Where to Download Elasticsearch

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Official Download Sources Download Options by Platform Package Manager Installation Docker Installation Cloud and Managed Services Version Selection Verification After Download Alternative Distributions Quick Start Scripts Development vs Production Downloads Frequently Asked Questions

Elasticsearch can be downloaded from multiple sources depending on your platform, deployment method, and preferences. This guide covers all official download options, package managers, container images, and installation methods to help you get started quickly.

Official Download Sources

1. Elastic Downloads Page

The primary source for all Elasticsearch downloads:

URL: https://www.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch

Available formats:

  • Linux (tar.gz, deb, rpm)
  • Windows (zip, msi)
  • macOS (tar.gz)
  • Docker images

2. Elastic Artifacts Repository

Direct access to all versions and artifacts:

URL: https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/

Use case: Automation scripts, CI/CD pipelines, specific version requirements

Download Options by Platform

Linux

TAR.GZ Archive (All Linux Distributions)

Download latest version:

curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

Download specific version:

curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.11.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz

Extract:

tar -xzf elasticsearch-8.x.x-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
cd elasticsearch-8.x.x/

DEB Package (Debian/Ubuntu)

Download:

wget https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-amd64.deb

Install:

sudo dpkg -i elasticsearch-8.x.x-amd64.deb

RPM Package (Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora)

Download:

wget https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-x86_64.rpm

Install:

sudo rpm -i elasticsearch-8.x.x-x86_64.rpm

Windows

ZIP Archive

Download from: https://www.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch

Manual download link:

https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-windows-x86_64.zip

Extract and run:

Expand-Archive elasticsearch-8.x.x-windows-x86_64.zip
cd elasticsearch-8.x.x
.\bin\elasticsearch.bat

MSI Installer

Download: Available on the official downloads page

Features:

  • Graphical installation wizard
  • Windows service configuration
  • Automatic PATH setup
  • Start menu shortcuts

macOS

TAR.GZ Archive

Download:

curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-darwin-x86_64.tar.gz

For Apple Silicon (M1/M2):

curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-darwin-aarch64.tar.gz

Extract:

tar -xzf elasticsearch-8.x.x-darwin-*.tar.gz
cd elasticsearch-8.x.x/

Package Manager Installation

APT (Debian/Ubuntu)

Add Elastic repository:

wget -qO - https://artifacts.elastic.co/GPG-KEY-elasticsearch | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/elasticsearch-keyring.gpg

echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/elasticsearch-keyring.gpg] https://artifacts.elastic.co/packages/8.x/apt stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/elastic-8.x.list

Install:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install elasticsearch

YUM (Red Hat/CentOS)

Add Elastic repository:

sudo rpm --import https://artifacts.elastic.co/GPG-KEY-elasticsearch

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/elasticsearch.repo
[elasticsearch]
name=Elasticsearch repository for 8.x packages
baseurl=https://artifacts.elastic.co/packages/8.x/yum
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://artifacts.elastic.co/GPG-KEY-elasticsearch
enabled=1
autorefresh=1
type=rpm-md
EOF

Install:

sudo yum install elasticsearch

Homebrew (macOS)

Tap Elastic repository:

brew tap elastic/tap

Install:

brew install elastic/tap/elasticsearch-full

Start service:

brew services start elastic/tap/elasticsearch-full

Chocolatey (Windows)

Install:

choco install elasticsearch

Docker Installation

Docker Hub

Pull official image:

docker pull docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:8.x.x

Run single-node cluster:

docker run -d \
  --name elasticsearch \
  -p 9200:9200 \
  -p 9300:9300 \
  -e "discovery.type=single-node" \
  -e "xpack.security.enabled=false" \
  docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:8.x.x

Run with Docker Compose:

version: '3.8'
services:
  elasticsearch:
    image: docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch:8.x.x
    container_name: elasticsearch
    environment:
      - discovery.type=single-node
      - "ES_JAVA_OPTS=-Xms512m -Xmx512m"
    ports:
      - "9200:9200"
      - "9300:9300"
    volumes:
      - esdata:/usr/share/elasticsearch/data

volumes:
  esdata:
    driver: local

Alternative Container Registries

Amazon ECR Public Gallery:

docker pull public.ecr.aws/elastic/elasticsearch:8.x.x

Cloud and Managed Services

Elastic Cloud

No download required:

AWS Elasticsearch Service (Amazon OpenSearch Service)

  • Managed service on AWS
  • No manual installation required
  • Available through AWS Console

Azure Elastic Cloud

  • Available in Azure Marketplace
  • Integrated billing with Azure

Google Cloud Elastic Cloud

  • Available in GCP Marketplace
  • Native GCP integration

Version Selection

Current Versions

Elasticsearch 8.x (Latest):

  • Modern features
  • Improved security
  • Better performance
  • Recommended for new deployments

Elasticsearch 7.x:

  • Mature and stable
  • Wide ecosystem support
  • Legacy deployments

Choosing a Version

Considerations:

  1. New projects: Use latest 8.x version
  2. Production stability: Use latest patch of minor version
  3. Compatibility: Match with your Kibana and Logstash versions
  4. Security: Always use supported versions with security updates

Version Compatibility Matrix

Elasticsearch Kibana Logstash Beats
8.x 8.x 8.x 8.x
7.17.x 7.17.x 7.17.x 7.17.x

Note: Minor versions should match exactly across the Elastic Stack.

Verification After Download

Check File Integrity

Download checksum:

curl -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-8.x.x-linux-x86_64.tar.gz.sha512

Verify:

shasum -a 512 -c elasticsearch-8.x.x-linux-x86_64.tar.gz.sha512

Verify Installation

Check version:

./bin/elasticsearch --version

Start Elasticsearch:

./bin/elasticsearch

Test connection:

curl -X GET "localhost:9200/"

Expected response:

{
  "name" : "node-1",
  "cluster_name" : "elasticsearch",
  "version" : {
    "number" : "8.x.x",
    "build_flavor" : "default"
  },
  "tagline" : "You Know, for Search"
}

Alternative Distributions

Open Source vs Default Distribution

Default Distribution:

  • Includes X-Pack features
  • Security enabled by default (8.x)
  • Free basic tier
  • Enterprise features available

OSS (Open Source) Distribution (Deprecated):

  • Pure Apache 2.0 license
  • No X-Pack features
  • No longer maintained after 7.10.2

OpenSearch

Alternative fork:

  • Maintained by AWS
  • Based on Elasticsearch 7.10.2
  • Apache 2.0 license
  • Different feature set

Download: https://opensearch.org/downloads.html

Quick Start Scripts

Linux/macOS Quick Install

#!/bin/bash
VERSION="8.11.0"
curl -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-${VERSION}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf elasticsearch-${VERSION}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
cd elasticsearch-${VERSION}/
./bin/elasticsearch

Windows PowerShell Quick Install

$version = "8.11.0"
$url = "https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/elasticsearch-$version-windows-x86_64.zip"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $url -OutFile "elasticsearch.zip"
Expand-Archive elasticsearch.zip -DestinationPath .
cd elasticsearch-$version
.\bin\elasticsearch.bat

Development vs Production Downloads

Development

Recommended:

  • Docker containers (fastest setup)
  • Homebrew (macOS)
  • Archive files (any platform)
  • Single-node configuration

Production

Recommended:

  • Package managers (apt, yum)
  • Version-pinned downloads
  • Multi-node clusters
  • Configuration management tools

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Which download format should I choose?
A: For production on Linux, use package managers (apt/yum). For development or quick testing, use Docker or archive files.

Q: Is Elasticsearch free to download?
A: Yes, Elasticsearch is free to download and use. Basic features are free; some advanced features require a license.

Q: Can I download older versions of Elasticsearch?
A: Yes, all versions are available at https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/ but only recent versions receive security updates.

Q: Do I need to download Kibana separately?
A: Yes, Kibana is a separate download available at https://www.elastic.co/downloads/kibana

Q: What's the difference between .tar.gz and .deb/.rpm packages?
A: Archive files (.tar.gz) are portable but require manual configuration. Package files (.deb/.rpm) integrate with system services and updates.

Q: Can I download Elasticsearch for offline installation?
A: Yes, download the archive or package file on a connected machine, then transfer it to your offline system.

Q: Which Docker image should I use?
A: Use the official image from docker.elastic.co/elasticsearch/elasticsearch for the full distribution with all features.

Q: How large is the Elasticsearch download?
A: Approximately 500MB-700MB depending on the version and platform.

Q: Do I need JDK to run Elasticsearch?
A: No, Elasticsearch 7.x and later bundles its own JDK. You don't need to install Java separately.

Q: Can I use Elasticsearch in production without a license?
A: Yes, basic features are free forever. Premium features require a paid subscription or 30-day trial.

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