Less setup between you and your data.

SQLite is an embedded relational database engine written in C. It implements SQL without requiring a separate database server; an application reads and writes a database directly. Teams use it when they want transactional storage with little setup, especially in local applications, devices, tests and services with manageable write concurrency.

Yes. SQLite’s source code is dedicated to the public domain, so there is no SQLite license fee for ordinary commercial or personal use. A particular app, hosting service or support package built around SQLite may have its own terms and costs; check those separately.

Yes. The SQLite core is public domain and can be used in commercial or private software without paying a license fee. The cost of storage, hosting, backups or third-party tools is separate from the SQLite engine itself. SQLite Lab also offers its local browser workspace without an account.

SQLite publishes its source, but the project describes it as public domain rather than under a conventional open-source license. That distinction matters for legal terminology, although it generally makes reuse very permissive. Consult the official SQLite copyright page and your own legal process if a product requires formal license documentation.

D. Richard Hipp created SQLite in 2000. The project has since been maintained by the SQLite development team. It is a separate project from SQLite Lab, which is an independent browser interface for SQLite files and queries.

The SQLite database engine is written primarily in C. Its stable C interface lets many other languages call it through libraries or bindings; Python’s sqlite3 module is one example. The SQL you write for a SQLite database is a query language, not the implementation language of the engine.

SQLite is implemented in C and exposes a C API. C++ programs can call that API directly or through a C++ wrapper, but SQLite itself is not a C++ database engine. This distinction is useful when choosing build tools or language bindings.

Yes. Include the SQLite C header in a C++ project, link the SQLite library or amalgamation, and use its open, prepare, step and finalize functions. A C++ wrapper can manage handles and exceptions, but verify that the wrapper’s license and SQLite version suit your project. Use bound parameters instead of building SQL with untrusted strings.

Yes. Apple documents SQLite as a persistent-store type for Core Data, and SQLite-backed storage appears in Apple platform software. A Core Data SQLite file has a framework-managed schema: do not assume it can safely be edited as an ordinary application database. Use the owning application or Core Data API for supported changes.

SQLite releases change over time. As of 26 September 2026, the official SQLite site lists 3.53.4; check sqlite.org for the current release before downloading. Run SELECT sqlite_version(); to see the version actually loaded by a particular program, because Python, browsers and operating systems may bundle different releases.