Developer Tools

How to Completely Uninstall MySQL Workbench on Mac

To remove MySQL Workbench, quit the app and drag it to the Trash. However, this action alone does not delete your configuration files or personal data folders.

Last updated: November 1, 20262 min read

Remove MySQL Workbench and everything it leaves behind

MySQL Workbench data usually takes 100 MB – 2 GB on a Mac. The free scan shows the exact size on your Mac before you change anything.

Scan your Mac free

Free scan · No account · Nothing is deleted without your OK · Moves to the Trash first · macOS 14+

Application: MySQL Workbench
Typical data size: 100 MB – 2 GB
Category: Developer Tools
File Location: ~/Library/Application Support/MySQL/Workbench

Manual cleanup steps

Quit the app completely (⌘+Q in the menu bar).
Move MySQL Workbench from the Applications folder to the Trash.
Remove the folders MySQL Workbench left behind, listed in the table below.
Empty the Trash to free up the space.

Everything MySQL Workbench keeps on your Mac

3 locations. Tick each one as you remove it; back up anything marked as your data first.

~/Library/Application Support/MySQL/Workbench App data · connections, SQL history, snippets, scripts and logs Back up first: your data~/Library/Preferences/com.oracle.workbench.MySQLWorkbench.plist Settings · macOS-level app preferences Yes, settings reset~/Library/Saved Application State/com.oracle.workbench.MySQLWorkbench.savedState Window state · window positions from the last session Yes, rebuilt automatically

Locations are the standard macOS folders MySQL Workbench uses; some appear only after you use the matching feature.

Files left by MySQL Workbench

Specific to MySQL Workbench

Dragging the app to the Trash leaves behind preference plists, window states, and a dedicated folder containing your connections and SQL history. These remaining items typically occupy 100 MB – 2 GB of space. Because the app stores your own data separately, these folders persist until you manually remove them from the hidden ~/Library directory.

License: MySQL Workbench Community Edition is free.

Preparing MySQL Workbench for removal

Before deleting the application, ensure you back up critical database management information. Stored passwords remain in the macOS Keychain regardless of the app's presence. Note that the MySQL server is a separate installation and will continue running even after the app is gone.

Export server connections using the internal export optionCopy connections.xml and saved SQL scripts from the Workbench folderSave all custom snippets from the local storage folderQuit the app completely before moving files to the Trash

0 of 4 done

By hand or with OptiClear

	By hand	With OptiClear
Places to check	3 folders, one by one	One scan
File sizes	You look them up yourself	Shown for every item
Removing the wrong thing	Easy to delete the wrong folder	Goes to the Trash first, so it can be restored
Cost	Free	Scan is free; cleaning needs Pro (yearly plan has a 7-day free trial)

See it working

OptiClear — Scan overview — every category on one screen — Scan overview — every category on one screen

OptiClear — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach — Privacy audit: what each app has been allowed to reach

OptiClear — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you — Large and aging files, ranked by what they cost you

Try it without risk

Download and scan for freeSee every MySQL Workbench file and its size. No account needed.
Clean free for 7 daysStart the 7-day free trial of the yearly plan inside the app.
Keep it or cancelCancel in your App Store settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends and you won't be charged.

Download free and scan

After the free trial, Pro costs $39.99 per year in your country's App Store; cancel any time.

Frequently asked questions

Not all of them. Folders marked “Back up first: your data” hold your own MySQL Workbench data: back them up before removing them. Folders marked “Yes, rebuilt automatically” are rebuilt automatically; removing them only makes the next start slower. Folders marked “Yes, settings reset” hold settings, which return to their defaults.

Will deleting the app also remove my MySQL server?

No, the MySQL server is a separate install and remains unaffected.

How do I find the hidden folders to finish the cleanup?

Use Finder > Go > Go to Folder to access the ~/Library path.