Serverless SQLite
The world's most-deployed database, on a connection string. Free tier, the same SQL you already know, every standard SQLite tool works.
Tables
- users
- events
- orders
- sessions
| id | name | created_at |
|---|---|---|
| 1247 | signup | 2026-03-12 14:21 |
| 1246 | purchase | 2026-03-12 14:08 |
| 1245 | login | 2026-03-12 13:55 |
| 1244 | signup | 2026-03-12 13:44 |
| 1243 | purchase | 2026-03-12 13:30 |
Where to run it
Cloud, desktop, or self-host
One database, three places it can live. Pick the speed you want and move between them when you outgrow it.
Branch SQLite in seconds
Fork a running SQLite into a full, isolated copy with its own connection string. Copy-on-write makes it near-instant, not a dump and restore. Point a preview deploy at it, test a migration, then throw it away. Layerbase branches 9 engines, not just Postgres.
See how branching worksWhat you get
Production features, free tier included
Every SQLite database ships with the same primitives: TLS, web console, hibernation, and a real dashboard. No tiered features hidden behind a sales call.
Web IDE
Query console in the dashboard, no extra client to install.
TLS by default
All connections encrypted. No setup required.
Always-on connections
Pin a database to your always-on pool to prevent hibernation.
Scale to zero
Hibernates when idle. Wakes on the next connection.
Connection pooling
Pooled endpoint for serverless and edge workloads.
Direct connections
Bypass the pooler for migrations and replication.
Native HTTPS endpoint
Engines whose own wire protocol speaks HTTPS. Every database, including this one, is also queryable over the platform's HTTPS query API and web console.
Serverless driver
Drop-in HTTP driver for edge runtimes (Upstash REST, PlanetScale, or the engine-native client).
IP whitelisting
Restrict access to specific IPs or CIDR ranges.
Automatic backups
Scheduled dumps and volume snapshots with one-click restore on paid plans. Free tier includes a manual backup slot.
Quick start
Connect with any SQLite client
Embedded-style data layers exposed over the network, prototypes, edge-friendly workloads, and apps that want SQLite ergonomics without managing a file.
- Spin up a network-addressable SQLite for a side project without provisioning anything
- Hand a SQLite endpoint to a serverless app instead of managing local files
- Prototype a schema in SQLite, deploy the same SQL elsewhere later
- Per-developer SQLite databases backed by the same shape as production
- Self-host on your own hardware with SpinDB when needed
psql "postgresql://layerbase:password@your-host.cloud.layerbase.dev:5432/sqlite1?sslmode=require"
Sibling engine
Looking for the SQLite-compatible serverless driver?
libSQL is the Turso-backed fork of SQLite with HTTP, WebSocket, and edge-friendly drivers. If you want SQLite semantics from an edge runtime, point your client at libSQL instead.
More on SQLite
All articles- June 28, 2026
Migrating from Turso to Layerbase
Turso meters reads and writes per row, which gets unpredictable on real workloads. Here is how to move your libSQL database to flat-priced managed hosting on Layerbase: dump it, load it, and point the same libSQL client at a new URL.
Read - June 14, 2026
Branching with any database
Neon branches Postgres. PlanetScale branches MySQL. Layerbase branches all of them, because branching happens at the filesystem, not inside the engine. Here is how it works.
Read - May 17, 2026
Turso alternatives: libSQL hosting without row-read limits
Turso is the dominant libSQL host, but its per-row-read pricing surprises many users on real workloads. Here are alternatives, including self-hosted libSQL.
Read - March 14, 2026
Embedded Databases: SQLite, LibSQL, and DuckDB
A practical guide to choosing between SQLite, LibSQL, and DuckDB when your project does not need a standalone database server.
Read - March 10, 2026
SQLite vs LibSQL
A practical comparison of SQLite and LibSQL covering server mode, replication, vector search, and when to pick each one.
Read
Questions
Common SQLite questions
Is hosted SQLite still really SQLite?+
Yes. The endpoint speaks standard SQLite SQL and behaves like a normal SQLite database, just reachable over the network. Standard tooling, standard schema, standard SQL.
How does it compare to libSQL?+
SQLite is the upstream embedded engine; libSQL is Turso's fork with HTTP and WebSocket drivers, designed for edge runtimes that cannot speak SQLite's native protocol. If you need an HTTP-friendly client, pick libSQL.
Does it scale?+
SQLite's strength is single-writer simplicity, not horizontal scale. For high write throughput, pick Postgres or MySQL. For typical app workloads SQLite scales further than people expect.
What about backups?+
Free databases hibernate but persist their data; paid plans add scheduled snapshots. Manual snapshot and restore are available from the dashboard.
Can I use sqlite3 CLI and standard tooling?+
Yes. The endpoint exposes a standard connection format compatible with sqlite3, better-sqlite3, sqlx, Drizzle, Prisma, and other SQLite-aware tooling.