ODBC Driver for SQL Server on macOS: How to Download and Install
How to Download ODBC for Mac
If you want to access data from a database management system (DBMS) such as SQL Server on your Mac, you need an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) driver installed on your machine. ODBC is a standard application programming interface (API) that allows applications to communicate with different DBMS using Structured Query Language (SQL) as a common language. In this article, you will learn how to download, install, configure, and use ODBC driver for SQL Server on Mac.
What is ODBC and why it is useful for Mac users
ODBC is a technology that enables applications to access data from various sources, such as relational databases, spreadsheets, text files, and more. ODBC drivers are software components that implement the ODBC API and provide a bridge between the application and the data source. By using ODBC drivers, applications can access data from different DBMS without needing to know the specific details of each system.
download odbc for mac
ODBC is useful for Mac users because it allows them to connect to various data sources that may not have native drivers or support for Mac. For example, if you want to import data from SQL Server into Excel for Mac, you need an ODBC driver installed on your Mac. With an ODBC driver, you can also connect to SQL Server from other applications that support ODBC, such as FileMaker Pro, R, Python, and more.
What are the prerequisites and supported versions of ODBC for Mac
Before you download and install ODBC driver for SQL Server on Mac, you need to have the following prerequisites:
A supported version of macOS. The Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server on macOS supports macOS High Sierra (10.13), Mojave (10.14), Catalina (10.15), Big Sur (11), and Monterey (12).
A supported version of SQL Server. The Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server on macOS supports SQL Server 2008 R2 or later, Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly Azure SQL Data Warehouse), Parallel Data Warehouse, Azure Active Directory authentication, Always Encrypted feature, Azure Key Vault integration, and Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption.
iODBC Driver Manager. This is a software library that manages the communication between the application and the ODBC driver. You can download it from .
ODBC Manager. This is an optional but recommended graphical user interface (GUI) tool that helps you create and manage data source names (DSNs). DSNs are configuration files that store information about the connection to a data source. You can download it from .
How to download ODBC driver for SQL Server on Mac
To download ODBC driver for SQL Server on Mac, you have two options: you can either download the packages directly from or you can use Homebrew to install the latest version of the driver. Homebrew is a popular package manager for macOS that simplifies the installation of software. Here are the steps for both methods:
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Troubleshoot Microsoft ODBC driver installation issues on macOS
Update Microsoft ODBC driver to the latest version on macOS
Uninstall Microsoft ODBC driver from macOS
Configure Microsoft ODBC driver settings and options on macOS
Test Microsoft ODBC driver connection to SQL Server on macOS
Use Microsoft ODBC Driver Manager (iodbc) to manage data sources on macOS
Use unixODBC development headers to compile applications with Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 or 17
Use bcp and sqlcmd command-line tools with Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 or 17
Use pyodbc module to connect to SQL Server from Python code on macOS
Use RODBC package to connect to SQL Server from R code on macOS
Use JDBC Driver instead of ODBC Driver to connect to SQL Server from Java code
How to install Homebrew and Microsoft ODBC driver 18 for SQL Server
To install Homebrew and Microsoft ODBC driver 18 for SQL Server, follow these steps:
Open a terminal window and enter the following command to install Homebrew: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL
Enter your password when prompted and wait for the installation to complete.
Enter the following command to update Homebrew: brew update
Enter the following command to install Microsoft ODBC driver 18 for SQL Server: brew install msodbcsql@18.0.0 mssql-tools@18.0.0
Enter the following command to accept the license terms: ACCEPT_EULA=Y brew link --overwrite msodbcsql@18.0.0 mssql-tools@18.0.0
Verify that the driver is installed by entering the following command: odbcinst -q -d -n "ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server". You should see the output similar to this: [ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server] Description=Microsoft ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server Driver=/usr/local/lib/libmsodbcsql.18.dylib UsageCount=1
How to install previous versions of Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server
If you need to install previous versions of Microsoft ODBC driver for SQL Server, such as 17, 13, or 11, you can download the packages directly from . You will need to choose the appropriate version and architecture (x64 or x86) for your system. After downloading the package, double-click on it and follow the instructions to install the driver. You will also need to accept the license terms during the installation.
How to configure ODBC driver for Mac
After installing ODBC driver for SQL Server on Mac, you need to configure it to connect to your data source. You can do this by creating and managing data source names (DSNs) using ODBC Manager or odbc.ini file. You also need to set some environment variables and troubleshoot connection problems if they occur.
How to create and manage data source names (DSNs) using ODBC Manager or odbc.ini file
Data source names (DSNs) are configuration files that store information about the connection to a data source, such as server name, database name, authentication method, and other options. You can create and manage DSNs using ODBC Manager or odbc.ini file.
How to use ODBC Manager
ODBC Manager is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that helps you create and manage DSNs. You can download it from . After installing it, follow these steps:
Launch ODBC Manager from your Applications folder or Spotlight search.
Select either User DSNs or System DSNs from the left pane. User DSNs are available only to the current user, while System DSNs are available to all users on the system.
Click on the Add button at the bottom of the window.
Select "ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server" from the list of drivers and click OK.
Enter a name and a description for your DSN in the General tab.
Enter the server name and optionally the port number of your SQL Server instance in the Connection tab. For example, if your server name is sqlserver.example.com and your port number is 1433, enter sqlserver.example.com,1433.
Select either Windows Authentication or SQL Server Authentication from the Authentication drop-down menu. If you choose SQL Server Authentication, enter your user name and password in the fields below.
Select a database from the Database drop-down menu or enter a database name in the field below.
Optionally, adjust other settings in the Advanced and SSL tabs according to your preferences and requirements.
Click on Test to test your connection. If successful, you will see a message saying "Connection successful". Click OK to save your DSN.
How to use odbc.ini file
odbc.ini is a text file that stores the information about the DSNs. You can edit it manually using a text editor or a command-line tool. The default location of the odbc.ini file is /usr/local/etc/odbc.ini. To create and manage DSNs using odbc.ini file, follow these steps:
Open a terminal window and enter the following command to open the odbc.ini file using nano editor: sudo nano /usr/local/etc/odbc.ini
Enter your password when prompted and press Enter.
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