Installing and Getting Started

There are several ways to start working with Neo4j — from a fully managed cloud service to a local desktop installation. This lesson covers the main options and walks through your first steps.

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Installation Options

Option	Best For	Requirements
Neo4j AuraDB Free	Quick start, no installation	Web browser + free account
Neo4j Desktop	Local development	Windows, macOS, or Linux
Docker	Containerised environments	Docker installed
Neo4j Community Server	Self-hosted, open-source	Java 17+
Neo4j Enterprise Server	Production deployments	Commercial licence + Java 17+

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Option 1: Neo4j AuraDB (Cloud)

The fastest way to start — no installation required:

1. Visit console.neo4j.io and create a free account
2. Click New Instance and select AuraDB Free
3. Choose a region and name your database
4. Save the generated connection credentials (you will only see the password once)
5. Wait for the instance to be provisioned (usually under a minute)

AuraDB Free Tier Limits