rqlite
A small SQLite-based SQL database that runs on several machines and keeps working if one fails.
- Stars
- 17.9k
- Forks
- 823
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Go
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
rqlite is a relational database built on SQLite that can run as a cluster of nodes. Data is replicated across the nodes, so the database stays available if one node goes down. You talk to it over a simple HTTP API using ordinary SQL statements.
- Run a single rqlite node in Docker and create a table with an HTTP request
- Form a multi-node cluster so the database survives a node outage
- Store data with full-text search or JSON queries through SQLite features
- Send database changes to an external system using change data capture
- Take hot backups and automatically back up to AWS S3, MinIO, or Google Cloud
Great for
- Developers who want a replicated SQL database without running a large database server
- Teams deploying small-to-medium services in the cloud that need high availability
- Edge or distributed applications where a lightweight single-binary database is useful
- Developers who want SQL and JSON support with an HTTP interface
Not ideal for
- Workloads that need very high write throughput, since the README does not make performance claims and writes go through cluster consensus
- Anyone needing a full-featured database server with features the README does not list; check the docs for limits
- Teams that only need a single local database file with no network access, where plain SQLite is simpler
How to get it
- 1
Run with Docker
You'll need: Docker
Run a rqlite node with Docker
docker run -p 4001:4001 rqlite/rqlite - 2
Run it
- Start a node with the Docker command above
- Create a table and insert a row using curl against localhost:4001/db/execute
- Query the data using curl against localhost:4001/db/query
- Follow the clustering guide at rqlite.io/docs/clustering to add more nodes
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the Docker Compose or Kubernetes guides for automatic clustering
- Configure automatic backups to AWS S3, MinIO, or Google Cloud
- Enable TLS and authentication/authorization controls from the security guide
- Load SQLite extensions such as sqlite-vec for vector search
- Tune read consistency and queued writes to match your application's needs
Downloads
Strengths
- Built on SQLite, so standard SQL is available and the single binary has no external dependencies
- Replication means an outage of one node does not take the cluster down, per the README
- Simple HTTP API with a built-in console, CLI, and client libraries
Trade-offs
- The README is truncated and does not give detailed performance or scale numbers
- Distributed consensus adds operational concepts to learn, such as cluster membership and read consistency settings
- Some tuning choices (read consistency, queued writes) require understanding the trade-offs in the docs
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rqlite (this) | 17.9k | App | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want a replicated SQL database without running a large database server |
| kysely | 14.3k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | TypeScript developers who want SQL control without losing compile-time type checks |
| typeorm | 36.7k | Library | intermediate | 8 days ago | Node.js or TypeScript developers building apps backed by a relational database |
| sequelize | 30.3k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Node.js backend developers who use a relational SQL database |
| libsql | 17.3k | Library | intermediate | 20 days ago | Developers who already use SQLite and want extra features like embedded replicas |
| duckdb | 42.7k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | Analysts who want to run SQL directly on CSV, Parquet, or JSON files |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.