dbExpress Driver for MySQL: Direct MySQL and MariaDB Access for Existing Delphi dbExpress Code
dbExpress driver for MySQL is a Devart driver that lets Delphi and C++Builder applications built on Embarcadero's dbExpress framework talk to MySQL and MariaDB, with or without the MySQL client library. It costs $199.95 at checkout for one developer, and it works on Windows, macOS and Linux targets.
This is a product for people who already have dbExpress code. Your TSQLConnection and TSQLQuery stay as they are, you change the driver, and your application stops depending on a matching libmysql file. New Delphi projects have other choices, which this page covers below.
Quick facts
- Version: 8.5.0, released October 9, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- IDEs: Delphi and C++Builder 6 to 13 Florence, including Community Edition
- Target platforms: Windows 32-bit and 64-bit, macOS 64-bit and Apple Silicon, Linux 64-bit
- Databases: MySQL 3.23 to 9.7, MariaDB 5.x to 12.x, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora, Azure Database for MySQL, Google Cloud for MySQL
- Client needed: none in Direct mode
- Price: $199.95 Standard, single developer, with a year of updates; next-year renewal $99.95
- Trial: free, with a Devart account
- Guarantee: 30-day money-back guarantee
What we checked: version 8.5.0 and the 14.19 MB download size on Devart's download page, the compatibility page, the revision history, $199.95 and a $99.95 renewal on the order page on November 6, 2026. We did not install the driver or connect it to a server.
Before you buy
Check whether you should stay on dbExpress at all. If you are starting a new project, FireDAC comes with RAD Studio, and Devart's own MyDAC offers more than a dbExpress driver can. This driver makes most sense for an existing dbExpress codebase.
The purchase is a perpetual license for your version with a year of updates, and the cart turns on automatic renewal by default. Since a new RAD Studio version needs a new driver build, plan on renewing if you upgrade your IDE.
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Overview
dbExpress is Embarcadero's thin, database-independent layer for SQL access. Devart's driver plugs into it as an independent library, so you use it the same way as the driver Embarcadero supplies. It can use MySQL's native network protocol directly, or the MySQL client library if you prefer.
Devart keeps it current. Version 8.3.0 in September 2025 added RAD Studio 13 Florence, MariaDB 12, the Vector data type and MariaDB's UUID, INET4 and INET6 types. Version 8.4.0 in April 2026 added MySQL 9.6, and 8.5.0 in October 2026 added MySQL 9.7.x and RAD Studio 13 Florence Release 2.
Features
Direct mode, with no libmysql to deploy
dbExpress driver for MySQL can connect straight over the MySQL network protocol. You ship your application without a client library, and you avoid version clashes between the library on a customer's PC and the server. If you would rather use the client library, the driver works that way as well.
Windows, macOS and Linux
dbExpress driver for MySQL builds VCL applications for Windows and FireMonkey applications for Windows, macOS and Linux, in 32-bit and 64-bit where the IDE allows. Support for Linux 64-bit needs a RAD Studio version that targets Linux.
MySQL, MariaDB and cloud servers
dbExpress driver for MySQL covers MySQL 3.23 to 9.7, embedded MySQL server versions up to 8.0, and MariaDB 5.x to 12.x. It also lists Azure Database for MySQL, Amazon RDS, Amazon Aurora and Google Cloud for MySQL, which is a long way to reach for a single driver.
SQL tracing with dbMonitor
dbExpress driver for MySQL works with dbMonitor, Devart's free tool that traces SQL statement execution, commits and rollbacks per component. That helps when a query is slow and you want to see what the application really sends.
Benefits
- Simpler installs. No client library means one less support call from customers.
- Your code barely changes. You keep the dbExpress components and queries you already have.
- A way forward on old projects. The same driver family runs from Delphi 6 to 13, so an upgrade path exists at both ends.
Real-World Uses
- A long-lived Delphi business application moves to MySQL 9 without a rewrite of its data layer.
- A vendor drops libmysql.dll from its installer and stops debugging client version mismatches on customer PCs.
- A team moves its database from a local MySQL server to Amazon Aurora and keeps its dbExpress code.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
It fits Delphi and C++Builder teams with working dbExpress code that want a maintained MySQL driver and Direct mode.
Skip it if you are starting fresh: FireDAC or Devart's MyDAC is a better base. Skip it too if you need several databases in one application, since UniDAC covers them, or if you do not use Delphi or C++Builder at all. This driver is not for Lazarus either, as Devart's page names only RAD Studio, Delphi and C++Builder.
Usage Guide
- Create a free Devart account, download the installer from the download page and run it.
- In your IDE, open the form with your TSQLConnection and set it to use the Devart MySQL driver.
- Set the host, port, database, user and password, and pick Direct mode if you do not want the client library.
- Test the connection, and look at string fields. The UseUnicode option decides whether they arrive as WideString.
- Run dbMonitor while you test to see the SQL your application sends.
Where it falls short
Switching drivers is not always invisible. One buyer moving from Embarcadero's driver hit field type errors until he changed the UseUnicode option, so test before you ship.
Large rows can hurt. A 2020 forum thread reported a query taking about 10 minutes on one connection after a row with a 3 MB string had been read.
No screenshots and no edition matrix. Devart publishes only short pages for this driver, and we found no independent review. Rely on the trial to judge it.
What Users Say
We found no independent review of this driver and no rating on a review site, so these reports come from Devart's support forum.
Moving from Embarcadero's driver
User totte_karlsson, May 29, 2020: "I just bought Devarts driver for MySQL, as I have had good experience with the same fro SQLITE, versus embarcaderso native one."
Then the catch: "when switching a current application from using Embarcaderos native driver for MySQl to Devarts driver, I get a lot of errors saying that a strings actual field is 'WideString' instead of String". He found that unchecking UseUnicode solved it, and Devart confirmed that the behavior is by design.
A slow query
User jerduval, November 30, 2020, described opening a query that returns a single row with a 3 MB string, then opening another for about 20,000 rows: "This step takes about 10 minutes !" Closing and reopening the connection between the two queries avoided it. Devart suggested the FetchAll option, which sped up the open but, the user reported, not the overall loop.
The recurring theme: the driver does its job for people who like Devart's drivers, and the trouble appears at the edges, in type mapping and large values. With so little public feedback, the 30-day guarantee and the trial are your best protection.
Comparisons
dbExpress driver for MySQL vs FireDAC vs MyDAC
FireDAC is Embarcadero's data access library and comes with RAD Studio, so check first whether your edition includes MySQL access. It uses the MySQL client library, where Devart's driver can skip it.
MyDAC is Devart's own component set for MySQL, and it replaces the dbExpress layer entirely. It suits new work better, but moving to it means changing components. This driver's advantage is that you keep your existing dbExpress code.
Editions and Pricing
| Edition | Price, single developer | What you get |
|---|
| Standard | $199.95 | Direct connectivity, all platforms, full data type support, SQL monitoring |
| Standard with Source Code | $299.95 | Everything in Standard, plus source code |
Team and Site licenses are available. Renewal is $99.95 for Standard, rising by 20% if you renew 3 or more months late and by 60% after 12 months.
FAQs
Does dbExpress driver for MySQL need libmysql.dll?
dbExpress driver for MySQL does not need the client library in Direct mode. It connects through MySQL's network protocol. Outside Direct mode, the client library is required.
Does dbExpress driver for MySQL work with MariaDB?
dbExpress driver for MySQL supports MariaDB 5.x to 12.x, and version 8.3.0 added MariaDB's UUID, INET4 and INET6 data types.
Does dbExpress driver for MySQL support MySQL 9?
dbExpress driver for MySQL supports MySQL 9.0 to 9.7. Version 8.2.0 added MySQL 9, and 8.5.0 in October 2026 added 9.7.x.
What happens when my year of updates ends?
dbExpress driver for MySQL keeps working under the perpetual license for your version. You would renew for new builds, for example to move to a newer RAD Studio release.
Does the driver work with Delphi Community Edition?
Devart says dbExpress driver for MySQL works with all Delphi and C++Builder editions, including Community and Starter, for the versions on its compatibility list.
System Requirements
- RAD Studio, Delphi or C++Builder from version 6 to 13 Florence, with the update Devart lists for your version
- MySQL 3.23 to 9.7, or MariaDB 5.x to 12.x
- Windows, macOS or Linux target, where your IDE supports it
Conclusion
dbExpress driver for MySQL is worth $199.95 if you maintain dbExpress code and want MySQL 9 or MariaDB 12 support with no client library. Direct mode alone can pay for itself in fewer deployment problems.
The main reason not to buy is a new project. There, FireDAC or MyDAC is a better long-term base, and spending money on a dbExpress driver would tie you to an older layer.
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