MySQL Connector/ODBC (formerly MyODBC) is an ODBC driver developed by Oracle Corporation for connecting ODBC-enabled applications to MySQL databases. It was originally created by MySQL AB and has been maintained by Oracle since the acquisition of Sun Microsystems in 2010.
Overview MySQL Connector/ODBC enables any application supporting ODBC—including business intelligence tools, office suites, custom applications, and legacy systems—to access, query, and manage MySQL databases using the ODBC interface.
Platform support and installation MySQL Connector/ODBC is available for Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, and other Unix-like systems. Both 32-bit and 64-bit builds are provided, depending on the system and application requirements.
The official downloads and detailed installation instructions are provided by Oracle. Step-by-step installation guides, including for Windows, are available from Informatica and Hevo Data.
Configuration and usage Connector/ODBC supports multiple configuration approaches: System DSNs, user DSNs, and file DSNs are supported on all platforms. DSN-less connections (using full connection strings) are widely used. Configuration for DSNs on Windows and macOS is described in official documentation. Connection pooling, authentication options, and example usages are extensively documented.
Technical features Compliance with ODBC 3.51 and 3.8 specifications, partial ODBC 4.x support. Unicode and ANSI driver variants for Windows, only Unicode for Unix-like systems. Full support for transactions, savepoints, and rollbacks. Client-side and server-side prepared statements. Native access to MySQL data types, including JSON, BLOB, geometry, BIT. Authentication plugins and SSL/TLS encryption for secure connections. Bulk operations, streaming, connection pooling. Diagnostics, logging, error codes for troubleshooting. An API reference is maintained online.
Version history A detailed official changelog and history is maintained by Oracle. MyODBC 2.50/2.51: ANSI, MySQL 3.x 3.51: ANSI-only, ODBC 3.51 compliance 5.1–5.3: Unicode/ANSI, ODBC 3.8, 64-bit, DSN file support 8.0+: MySQL 8.0+ support, modern authentication, renewed 32-bit support (from 8.0.35) 9.x: Latest releases (as of July 2025: 9.3.0), MySQL 8.x and 9.x
Practical integration and use cases MySQL Connector/ODBC is commonly used for: Office integration (Excel, Access) Business Intelligence (Tableau, Crystal Reports, Power BI) ETL and migration between databases Application development in C, C++, Python, Java, .NET, PHP, and more Legacy system and cross-platform deployments
Practical deployment scenarios, configuration advice, and troubleshooting are available in [third-party technical articles].
Troubleshooting and maintenance Comprehensive troubleshooting and debugging guidance, including error code lists and reporting bugs, are part of the official documentation.
See also MySQL Open Database Connectivity JDBC Database connector ODBC Data Source Administrator
References
External links MySQL Connector/ODBC downloads Connector/ODBC Developer Guide Connector/ODBC Release Notes Connector/ODBC Connection Parameters Configuring a Connector/ODBC DSN on Windows Configuring a Connector/ODBC DSN on macOS ODBC Connection Pooling Authentication Options Connector/ODBC Examples Connector/ODBC API Reference Connector/ODBC Data Types Connector/ODBC Error Codes How to Report Connector/ODBC Problems or Bugs Connector/ODBC Version History Installing MySQL ODBC Driver on Windows (Informatica) MySQL ODBC Connector: Overview, Features & Installation MySQL Connector/ODBC in Practice: Installation, Configuration, and Integration