How to Install ClickHouse Locally: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Release v25.4.7.66-stable

ClickHouse is a high-performance columnar database management system designed for analytics and fast query execution. Installing it locally is an excellent way to test and develop new features, enabling offline experimentation and controlled configurations. This guide focuses on native installations for different operating systems and Docker-based setups, ensuring flexibility for diverse user needs.

Why Local Installation of ClickHouse is Useful

Local installations provide developers and data engineers with a self-contained environment, ideal for:

• Testing Features: Experiment with new ClickHouse features or custom configurations without impacting production.
• Performance Benchmarking: Evaluate query performance on local datasets.
• Offline Development: Work with ClickHouse even in environments with limited internet access.

1. Native Installation

ClickHouse offers precompiled native builds for Linux, macOS, and Windows, making it easy to install directly on your operating system.

A. Linux

Add the ClickHouse Repository
Depending on your Linux distribution, add the official ClickHouse repository. For Ubuntu or Debian:

sudo apt-get install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates dirmngr
sudo apt-key adv --keyserver keyserver.ubuntu.com --recv E0C56BD4
echo "deb https://packages.clickhouse.com/deb stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/clickhouse.list
sudo apt-get update

Install ClickHouse

sudo apt-get install -y clickhouse-server clickhouse-client

Start the ClickHouse Service

sudo service clickhouse-server start

Verify Installation
Launch the ClickHouse client:

clickhouse-client

Run a test query:

SELECT 1;

B. macOS

Install Using Homebrew
Ensure you have Homebrew installed. Then, run:

brew install clickhouse

Verify Installation
Start the ClickHouse client:

clickhouse-client

Test it with a query:

SELECT version();

C. Windows

Download the ClickHouse Build
Visit the official ClickHouse download page and download the latest .zip release for Windows.

Extract and Configure
Unzip the package to a directory of your choice. The extracted folder contains clickhouse-server.exe and clickhouse-client.exe.

Run the Server
Open a command prompt in the extracted directory and start the server:

clickhouse-server

Access the Client
In another terminal, run the client:

clickhouse-client

Execute a query to ensure the setup works:

SELECT 1;

2. Docker Installation

For users who prefer containerized environments, Docker simplifies the setup and management of ClickHouse.

Pull the ClickHouse Image

docker pull yandex/clickhouse-server

Run the Container

docker run -d --name clickhouse-server -p 8123:8123 -p 9000:9000 yandex/clickhouse-server

Access the Client
Open the ClickHouse client inside the container:

docker exec -it clickhouse-server clickhouse-client

Test it by running:

SELECT version();

Managing and Verifying Installation

After installation, ensure ClickHouse runs efficiently with these steps:

Start/Stop Services

For native Linux installations:

sudo service clickhouse-server start  
sudo service clickhouse-server stop  

For Docker:

docker start clickhouse-server  
docker stop clickhouse-server  

Check Logs

Native installations: Logs are typically located in /var/log/clickhouse-server/.

Docker:

docker logs clickhouse-server

Run Diagnostic Queries
Use system queries to monitor server health:

SELECT * FROM system.metrics;

Summary

Installing ClickHouse locally using its native builds or Docker provides developers with a versatile and robust environment for analytics and testing. Native installation ensures tight integration with your OS, while Docker offers portability and simplicity. By following the steps above, you’ll be ready to leverage ClickHouse’s powerful capabilities for local development and experimentation.

Last Releases

• Release v25.4.7.66-stableJune 17, 2025
  No content.   Source: https://github.com/ClickHouse/ClickHouse/releases/tag/v25.4.7.66-stable
• v25.7.1.1-newJune 16, 2025
  Release v25.7.1.1-new   Source: https://github.com/ClickHouse/ClickHouse/releases/tag/v25.7.1.1-new
• Release v25.4.6.67-stableJune 5, 2025
  No content.   Source: https://github.com/ClickHouse/ClickHouse/releases/tag/v25.4.6.67-stable