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// In-process file

SQLite browser and editor for Mac, Windows and Linux

Double-click a .sqlite or .db file and it opens straight into SQLly, with the same IntelliSense, row editor, plans and compare tools you get on a server database - and no server.

Opens
A database file, or :memory: for a scratch database
Server
None - SQLite runs inside SQLly
Sign-in
None - access is the file's own permissions
File types
.sqlite, .db and .sqlite3 open with a double-click
Download SQLly How to connect

What SQLly does for SQLite

SQLite opens directly inside SQLly - no server, no credentials - and still gets the workbench treatment: IntelliSense on the real schema, a generated row editor, query plans, maintenance and compare tools.

Open a file, get to work

Double-click or drop a .sqlite, .db or .sqlite3 file and SQLly creates a connection to it - or reuses the one you already have. Use :memory: for a scratch database that lives as long as the app.

Server explorer β†’

Edit rows without writing UPDATEs

Right-click a result row for an edit form generated from the table’s own metadata, with insert, duplicate and delete. Changes run as guarded, transactional DML.

Row editor β†’

EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN, readable

SQLite’s EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN opens in the same plan viewer as the server engines - findings, tree and diagram - and never executes your statement.

Query plans β†’

Maintenance from the explorer

The Maintenance menu scripts or runs VACUUM, ANALYZE, REINDEX and PRAGMA integrity_check, and the Server Dashboard shows the file’s size, free list and contents.

Server Dashboard β†’

Compare two SQLite files

Schema Compare, schema snapshots and Data Compare all work on SQLite, and Data Transfer moves tables between SQLite and your server databases.

Schema Compare β†’

A read-only mode for files, too

A read-only connection refuses load_extension, readfile, writefile and ATTACH/DETACH. Queries from the AI drawer and MCP server run with PRAGMA query_only switched on.

Read-only connections β†’

Open a SQLite database

  1. Download SQLly for macOS, Windows or Linux from the download page and open it.
  2. Open the file directly: double-click a .sqlite, .db or .sqlite3 file, or open it with SQLly from your file manager, and confirm the connection sheet.
  3. Or create a connection, choose SQLite, and enter the file path (or :memory:) - pasting a bare file path or a sqlite: URL works too. There is no user name or password to fill in.
  4. Connect and browse the schema in the explorer, then query with IntelliSense as usual.

Working with SQLite over the network on Turso or your own sqld server? That’s libSQL / Turso, which speaks the same SQLite dialect and shares most of these tools.

Every SQLly tool on SQLite

This is the same engine matrix the app uses to enable or disable its menus, so what you read here is what you get. Where a tool doesn’t apply to SQLite, the app says why - and so do we.

SQLly tools and whether they work on SQLite
Tool SQLite
Explorer, IntelliSense and hover cards Yes
Edit rows in the results grid Yes Resetting a column to its default is offered on inserts only.
Estimated execution plans Yes EXPLAIN QUERY PLAN.
Server Dashboard Yes The file's size, free list and contents.
Disk Usage and Object Browser Yes
Maintenance menu Yes VACUUM, ANALYZE, REINDEX, PRAGMA integrity_check.
Schema Compare and Schema History Yes
Data Compare Yes
Data Transfer Yes
Test Data Generator Yes
Table Structure Editor Yes
Read-only connections Yes
Auto-rollback safety wrap Yes
Actual (executed) plans No SQLite exposes an estimated plan only.
Activity Monitor No SQLite runs inside SQLly with no server sessions to monitor.
Query Insights No SQLite keeps no query statistics store.
Index Analyzer No SQLite keeps no index usage counters.
Security editor (users, roles, grants) No SQLite has no logins or roles.
Backup / Restore No A SQLite database is one file; copy it.
Create and drop database dialogs No Create a SQLite file from New Connection.
Procedure Mode No SQLite has no stored procedures.
SQL Agent, Extended Events and guided designers No SQL Server and Azure SQL only.
SSH tunnels, proxies and Kubernetes port-forward No A local file; there is no server to tunnel to.

Questions about SQLite in SQLly

Can I open a SQLite file by double-clicking it?

Yes. Opening or dropping a .sqlite, .db or .sqlite3 file creates a SQLite connection to it, or reuses the one you already have. SQLly shows what it is about to open and waits for you to confirm.

Can I edit SQLite rows in the results grid?

Yes. Right-click a result row for a generated edit form with insert, duplicate and delete. The one SQLite-specific limit: SQLite cannot reset a column to its default inside an UPDATE, so that option is only offered on inserts.

How do I back up a SQLite database in SQLly?

A SQLite database is a single file, so copy the file. SQLly's Backup / Restore tool is for server engines and says so on SQLite; the Maintenance menu still offers VACUUM, ANALYZE, REINDEX and PRAGMA integrity_check.

Read more

In the docs

Other databases

Choosing a client

// try it on your own SQLite

Bring your SQLite home to the pig

SQLly is free to start on macOS, Windows and Linux, with no account required.

⬇ Download SQLly - it’s free Compare SQL clients