Download / Install Neo4j

Requirements

Choosing the right version

Neo4j ports

Install Java

Install Neo4j

Install APOC libraries

Neo4j Database Configuration

Requirements

You can install Neo4j on either Windows 10+ or on Linux. Either on local computers or on a virtual machine on ANY cloud.

We test on Debian/Ubuntu and on Windows 11.

CAUTION: the guide below is written in terms of installing version 4.4 of the Neo4j database;
side comments explain the differences in the installation of version 5 of the Neo4j database, whenever there is a difference.

If you're only interested in the BrainAnnex python libraries, simply pip install either brainannex-neo4jv4 or brainannex-neo4jv5, depending on your version of the database.

If you want to use version 5 of Neo4j with the BrainAnnex web app, make sure to apply the following changes to the files from the repo:

• In the file brainannex/__init.py__, comment out the line that mentions intergraph_neo4j_4, and uncomment the line that mentions intergraph_neo4j_5
• In the files requirements.txt, comment out the line that mentions version 4 of Neo4j, and uncomment the line that mentions version 5

Neo4j ports to open, for remote access to server

By default, only connections from localhost are permitted, unless the config file is changed, as discussed in the section Neo4j Database Configuration.

Default ports used:

HTTPS: 7473
HTTP: 7474
Bolt Protocol: 7687

If you're installing Neo4j on a server, and want to enable remote access to the database, you must open some or all of those ports (7474, 7473, 7687), as needed.

Port opening will be needed if the database and the app are on different machines, or if you want to access the database over the internet from the Neo4j browser or other front ends.

Note: if you use the Brain Annex web app, depending on how you install it, you'll also need access to ports 5000 (for Flask/Werkzeug) or 80 (for HTTP) or 443 (for HTTPS).

If installing on a virtual machine on a cloud, consult your cloud provider for instructions on how to open the needed ports - typically thru a control panel.
In some cases, Linux commands may also have to be issued. In particular, if you're on Ubuntu, you may need extra steps to open ports; for example, to open port 80 issue: sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT (More info).
Special instructions for Ubuntu on the Oracle cloud

Install Java, as needed

The Neo4j database is internally written in the Java programming language – so, Java must be available on the system.

Version 4.4 of the Neo4j database needs the Java 11 SE Development Kit 11; version 5.26 of Neo4j needs Java 21.

If doing your own installation, a Java installation is needed. (Some pre-made VM images already includes Java, but make sure that it's the right version.)

You can check if the needed Java version is already installed by issuing:

on your Linux shell or Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt window.

On Ubuntu, Debian and some other Linux versions, Java 11 may be installed, if needed, with:

(Use Java 21 instead for Neo4j version 5)

On Windows, use this link from Oracle (then click on the "Windows" tab, and look for the .exe Windows x64 Installer.)
Oracle's website doesn't appear to work correctly from Firefox, but it's fine from Chrome. You'll have to register for an account from Oracle; annoying but free.
After you download the .exe file, double-check on it, to install Java.
If you have any PowerShell windows open, close them to register the change.

Installing Neo4j - PART 1 : the Database

For Debian-based Linux distributions, incl. Ubuntu  (scroll down for other versions of Linux or for Windows):

On Debian or Debian-based Linux (incl. Ubuntu), go to the server and issue: The 2nd command (the echo) should show:    deb https://debian.neo4j.com stable 4.4

Caution: REPLACE 4.4 with 5.26 if you're installing version 5 of the Neo4j database.

Then issue: OPTIONAL, just for your information – you can verify which Neo4j versions are available by running: In Ubuntu server installations you will also need to make sure that the `universe` repository is enabled. OPTIONAL, just for your information - to show all the installed neo4j components: The output should include the lines:
cypher-shell - command line shell for neo4j
and
neo4j - graph database server

We now have 3 executable files; to see them listed, issue: You should see neo4j, neo4j-admin and neo4j-import

To find out exactly where neo4j got installed, run: Items of interest:

• Config file, neo4j.conf , is in /etc/neo4j
• The neo4j "HOME" is /usr/share/neo4j
• Logs will be in /var/log/neo4j   (may not be present initially)
• A "man" page is alse created (man neo4j)

For Other Linux distributions:

For 5.26, use the Neo4j download LINK.   IMPORTANT: make sure to get version 5.26.x
From that page, scroll down to the section on "Graph Database Self-Managed", and pick the most recent version of the 5.26.x *COMMUNITY* (unless you specifically need Enterprise) branch, for your version of Linux. Download the file, and follow the directions on the download page.


If you want to use version 4.4, download it from this archival link

---

For Neo4j version 5.26:

Use the Neo4j download LINK.   IMPORTANT: make sure to get version 5.26.x
From that page, scroll down to the section on "Graph Database Self-Managed", and pick the most recent version of the 5.26.x *COMMUNITY* (unless you specifically need Enterprise) branch, for Windows. Download the file.
If you want to verify the checksum on the downloaded zip file (i.e. its integrity), we recommend the free Windows tool Bitser (beware of potentially misleading ads on that download page.)

For version 4.4:

You need to download an archived copy, because this version is no longer listed in the Neo4j download center. Use this archival link


Afterwards, under either scenario:

Find the zip file you just downloaded and right-click, extract all.

Move all the extracted files to a permanent folder on your machine, for example D:\neo4 . That top-level directory for the Neo4j installation is referred to as NEO4J_HOME. Under that folder, you should see a "README.txt" file (you can double-check the version number inside of it), plus several other files and subfolders.

On Win11, search for the PowerShell and RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR. Now, in the Windows PowerShell, issue the command:

Next, issue the command: This is needed over-ride the default block against running scripts. More info

At this point, you can start Neo4j as a Windows service, by issuing the command: (assuming your current directory was indeed the folder where you installed Neo4j!) At the end, it should say "Neo4j service installed"

More info for version 5
More info for version 4

Installing Neo4j - PART 2 : the Neo4j APOC libraries (optional but highly recommended, and required by some BrainAnnex modules)

The Neo4j "APOC" libraries add a good deal of extra functionality to the database: they provide a large set of functions that can be incorporated into Cypher queries. Those libraries are created and maintained by the Neo4j company itself, but somehow they're not part of the standard installation.

From the official documentation:
"[APOC procedures] are custom implementations of certain functionality, that can’t be (easily) expressed in Cypher itself.
They are implemented in Java and can be easily deployed into your Neo4j instance, and then be called from Cypher directly."

Currently, the APOC library is needed by several Brain Annex modules. We highly recommend that you install it, though you could do without if you're just using the database by itself thru the Neo4j browser.

Make sure that the database is stopped (see the section Start/Stop the database, under the "Administer Neo4j" link). If you just installed it, it will already be in a stopped state.

Locate the most recent version of the 4.4 series or 5.26 of APOC libraries (depending on your version of the Neo4j database) from this GitHub Releases page. Make a note of that version number; for example, as of July 2026, the most current version of the 4.4 series is 4.4.0.40, while the the most current version of the 5.26 series is 5.26.4

IMPORTANT: after you finish APOC's installation, make sure to change the Neo4j config file, as detailed in the next section!

To install the APOC libraries on Linux (we tested on Ubuntu and Debian):

To install the APOC libraries on Windows (we tested on Win 11), right-click on an empty space in the window where you installed Neo4j (in our examples below, D:\neo4j), and select "Open in Terminal". Then, in the PowerShell that comes up, run:

IMPORTANT: make sure to do the changes in the Neo4j config file, as detailed in the next section, or you'll never see the APOC install!

Neo4j Database Configuration

Make sure that the database is stopped (see the section Start/Stop the database, under the "Administer Neo4j" link), if you need to edit the configuration file. If you just installed the database, it will already be in a stopped state.

Locate the Neo4j configuration file.


On Linux installations from the repository (we tested on Debian and Debian-derived versions, such as Ubuntu), the configuration file will be: /etc/neo4j/neo4j.conf

If you're having problems finding the Neo4j configuration file, you can get a list of applicable directories with:

For Windows installations from a downloaded: NEO4J_HOME\conf\neo4j.conf , where NEO4J_HOME is the folder you chose for your installation

IMPORTANT: By default, the neo4j server only listens to the local machine, and does NOT recognize the APOC libraries, even if installed as directed above!

If you need to make Neo4j accept remote connections (such as from the Neo4j browser interface), as typically done on a server installation, you'll need to edit the config file.
Similarly, if you want to make the APOC libraries available (highly recommended), you'll need to edit the config file.


To edit the config file on Windows, use your favorite text editor, such as notepad.
If you SSH to the server with the awesome client MobaXterm, a handy graphic text editor for remote files is included, though it might run into writing-permission issues.
Or, in the Linux shell:

Now that you're editing the Neo4j configuration file...

1) If you want to make Neo4j accept remote connections, UN-comment the line (i.e. remove the # in front of it): 2) If you want to use the APOC libraries (assuming you installed them, as discussed in the previous section), add the following line anywhere in the config file; for example, at the very end:

After saving and closing the configuration file, it's good to verify the changes.
On Linux, you may verify the line you uncommented (for remote access) and the added (for APOC) with, respectively:

Now, onward to administering the database!