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Install dbt

dbt enables data teams to transform data using analytics engineering best practices. You can run dbt locally through a command line interface (CLI) to build, test, and deploy your data transformations.

For the best local development experience, we recommend the dbt Fusion engine. Built in Rust, Fusion delivers:

  • Faster performance — Up to 10x faster parsing, compilation, and execution.
  • SQL comprehension — Dialect-aware validation catches errors before they reach your warehouse.
  • Column-level lineage — Trace data flow across your entire project.

Install Fusion now!

dbt VS Code extension​

The dbt VS Code extension combines Fusion's performance with powerful LSP editor features:

  • IntelliSense — Autocomplete for models, macros, and columns.
  • Inline errors — See SQL errors as you type.
  • Hover insights — View model definitions and column info without leaving your code.
  • Refactoring tools — Rename models and columns across your project.

This is the fastest way to get started with dbt locally.

Install Fusion with the dbt VS Code extension

dbt Wizard​

dbt Wizard is a natural next step for local dbt development. It works with both dbt Fusion engine and dbt Core — dbt Wizard adds an AI agent that works with a live understanding of your entire project through dbt's native metadata engine — a structured index of your lineage, model health, test coverage, and semantic definitions.

  • Build and refactor from natural language: Describe the change, get a reviewable diff, approve before anything is written.
  • Validate in a tight loop: Every proposed change compiles and runs against your warehouse, catching issues before production.
  • Navigate with full project context: Traverse the DAG, surface downstream impact, and keep tests and YAML in sync as models evolve.

For data practitioners, dbt Wizard adds an AI layer that knows your project — not just your code. See dbt Wizard quickstart to get started.

dbt Core​

dbt Core is the open-source engine for running dbt locally. It is available in two versions:

  • dbt Core v1: The original Python-based dbt engine with a rich set of features.
  • dbt Core v2 alpha: The next major version, built on the Fusion runtime. Currently in alpha.

dbt Core v1 includes:

  • Apache License 2.0 — dbt Core is open source now and forever.
  • Community adapters — An amazing community of contributors has built adapters for a vast catalog of data warehouses.
  • Code editor support — Build your dbt project in popular editors like VS Code or Cursor.
  • Command line interface — Run your project from the terminal using macOS Terminal, iTerm, or the integrated terminal in your code editor.

Install dbt Core now!

dbt Wizard also works with dbt Core — see dbt Wizard quickstart to add AI-assisted development to your Core workflow.

Installation​

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