How to Install Beekeeper Studio on Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04 and 22.04

Querying databases from a terminal works until you need to compare table data, save repeatable SQL, or tunnel through SSH to a remote server. You can install Beekeeper Studio on Ubuntu as a desktop SQL client for MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server, and other databases without turning the Ubuntu system itself into a database server.

The official APT repository is the best fit when you want a native Ubuntu package that integrates with apt updates and installs the desktop launcher. Snap and Flatpak remain useful alternatives when you prefer store-managed packages, and the official Beekeeper Studio download page also publishes direct DEB and AppImage downloads for readers checking Linux package formats.

Beekeeper Studio Community Edition is free and open source for common SQL workflows. Paid editions add commercial features and database connectors such as MongoDB and Oracle Database, so the install method and the license tier are separate decisions.

Install Beekeeper Studio on Ubuntu

Supported Ubuntu releases here are Ubuntu 26.04 (Resolute), Ubuntu 24.04 (Noble), and Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy). The Beekeeper Studio APT repository uses a codename-neutral stable suite and publishes current amd64 and arm64 packages.

Update Ubuntu Packages

Refresh the package index before adding a new desktop application source.

sudo apt update

These commands use sudo for package and repository changes. If your account does not have administrator access yet, follow the guide on how to add a new user to sudoers on Ubuntu before continuing.

Apply any pending upgrades if the package manager reports them.

sudo apt upgrade

Choose an Installation Method

Use one method on a system. Mixing APT, Flatpak, and Snap for the same desktop app creates duplicate launchers and makes later updates or removal harder to reason about.

Method	Package Source	Update Path	Use When
APT repository	Beekeeper Studio repository	`apt`	You want the native Ubuntu package and desktop launcher.
Flatpak	Flathub app `io.beekeeperstudio.Studio`	`flatpak update`	You prefer a sandboxed app and already use Flathub.
Snap	Snapcraft package `beekeeper-studio`	Automatic Snap refreshes	You want a store-managed install on a standard Ubuntu desktop.

The official download page also offers one-off DEB and AppImage files. Use those when you specifically need a direct download or standalone AppImage; the APT repository is cleaner for routine Ubuntu installs because updates stay inside the package manager.

Install Beekeeper Studio via APT Repository

The APT method uses a dedicated keyring and a DEB822 source file. Install the small tools needed to download and convert the repository signing key.

sudo apt install curl gpg

Download the Beekeeper Studio signing key with curl, then store it as a binary keyring that APT can read.

curl -fsSL https://deb.beekeeperstudio.io/beekeeper.key | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg
sudo chmod go+r /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg

Create the repository source. The printf command writes the full file through sudo tee because normal shell redirection cannot write directly to /etc/apt/.

printf '%s\n' \
'Types: deb' \
'URIs: https://deb.beekeeperstudio.io' \
'Suites: stable' \
'Components: main' \
'Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg' \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio.sources > /dev/null

Confirm the source file before refreshing APT.

cat /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio.sources

Expected output:

Types: deb
URIs: https://deb.beekeeperstudio.io
Suites: stable
Components: main
Signed-By: /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg

Refresh APT and install Beekeeper Studio.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install beekeeper-studio

On Ubuntu 24.04 and 22.04, the current Beekeeper Studio package can create an extra legacy source file named beekeeper-studio-app.list and add the same signing key to the old trusted keyring. Remove that package-created duplicate source after installation so the DEB822 source remains the only active Beekeeper Studio repository.

if [ -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list ]; then
  sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list
  if command -v apt-key >/dev/null 2>&1 && sudo apt-key finger 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'AD1B 460B'; then
    sudo apt-key del AD1B460B
  fi
  sudo apt update
fi

Verify that APT sees Beekeeper Studio from the vendor repository.

apt-cache policy beekeeper-studio

Relevant output includes:

beekeeper-studio:
  Installed: 5.6.5
  Candidate: 5.6.5
  Version table:
 *** 5.6.5 500
        500 https://deb.beekeeperstudio.io stable/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Install Beekeeper Studio via Flatpak

Flatpak is useful when you prefer a sandboxed desktop app. Ubuntu does not install Flatpak by default, so install it first or follow the full Flatpak setup guide for Ubuntu if your system does not already have Flathub configured.

sudo apt install flatpak
sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Confirm that the flathub remote exists at system scope.

flatpak remotes --columns=name,url

Expected output:

flathub  https://dl.flathub.org/repo/

Install Beekeeper Studio from Flathub.

sudo flatpak install flathub io.beekeeperstudio.Studio -y

Check the installed Flatpak metadata.

flatpak info io.beekeeperstudio.Studio

Relevant output includes:

Beekeeper Studio - Database manager and SQL editor

          ID: io.beekeeperstudio.Studio
         Ref: app/io.beekeeperstudio.Studio/x86_64/stable
        Arch: x86_64
      Branch: stable

The Flathub package is convenient, but it is separate from the vendor-managed Ubuntu repository and direct download paths in the official Beekeeper Studio Linux documentation. Use APT when you need the vendor-managed Ubuntu repository.

Install Beekeeper Studio via Snap

Snap is available by default on standard Ubuntu desktop installs. Use the Snap method when you want automatic background refreshes and do not need full host integration.

sudo snap install beekeeper-studio

Verify the installed Snap package.

snap list beekeeper-studio

Expected output:

Name              Version  Rev  Tracking       Publisher               Notes
beekeeper-studio  5.6.5    480  latest/stable  matthew-rathbone        -

If you use SSH tunnels with key files, connect the Snap ssh-keys interface after installation.

sudo snap connect beekeeper-studio:ssh-keys :ssh-keys

Snap confinement does not expose your SSH agent to Beekeeper Studio. Use the APT or Flatpak method if your workflow depends on agent-based SSH authentication for database tunnels.

Launch Beekeeper Studio

Launch the package with the command that matches your installation method.

# APT package
beekeeper-studio

# Flatpak package
flatpak run io.beekeeperstudio.Studio

# Snap package
snap run beekeeper-studio

You can also open the Activities overview, choose Show Applications, and select Beekeeper Studio from the application grid.

First-Time Beekeeper Studio Setup

Connect to Local Databases

Beekeeper Studio is a client, not a database server. If you still need a local test database, use the Ubuntu guides to install MySQL 8.4 on Ubuntu, install MariaDB on Ubuntu, install PostgreSQL 17 on Ubuntu, or install SQLite on Ubuntu.

For local connections, start with the default host and port for the database engine you installed.

MySQL or MariaDB: localhost on port 3306
PostgreSQL: localhost on port 5432
SQLite: browse to the local .db or .sqlite file

Use SSH Tunnels for Remote Databases

For remote databases that are reachable only through a bastion host, enable SSH Tunnel in the connection settings and enter the SSH host, user, key, and database endpoint. Beekeeper Studio opens the tunnel first, then connects to the database through that encrypted path.

If the SSH login fails outside Beekeeper Studio, troubleshoot that first from the terminal.

ssh -v user@hostname

Private SSH keys must not be group-readable or world-readable. The chmod command guide explains the permission modes if you need more background.

chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Community Edition and Paid Features

The free Community Edition covers common relational database work, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Redshift, CockroachDB, and TiDB connections. Beekeeper Studio’s paid editions add commercial features and additional database support such as MongoDB, Oracle Database, Cassandra, Trino, and Presto.

Use the Beekeeper Studio pricing page before buying a license, especially if you need a connector that is not part of the free Community Edition. Install from the official APT repository, Snapcraft, Flathub, or upstream downloads rather than third-party repacks.

Query Shortcuts and Export Options

After you connect, Beekeeper Studio exposes common editor shortcuts directly in the SQL editor.

Ctrl+Space: trigger autocomplete
Ctrl+Enter: execute the current query
Ctrl+Shift+Enter: execute all queries in the editor
Ctrl+A: select all result rows

Use the History panel for previous queries and the result-grid export menu for CSV, JSON, or SQL output when you need to move query results into another tool.

Update or Remove Beekeeper Studio

Update Beekeeper Studio

Update Beekeeper Studio with the package manager that installed it.

APT repository:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade beekeeper-studio

If an APT upgrade on Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 recreates the package’s legacy source file, remove it again so the DEB822 source remains authoritative.

if [ -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list ]; then
  sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list
  if command -v apt-key >/dev/null 2>&1 && sudo apt-key finger 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'AD1B 460B'; then
    sudo apt-key del AD1B460B
  fi
  sudo apt update
fi

Flatpak:

sudo flatpak update io.beekeeperstudio.Studio -y

Snap:

sudo snap refresh beekeeper-studio

Remove Beekeeper Studio

Use the matching removal command for your installation method.

APT repository:

sudo apt remove --purge beekeeper-studio
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio.sources
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list
sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg

if command -v apt-key >/dev/null 2>&1 && sudo apt-key finger 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'AD1B 460B'; then
  sudo apt-key del AD1B460B
fi

sudo apt update

Flatpak:

sudo flatpak remove io.beekeeperstudio.Studio -y

Snap:

sudo snap remove --purge beekeeper-studio

Beekeeper Studio user data is separate from the package. Check ~/.config/beekeeper-studio/ for the APT package, ~/.var/app/io.beekeeperstudio.Studio/ for Flatpak, and ~/snap/beekeeper-studio/ for Snap before deleting saved connections, query history, or preferences.

Troubleshoot Beekeeper Studio on Ubuntu

Fix Repository Key or Source Errors

If sudo apt update reports NO_PUBKEY or still warns about the legacy trusted keyring, recreate the dedicated keyring and remove the package-created legacy source.

sudo rm -f /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg
curl -fsSL https://deb.beekeeperstudio.io/beekeeper.key | sudo gpg --dearmor --yes -o /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg
sudo chmod go+r /usr/share/keyrings/beekeeper.gpg

sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/beekeeper-studio-app.list
if command -v apt-key >/dev/null 2>&1 && sudo apt-key finger 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'AD1B 460B'; then
  sudo apt-key del AD1B460B
fi

sudo apt update

Fix Connection Failures

When Beekeeper Studio cannot connect to a local database, confirm that the database service is running before changing Beekeeper Studio settings.

sudo systemctl status mysql
sudo systemctl status mariadb
sudo systemctl status postgresql

Only one of those services may exist on your system. A missing unit means that database engine is not installed through Ubuntu packages.

Use Native Wayland Mode

Ubuntu 26.04 and 24.04 use Wayland by default in standard GNOME sessions. If Beekeeper Studio looks blurry with fractional scaling, create the Beekeeper Studio flags file and restart the app.

mkdir -p ~/.config
printf '%s\n' \
'--ozone-platform-hint=auto' \
'--enable-features=UseOzonePlatform' \
> ~/.config/bks-flags.conf

If native Wayland mode causes rendering problems, delete ~/.config/bks-flags.conf and restart Beekeeper Studio to return to the default launch behavior.

rm -f ~/.config/bks-flags.conf

Conclusion

Beekeeper Studio is installed on Ubuntu with the package source that matches your update model: APT for the native vendor repository, Flatpak for a sandboxed Flathub app, or Snap for store-managed refreshes. From there, connect to a local database, add an SSH tunnel for remote hosts, and keep the app updated through the same manager you used to install it.