What SQLite does

SQLite is an open-source, public-domain SQL database engine implemented as a C-language library, founded in 2000 and maintained by Hipp, Wyrick & Company, Inc. (a small US corporation based in Charlotte, NC). The engine is the most widely deployed database engine in the world: it ships pre-installed in every Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows 10/11 device, inside every major web browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari), and is bundled as the default database in PHP and Python language distributions. Over 1 trillion SQLite databases are in active use globally, making the library the second-most widely deployed software library after zlib. The product is distributed via the SQLite Amalgamation (a single ~200K+ line C file), pre-compiled binaries, and WASM/JavaScript builds for browser environments, and is built using a DO-178B-inspired process with extensive fuzz-testing.

The product portfolio includes the core SQLite engine and CLI, the Amalgamation distribution format, a WASM/JavaScript build, and several built-in extensions: FTS5 (full-text search with trigram indexes), JSON1 (with JSONB binary format), R-Tree (spatial indexing), the Session extension (change tracking and synchronization), and the recently introduced AI Extensions (on-device ML inference with GGUF model support, vector embeddings, and cloud sync for edge deployments). Recent versions (3.53.0 in April 2026, 3.53.3 in June 2026) added the Query Result Formatter, enhanced ALTER TABLE capabilities, self-healing indexes, and the 'opfs-wl' VFS for browser persistent storage.

SQLite does not sell licenses and has no traditional sales motion. The commercial model is the SQLite Consortium — a membership association where companies pay annual fees in exchange for 23 staff-days per year of guaranteed developer attention, direct access to core developers, priority bug fixes, and legal assurances of continued open-source independence. A modern web-based UI partnership with Visual DB extends reach to business users. The project is supported by a small team of expert developers (11–50 employees) that does not accept external pull requests, and has a public commitment to support through 2050.

Name

SQLite

Legal name

SQLite

Website

https://sqlite.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SQLite is an open-source, public-domain C-language SQL database engine library — the most widely deployed in the world — embedded in every smartphone, most computers, and major browsers, funded via Consortium memberships and maintained by a small team of expert developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Embedded Database Engine

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Model Databases (HDAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search / Index Databases (HDAEAAAK), Database-as-a-Service (DBaaS) Platforms (HDAEAAAN), Database Administration & Data Engineering (RDBMS/NoSQL, ETL/ELT, Pipelines) (EDABAFAI)

Keywords

• Embedded database engine
• Relational database management
• SQL database library
• On-device AI inference
• In-process data storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consortium Membership Fees: SQLite Consortium members pay membership fees to support ongoing development and maintenance. In return, members receive enterprise-level technical support (23 staff-days per year guaranteed), direct access to SQLite developers, priority bug fixes and feature requests, private notifications on new bugs and features, and legal assurances of continued independence and open-source availability.
2. Professional Support Subscriptions: Commercial support subscriptions available for organizations needing dedicated technical assistance outside the consortium model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SQLite is a C-language library that implements a small, fast, self-contained, high-reliability, full-featured SQL database engine. It is the most widely deployed database engine in the world, built into all mobile phones, most computers, and countless applications, providing full ACID transactions and SQL functionality without requiring a server process. The project is public-domain open-source software, with commercial revenue generated through the SQLite Consortium enterprise membership program.

Product overview

SQLite is a single, self-contained embedded SQL database engine written in C, distributed as an open-source public domain library. The core product is the SQLite database engine with its C-language API, bundled with the command-line interface (CLI) shell. The distribution includes several built-in extensions: FTS5 for full-text search, JSON1 for JSON processing with JSONB support, R-Tree for spatial indexing, and the Session extension for change tracking. SQLite is also available as a WASM/JavaScript build for web browsers. Recent additions include AI extensions for on-device ML inference with GGUF model support. The product is distributed via the SQLite Amalgamation (single C file), with additional support services through the SQLite Consortium membership program. A modern web UI partnership with Visual DB provides business-friendly interface options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SQLite Database Engine
• SQLite Command-Line Interface (CLI)
• SQLite WASM / JavaScript Build
• SQLite AI Extensions
• SQLite Consortium Membership
• Visual DB UI for SQLite

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 trillion (1e12) SQLite databases in active use globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Visual DBminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2025Visual DB partnered with SQLite to develop a modern web-based user interface for SQLite databases. The platform includes data entry forms, reporting capabilities, and multi-user concurrency support, targeting a lightweight alternative to traditional database tools and making relational databases more accessible to business users.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• LevelDB: A fast embedded key-value storage library developed by Google. Comparable to SQLite as a lightweight embedded storage engine, though NoSQL key-value rather than relational SQL, and a sibling to RocksDB.
• RocksDB: An embedded persistent key-value store optimized for fast storage (developed at Facebook). Competes with SQLite in embedded storage for high-write workloads such as caching, message queues, and embedded state in applications.
• libSQL (Turso): An open-source fork of SQLite developed by Turso that adds async replication and a hosted cloud offering. Directly competes with SQLite in the embedded SQL category while extending into distributed and server-side use cases that SQLite does not address.
• LiteDB: A small, embedded NoSQL document database for .NET. Comparable to SQLite as an embedded, zero-configuration database for application developers, though targeted at the .NET ecosystem rather than C-based systems.

Direct peers

• Berkeley DB: An embedded key-value database originally developed at UC Berkeley and now maintained by Oracle. Historically a direct competitor to SQLite in the embedded database space, particularly for applications needing high-throughput key-value access.
• DuckDB: An embedded, in-process analytical SQL database engine designed for OLAP workloads. Directly comparable to SQLite as another single-file embedded SQL engine, but focused on analytical rather than transactional use cases, and increasingly competing for the same embedded database footprint.
• H2 Database: A Java-based embedded SQL database engine commonly used as an in-process database within Java applications. Comparable to SQLite as an embedded relational database with zero-configuration deployment, though addressing the JVM ecosystem specifically.
• Firebird SQL: An open-source SQL relational database that supports both embedded and server deployments. Directly competes with SQLite for embedded relational use cases while offering a server mode similar to PostgreSQL or MySQL.
• Realm (MongoDB): A mobile-first embedded object database now part of MongoDB. Directly competes with SQLite in mobile and edge application persistence, particularly for developers building iOS/Android apps who want an alternative to raw SQLite.

Broad incumbents

• PostgreSQL: The leading open-source server-side relational database. Comparable to SQLite as a fully-featured SQL database engine with ACID transactions, but operates as a client-server system rather than embedded library, occupying the broader enterprise database space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/sqlite/sqlite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SQLite