretty much every youtube tutorial - yes, even now, in 2026 - the tutorial video clearly uses Mysql Workbench first and only then Dbeaver to manage those Databases.

So Dbeaver is NOT standalone, more like a simple manager alternative to Workbench ...but since Workbench is still pretty much mandatory, DB isnt standalone (that would imply DB should also host its own mysql server and connectors, which it doesnt...)!

There is absolutely no way to install Dbeaver on localhost and get a working mysql connection without a full Workbench installatin (the 500 MB version, not the tiny 200 mb one...).

[ged-yuko]

Well, no. This is absolutely wrong, The thing DBeaver does need is a MySQL JDBC Connector "driver". DBeaver maybe doesn't have it included due to license issues, if i correctly remember, but it is capable of automatically downloading required files. If you don't have internet connectivity on the computer where you are going to use DBeaver, then you can download required files manually and configure DBeaver to use them. Or basically just drop them into the default location, and DBeaver will pick them up automatically.

Please begin with Database drivers and Configuration files in DBeaver/Driver files. More details on Driver Manager and Admin Manage Drivers .

There is also a Download/Update button in the Driver Manager to force DBeaver to download required JDBC Driver files, if it didn't happen automatically for some reason:

1. Go to Database -> Driver Manager menu

2. Find MySQL driver configuration there, select it and and use Edit button

3. Proceed to the Libraries tab and use Download/Update button

4. Driver download dialog should appear then

5. Press Download, and if DBeaver didn't resolve the driver files already, it'll download them. Or use Force download checkbox to force it anyway.

Now your MySQL connections should work.

When you have a fresh DBeaver installation on a machine where it was never installed before, and you are activating MySQL connection for a first time, it typically should automatically download the driver files (you'll see steps 4 and 5 without opening Driver Manager manually) and try to establish database connection immediately.

[LonwoLonwo]

Hello,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your detailed feedback! We completely understand how frustrating connection issues can be, but we would like to clarify a technical misunderstanding regarding DBeaver's requirements.
DBeaver does not require MySQL Workbench to function. It is a standalone tool that only requires a running MySQL database server (which can be hosted locally on your machine or on a remote server).
The confusion likely stems from the MySQL installation packages. The larger package you mentioned includes the actual MySQL Server engine. DBeaver connects to this server, not to Workbench. You can install the MySQL Server completely independently without ever installing Workbench.

Many tutorials feature Workbench because it is a popular tool for initially setting up the local server, but once the server is running, DBeaver connects to it directly.

We appreciate your feedback and will review our documentation to make it clearer that a running database server is required.
Best regards,
The DBeaver Team