How to Install SQLite and Use It (Windows, Mac, Linux)

SQLite download: which file you actually need

Every SQLite download is on one page, sqlite.org/download.html, and the release history page lists 3.53.4 (24 July 2026) as the latest release. The page mixes files for developers and for end users. File names encode the version, so 3530400 means 3.53.4.

The SQLite documentation explains that "SQLite" can mean two things: the library that implements the database engine, and the sqlite3 command line program (the CLI) that passes your input to that library. If you want to type SQL against a database file, you want the CLI, which SQLite calls the officially supported way to access database files interactively.

Install the sqlite3 command line shell on Windows

There is no setup wizard: the tools zip contains ready-to-run programs.

1. On the download page, under Precompiled Binaries for Windows, download sqlite-tools-win-x64-3530400.zip (or the ARM64 file on an Arm-based PC).
2. Extract the zip to a folder you choose, for example C:\sqlite.
3. Open a command prompt in that folder and run sqlite3 with a database file name. To run it from any folder, add the folder to your PATH as you would for any command line tool.

If you double-click sqlite3.exe instead, the SQLite documentation warns that it starts without arguments, so you are connected to a temporary in-memory database that is deleted when the session ends. Type .open with a file name straight away to work on a file. Use forward slashes in paths, for example c:/work/ex1.db, not backslashes.

sqlite> .open c:/work/ex1.db

Alternatively: save an in-memory session

If you already typed SQL into an in-memory session, .save followed by a file name writes it to disk. The documentation cautions that .save overwrites an existing file of the same name without asking.

sqlite3 download for macOS and Linux

The SQLite home page notes that SQLite is built into most computers, so a sqlite3 command may already be available on your Mac or Linux system; it can be older than the current release. To use the latest version, download the tools zip for your platform from the SQLite download page and place the programs on your $PATH.

The macOS binaries are unsigned. The download page says that after putting them on your $PATH you will need to remove the quarantine attribute before they run:

xattr -d com.apple.quarantine <prog>

Create your first SQLite database

The SQLite quick start puts it in one line: at a shell or DOS prompt, sqlite3 test.db creates a new database named test.db. The CLI documentation uses ex1.db and a small table. End every SQL statement with a semicolon; without one, sqlite3 shows a continuation prompt and waits for more input, which is how you type statements over several lines.

sqlite3 ex1.db
sqlite> create table tbl1(one text, two int);
sqlite> insert into tbl1 values('hello!',10),('goodbye',20);
sqlite> select * from tbl1;

Dot-commands versus SQL

Lines that start with a dot are interpreted by the sqlite3 program itself, not by the SQLite library, so they only work in the shell and not from an application. Everything else is SQL in SQLite's dialect. To stop a long-running statement, use the interrupt character (usually Ctrl+C).

DB Browser for SQLite download

SQLite's own documentation notes that some users prefer a graphical interface and that several are available from third parties. The most common free one is DB Browser for SQLite (DB4S), which its project describes as a visual, open source tool for creating, searching and editing SQLite or SQLCipher database files. It is a separate project from SQLite itself; its official download page is sqlitebrowser.org/dl, and the latest release is 3.13.1.

• Windows: a standard installer or a .zip (no installer) for 64-bit, 32-bit and ARM64 Windows, plus a PortableApp (not for ARM64). If the standard release gives an error, the project suggests trying a nightly build.
• macOS: a Universal app, or Homebrew.
• Linux: an AppImage, Snap packages and distribution packages. Debian's package is typically older than the latest release.

According to the project, DB4S gives a spreadsheet-like interface on the database as well as a full SQL query facility, with controls and wizards to create and compact database files, create, modify and delete tables and indexes, browse and edit records, and import and export data as text. For other graphical options, see the best SQLite GUI tools.

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install db-browser-for-sqlite

# Linux (Snap)
snap install sqlitebrowser

# Fedora
sudo dnf install sqlitebrowser

# Debian
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install sqlitebrowser

When SQLite fits, common mistakes and next steps

The SQLite project describes its own scope plainly: SQLite does not compete with client/server databases, it competes with fopen(). It suits local storage for one application or device, files you want to copy and share, and learning SQL without running a server. If many users or programs must write to a shared database over a network, a client/server engine such as PostgreSQL or MySQL is the better fit; see SQLite vs PostgreSQL and SQLite vs MySQL, or DuckDB vs SQLite for analytics.

• My tables disappeared. You were in a transient in-memory database (no file name given, or a double-click start). Use .open FILE or start sqlite3 with a file name.
• The database file is not where I expected. Relative names are created in the current folder; use a full path with forward slashes.
• Nothing happens after I press Enter. The statement has no closing semicolon, so sqlite3 is waiting for the rest of it.
• macOS refuses to run the downloaded sqlite3. Remove the quarantine attribute with xattr as shown above.

Next, work through the SQL beginner course against your new file and practise with the SQL exercises; most beginner SQL runs unchanged in SQLite.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• SQLite: Download page
• SQLite: Release history
• SQLite: Home page
• SQLite: Command Line Shell For SQLite
• SQLite: Quick Start
• SQLite: Appropriate Uses For SQLite
• SQLite: Copyright
• DB Browser for SQLite: Home
• DB Browser for SQLite: Downloads

Checked 8 October 2026.

How we research guides: our editorial method. We link only to official downloads and never host installers.