Step 1: Start Bytebase

This quick start takes you from an empty workspace to a reviewed schema change and a query. Choose how you want to run Bytebase below — the remaining steps are the same.

Bytebase Cloud

No installation required, and no database of your own needed to start.

1. Sign in at cloud.bytebase.com with Google, GitHub, or email, then click Create workspace.

2. In workspace setup, name your first project and keep Enable sample databases selected, then click Setup my workspace.

Bytebase provisions a Sample Project Instance in that project — a PostgreSQL database loaded with the employee sample dataset — and opens the project’s Databases page while it syncs. The sample instance is available for seven days; see Sample Project Instance.

Already have a workspace, or no sample option? Bring your own database: Neon and Supabase spin up a free one in minutes; an RDS instance with a public IP works too. See Network requirements.

Self-Host with Docker

Run Bytebase locally with Docker. The setup wizard can create sample databases for you, so you don’t need to prepare a database yourself.

1. Install Docker if you don’t have it, and make sure it’s running.

2. Start Bytebase, then open localhost:8080.

   docker run --rm --init \
     --name bytebase \
     --publish 8080:8080 --pull always \
     --volume ~/.bytebase/data:/var/opt/bytebase \
     bytebase/bytebase:latest
   

3. Fill in the fields and click Create admin account.

4. In workspace setup, keep Enable sample databases selected. Bytebase creates hr_test on Sample Project Instance in the project configured during setup. Keep the defaults on the remaining steps.