How to Check MySQL Version Quickly and Easily

To check the MySQL version, run the SQL command SELECT VERSION(); in your MySQL client. Alternatively, use the command line with mysql --version to see the installed MySQL client version.

Syntax

You can check the MySQL version using a simple SQL query or a command line command.

• SQL Query: SELECT VERSION(); returns the MySQL server version.
• Command Line: mysql --version shows the installed MySQL client version.

sql

SELECT VERSION();

Example

This example shows how to get the MySQL server version by running the SQL query inside a MySQL client.

sql

mysql> SELECT VERSION();
+-----------+
| VERSION() |
+-----------+
| 8.0.32    |
+-----------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

Output

+-----------+
| VERSION() |
+-----------+
| 8.0.32    |
+-----------+
1 row in set (0.00 sec)

Common Pitfalls

Some common mistakes when checking MySQL version include:

• Running mysql --version inside the MySQL client prompt instead of the system shell.
• Confusing the MySQL client version with the server version; SELECT VERSION(); shows the server version.
• Not having MySQL in your system PATH, causing mysql --version to fail.

bash

Wrong (inside MySQL client):
mysql> mysql --version
ERROR: Unknown command

Right (in system shell):
$ mysql --version
mysql  Ver 8.0.32 for Linux on x86_64 (MySQL Community Server - GPL)

Quick Reference

Method	Command	Description
SQL Query	SELECT VERSION();	Shows MySQL server version
Command Line	mysql --version	Shows MySQL client version installed on system

Key Takeaways

Use SELECT VERSION(); inside MySQL to get the server version.

Use mysql --version in the system shell to check client version.

Do not run mysql --version inside the MySQL client prompt.

Server and client versions can differ; check accordingly.

Ensure MySQL is in your system PATH to run command line checks.