> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.helix-db.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# helix stop

> For the complete documentation index optimized for AI agents, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt).

Stop a background local instance and remove its containers.

`helix stop` is idempotent — if the instance is not running, the CLI exits successfully without error.

For disk-mode instances, `helix stop` removes the Helix and MinIO containers but keeps the persistent local volume. Use [`helix prune`](/cli/command-reference/prune) to delete disk-mode data.

## Usage

```bash theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
helix stop [INSTANCE]
```

## Arguments

| Argument   | Description                                                                                                           |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `INSTANCE` | Local instance to stop. If omitted in a TTY with multiple instances, the CLI prompts. Defaults to `dev` when present. |

## Examples

```bash theme={"languages":{"custom":["languages/helixql.json"]}}
# Stop the default 'dev' instance
helix stop dev

# Stop with interactive picker
helix stop

# Safe to call in scripts even if the instance is already stopped
helix stop staging || true
```

## Related

* [`helix start`](/cli/command-reference/start) — start a local instance
* [`helix restart`](/cli/command-reference/restart) — restart a local instance
* [`helix prune`](/cli/command-reference/prune) — remove all Helix-owned local state for an instance