---
title: SQLite
description: Bun natively implements a high-performance SQLite3 driver.
---

Bun natively implements a high-performance [SQLite3](https://www.sqlite.org/) driver. To use it import from the built-in `bun:sqlite` module.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database(":memory:");
const query = db.query("select 'Hello world' as message;");
query.get();
```

```txt
{ message: "Hello world" }
```

The API is simple, synchronous, and fast. Credit to [better-sqlite3](https://github.com/JoshuaWise/better-sqlite3) and its contributors for inspiring the API of `bun:sqlite`.

Features include:

- Transactions
- Parameters (named & positional)
- Prepared statements
- Datatype conversions (`BLOB` becomes `Uint8Array`)
- Map query results to classes without an ORM - `query.as(MyClass)`
- The fastest performance of any SQLite driver for JavaScript
- `bigint` support
- Multi-query statements (e.g. `SELECT 1; SELECT 2;`) in a single call to database.run(query)

The `bun:sqlite` module is roughly 3-6x faster than `better-sqlite3` and 8-9x faster than `deno.land/x/sqlite` for read queries. Each driver was benchmarked against the [Northwind Traders](https://github.com/jpwhite3/northwind-SQLite3/blob/46d5f8a64f396f87cd374d1600dbf521523980e8/Northwind_large.sqlite.zip) dataset. View and run the [benchmark source](https://github.com/oven-sh/bun/tree/main/bench/sqlite).

<Frame caption="Benchmarked on an M1 MacBook Pro (64GB) running macOS 12.3.1">
  ![SQLite benchmarks for Bun, better-sqlite3, and
  deno.land/x/sqlite](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/709451/168459263-8cd51ca3-a924-41e9-908d-cf3478a3b7f3.png)
</Frame>

---

## Database

To open or create a SQLite3 database:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database("mydb.sqlite");
```

To open an in-memory database:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

// all of these do the same thing
const db = new Database(":memory:");
const db = new Database();
const db = new Database("");
```

To open in `readonly` mode:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";
const db = new Database("mydb.sqlite", { readonly: true });
```

To create the database if the file doesn't exist:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";
const db = new Database("mydb.sqlite", { create: true });
```

### Strict mode

By default, `bun:sqlite` requires binding parameters to include the `$`, `:`, or `@` prefix, and does not throw an error if a parameter is missing.

To instead throw an error when a parameter is missing and allow binding without a prefix, set `strict: true` on the `Database` constructor:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const strict = new Database(":memory:", { strict: true });

// throws error because of the typo:
const query = strict.query("SELECT $message;").all({ messag: "Hello world" });

const notStrict = new Database(":memory:");
// does not throw error:
notStrict.query("SELECT $message;").all({ messag: "Hello world" });
```

### Load via ES module import

You can also use an import attribute to load a database.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={1}
import db from "./mydb.sqlite" with { type: "sqlite" };

console.log(db.query("select * from users LIMIT 1").get());
```

This is equivalent to the following:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";
const db = new Database("./mydb.sqlite");
```

### `.close(throwOnError: boolean = false)`

To close a database connection, but allow existing queries to finish, call `.close(false)`:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
const db = new Database();
// ... do stuff
db.close(false);
```

To close the database and throw an error if there are any pending queries, call `.close(true)`:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
const db = new Database();
// ... do stuff
db.close(true);
```

<Note>
  `close(false)` is called automatically when the database is garbage collected. It is safe to call multiple times but
  has no effect after the first.
</Note>

### `using` statement

You can use the `using` statement to ensure that a database connection is closed when the `using` block is exited.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={4, 5}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

{
  using db = new Database("mydb.sqlite");
  using query = db.query("select 'Hello world' as message;");
  console.log(query.get());
}
```

```txt
{ message: "Hello world" }
```

### `.serialize()`

`bun:sqlite` supports SQLite's built-in mechanism for [serializing](https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/serialize.html) and [deserializing](https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/deserialize.html) databases to and from memory.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const olddb = new Database("mydb.sqlite");
const contents = olddb.serialize(); // => Uint8Array
const newdb = Database.deserialize(contents);
```

Internally, `.serialize()` calls [`sqlite3_serialize`](https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/serialize.html).

### `.query()`

Use the `db.query()` method on your `Database` instance to [prepare](https://www.sqlite.org/c3ref/prepare.html) a SQL query. The result is a `Statement` instance that will be cached on the `Database` instance. _The query will not be executed._

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query(`select "Hello world" as message`);
```

<Note>
**What does "cached" mean?**

The caching refers to the **compiled prepared statement** (the SQL bytecode), not the query results. When you call `db.query()` with the same SQL string multiple times, Bun returns the same cached `Statement` object instead of recompiling the SQL.

It is completely safe to reuse a cached statement with different parameter values:

```ts
const query = db.query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?");
query.get(1); // ✓ Works
query.get(2); // ✓ Also works - parameters are bound fresh each time
query.get(3); // ✓ Still works
```

Use `.prepare()` instead of `.query()` when you want a fresh `Statement` instance that isn't cached, for example if you're dynamically generating SQL and don't want to fill the cache with one-off queries.

```ts
// compile the prepared statement without caching
const query = db.prepare("SELECT * FROM foo WHERE bar = ?");
```

</Note>

---

## WAL mode

SQLite supports [write-ahead log mode](https://www.sqlite.org/wal.html) (WAL) which dramatically improves performance, especially in situations with many concurrent readers and a single writer. It's broadly recommended to enable WAL mode for most typical applications.

To enable WAL mode, run this pragma query at the beginning of your application:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
db.run("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL;");
```

<Accordion title="What is WAL mode?">
In WAL mode, writes to the database are written directly to a separate file called the "WAL file" (write-ahead log). This file will be later integrated into the main database file. Think of it as a buffer for pending writes. Refer to the [SQLite docs](https://www.sqlite.org/wal.html) for a more detailed overview.

On macOS, WAL files may be persistent by default. This is not a bug, it is how macOS configured the system version of SQLite.

</Accordion>

---

## Statements

A `Statement` is a _prepared query_, which means it's been parsed and compiled into an efficient binary form. It can be executed multiple times in a performant way.

Create a statement with the `.query` method on your `Database` instance.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query(`select "Hello world" as message`);
```

Queries can contain parameters. These can be numerical (`?1`) or named (`$param` or `:param` or `@param`).

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query(`SELECT ?1, ?2;`);
const query = db.query(`SELECT $param1, $param2;`);
```

Values are bound to these parameters when the query is executed. A `Statement` can be executed with several different methods, each returning the results in a different form.

### Binding values

To bind values to a statement, pass an object to the `.all()`, `.get()`, `.run()`, or `.values()` method.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query(`select $message;`);
query.all({ $message: "Hello world" });
```

You can bind using positional parameters too:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query(`select ?1;`);
query.all("Hello world");
```

#### `strict: true` lets you bind values without prefixes

By default, the `$`, `:`, and `@` prefixes are **included** when binding values to named parameters. To bind without these prefixes, use the `strict` option in the `Database` constructor.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database(":memory:", {
  // bind values without prefixes
  strict: true, // [!code ++]
});

const query = db.query(`select $message;`);

// strict: true
query.all({ message: "Hello world" });

// strict: false
// query.all({ $message: "Hello world" });
```

### `.all()`

Use `.all()` to run a query and get back the results as an array of objects.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query(`select $message;`);
query.all({ $message: "Hello world" });
```

```txt
[{ message: "Hello world" }]
```

Internally, this calls [`sqlite3_reset`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_reset) and repeatedly calls [`sqlite3_step`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_step) until it returns `SQLITE_DONE`.

### `.get()`

Use `.get()` to run a query and get back the first result as an object.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query(`select $message;`);
query.get({ $message: "Hello world" });
```

```txt
{ $message: "Hello world" }
```

Internally, this calls [`sqlite3_reset`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_reset) followed by [`sqlite3_step`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_step) until it no longer returns `SQLITE_ROW`. If the query returns no rows, `undefined` is returned.

### `.run()`

Use `.run()` to run a query and get back `undefined`. This is useful for schema-modifying queries (e.g. `CREATE TABLE`) or bulk write operations.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query(`create table foo;`);
query.run();
```

```txt
{
  lastInsertRowid: 0,
  changes: 0,
}
```

Internally, this calls [`sqlite3_reset`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_reset) and calls [`sqlite3_step`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_step) once. Stepping through all the rows is not necessary when you don't care about the results.

The `lastInsertRowid` property returns the ID of the last row inserted into the database. The `changes` property is the number of rows affected by the query.

### `.as(Class)` - Map query results to a class

Use `.as(Class)` to run a query and get back the results as instances of a class. This lets you attach methods & getters/setters to results.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={10}
class Movie {
  title: string;
  year: number;

  get isMarvel() {
    return this.title.includes("Marvel");
  }
}

const query = db.query("SELECT title, year FROM movies").as(Movie);
const movies = query.all();
const first = query.get();

console.log(movies[0].isMarvel);
console.log(first.isMarvel);
```

```txt
true
true
```

As a performance optimization, the class constructor is not called, default initializers are not run, and private fields are not accessible. This is more like using `Object.create` than `new`. The class's prototype is assigned to the object, methods are attached, and getters/setters are set up, but the constructor is not called.

The database columns are set as properties on the class instance.

### `.iterate()` (`@@iterator`)

Use `.iterate()` to run a query and incrementally return results. This is useful for large result sets that you want to process one row at a time without loading all the results into memory.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query("SELECT * FROM foo");
for (const row of query.iterate()) {
  console.log(row);
}
```

You can also use the `@@iterator` protocol:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const query = db.query("SELECT * FROM foo");
for (const row of query) {
  console.log(row);
}
```

### `.values()`

Use `values()` to run a query and get back all results as an array of arrays.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3, 4}
const query = db.query(`select $message;`);

query.values({ $message: "Hello world" });
query.values(2);
```

```txt
[
  [ "Iron Man", 2008 ],
  [ "The Avengers", 2012 ],
  [ "Ant-Man: Quantumania", 2023 ],
]
```

Internally, this calls [`sqlite3_reset`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_reset) and repeatedly calls [`sqlite3_step`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_step) until it returns `SQLITE_DONE`.

### `.finalize()`

Use `.finalize()` to destroy a `Statement` and free any resources associated with it. Once finalized, a `Statement` cannot be executed again. Typically, the garbage collector will do this for you, but explicit finalization may be useful in performance-sensitive applications.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
const query = db.query("SELECT title, year FROM movies");
const movies = query.all();
query.finalize();
```

### `.toString()`

Calling `toString()` on a `Statement` instance prints the expanded SQL query. This is useful for debugging.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={6, 9, 12}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

// setup
const query = db.query("SELECT $param;");

console.log(query.toString()); // => "SELECT NULL"

query.run(42);
console.log(query.toString()); // => "SELECT 42"

query.run(365);
console.log(query.toString()); // => "SELECT 365"
```

Internally, this calls [`sqlite3_expanded_sql`](https://www.sqlite.org/capi3ref.html#sqlite3_expanded_sql). The parameters are expanded using the most recently bound values.

## Parameters

Queries can contain parameters. These can be numerical (`?1`) or named (`$param` or `:param` or `@param`). Bind values to these parameters when executing the query:

```ts title="query.ts" icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query("SELECT * FROM foo WHERE bar = $bar");
const results = query.all({
  $bar: "bar",
});
```

```txt
[{ "$bar": "bar" }]
```

Numbered (positional) parameters work too:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const query = db.query("SELECT ?1, ?2");
const results = query.all("hello", "goodbye");
```

```txt
[
	{
		"?1": "hello",
		"?2": "goodbye",
	},
];
```

---

## Integers

sqlite supports signed 64 bit integers, but JavaScript only supports signed 52 bit integers or arbitrary precision integers with `bigint`.

`bigint` input is supported everywhere, but by default `bun:sqlite` returns integers as `number` types. If you need to handle integers larger than 2^53, set `safeIntegers` option to `true` when creating a `Database` instance. This also validates that `bigint` passed to `bun:sqlite` do not exceed 64 bits.

By default, `bun:sqlite` returns integers as `number` types. If you need to handle integers larger than 2^53, you can use the `bigint` type.

### `safeIntegers: true`

When `safeIntegers` is `true`, `bun:sqlite` will return integers as `bigint` types:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database(":memory:", { safeIntegers: true });
const query = db.query(`SELECT ${BigInt(Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER) + 102n} as max_int`);
const result = query.get();

console.log(result.max_int);
```

```txt
9007199254741093n
```

When `safeIntegers` is `true`, `bun:sqlite` will throw an error if a `bigint` value in a bound parameter exceeds 64 bits:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database(":memory:", { safeIntegers: true });
db.run("CREATE TABLE test (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, value INTEGER)");

const query = db.query("INSERT INTO test (value) VALUES ($value)");

try {
  query.run({ $value: BigInt(Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER) ** 2n });
} catch (e) {
  console.log(e.message);
}
```

```txt
BigInt value '81129638414606663681390495662081' is out of range
```

### `safeIntegers: false` (default)

When `safeIntegers` is `false`, `bun:sqlite` will return integers as `number` types and truncate any bits beyond 53:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database(":memory:", { safeIntegers: false });
const query = db.query(`SELECT ${BigInt(Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER) + 102n} as max_int`);
const result = query.get();
console.log(result.max_int);
```

```txt
9007199254741092
```

---

## Transactions

Transactions are a mechanism for executing multiple queries in an _atomic_ way; that is, either all of the queries succeed or none of them do. Create a transaction with the `db.transaction()` method:

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={2}
const insertCat = db.prepare("INSERT INTO cats (name) VALUES ($name)");
const insertCats = db.transaction(cats => {
  for (const cat of cats) insertCat.run(cat);
});
```

At this stage, we haven't inserted any cats! The call to `db.transaction()` returns a new function (`insertCats`) that _wraps_ the function that executes the queries.

To execute the transaction, call this function. All arguments will be passed through to the wrapped function; the return value of the wrapped function will be returned by the transaction function. The wrapped function also has access to the `this` context as defined where the transaction is executed.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
const insert = db.prepare("INSERT INTO cats (name) VALUES ($name)");
const insertCats = db.transaction(cats => {
  for (const cat of cats) insert.run(cat);
  return cats.length;
});

const count = insertCats([{ $name: "Keanu" }, { $name: "Salem" }, { $name: "Crookshanks" }]);

console.log(`Inserted ${count} cats`);
```

The driver will automatically [`begin`](https://www.sqlite.org/lang_transaction.html) a transaction when `insertCats` is called and `commit` it when the wrapped function returns. If an exception is thrown, the transaction will be rolled back. The exception will propagate as usual; it is not caught.

<Note>
**Nested transactions** — Transaction functions can be called from inside other transaction functions. When doing so, the inner transaction becomes a [savepoint](https://www.sqlite.org/lang_savepoint.html).

<Accordion title="View nested transaction example">

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
// setup
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";
const db = Database.open(":memory:");
db.run("CREATE TABLE expenses (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, note TEXT, dollars INTEGER);");
db.run("CREATE TABLE cats (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, name TEXT UNIQUE, age INTEGER)");
const insertExpense = db.prepare("INSERT INTO expenses (note, dollars) VALUES (?, ?)");
const insert = db.prepare("INSERT INTO cats (name, age) VALUES ($name, $age)");
const insertCats = db.transaction(cats => {
  for (const cat of cats) insert.run(cat);
});

const adopt = db.transaction(cats => {
  insertExpense.run("adoption fees", 20);
  insertCats(cats); // nested transaction
});

adopt([
  { $name: "Joey", $age: 2 },
  { $name: "Sally", $age: 4 },
  { $name: "Junior", $age: 1 },
]);
```

</Accordion>
</Note>

Transactions also come with `deferred`, `immediate`, and `exclusive` versions.

```ts
insertCats(cats); // uses "BEGIN"
insertCats.deferred(cats); // uses "BEGIN DEFERRED"
insertCats.immediate(cats); // uses "BEGIN IMMEDIATE"
insertCats.exclusive(cats); // uses "BEGIN EXCLUSIVE"
```

### `.loadExtension()`

To load a [SQLite extension](https://www.sqlite.org/loadext.html), call `.loadExtension(name)` on your `Database` instance

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={4}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database();
db.loadExtension("myext");
```

<Note>
**MacOS users** By default, macOS ships with Apple's proprietary build of SQLite, which doesn't support extensions. To use extensions, you'll need to install a vanilla build of SQLite.

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
brew install sqlite
which sqlite # get path to binary
```

To point `bun:sqlite` to the new build, call `Database.setCustomSQLite(path)` before creating any `Database` instances. (On other operating systems, this is a no-op.) Pass a path to the SQLite `.dylib` file, _not_ the executable. With recent versions of Homebrew this is something like `/opt/homebrew/Cellar/sqlite/<version>/libsqlite3.dylib`.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={3}
import { Database } from "bun:sqlite";

Database.setCustomSQLite("/path/to/libsqlite.dylib");

const db = new Database();
db.loadExtension("myext");
```

</Note>

### `.fileControl(cmd: number, value: any)`

To use the advanced `sqlite3_file_control` API, call `.fileControl(cmd, value)` on your `Database` instance.

```ts db.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg" highlight={6}
import { Database, constants } from "bun:sqlite";

const db = new Database();
// Ensure WAL mode is NOT persistent
// this prevents wal files from lingering after the database is closed
db.fileControl(constants.SQLITE_FCNTL_PERSIST_WAL, 0);
```

`value` can be:

- `number`
- `TypedArray`
- `undefined` or `null`

---

## Reference

```ts Type Reference icon="/icons/typescript.svg" expandable
class Database {
  constructor(
    filename: string,
    options?:
      | number
      | {
          readonly?: boolean;
          create?: boolean;
          readwrite?: boolean;
          safeIntegers?: boolean;
          strict?: boolean;
        },
  );

  query<ReturnType, ParamsType>(sql: string): Statement<ReturnType, ParamsType>;
  prepare<ReturnType, ParamsType>(sql: string): Statement<ReturnType, ParamsType>;
  run(sql: string, params?: SQLQueryBindings): { lastInsertRowid: number; changes: number };
  exec = this.run;

  transaction(insideTransaction: (...args: any) => void): CallableFunction & {
    deferred: (...args: any) => void;
    immediate: (...args: any) => void;
    exclusive: (...args: any) => void;
  };

  close(throwOnError?: boolean): void;
}

class Statement<ReturnType, ParamsType> {
  all(...params: ParamsType[]): ReturnType[];
  get(...params: ParamsType[]): ReturnType | null;
  run(...params: ParamsType[]): {
    lastInsertRowid: number;
    changes: number;
  };
  values(...params: ParamsType[]): unknown[][];

  finalize(): void; // destroy statement and clean up resources
  toString(): string; // serialize to SQL

  columnNames: string[]; // the column names of the result set
  columnTypes: string[]; // types based on actual values in first row (call .get()/.all() first)
  declaredTypes: (string | null)[]; // types from CREATE TABLE schema (call .get()/.all() first)
  paramsCount: number; // the number of parameters expected by the statement
  native: any; // the native object representing the statement

  as<T>(Class: new (...args: any[]) => T): Statement<T, ParamsType>;
}

type SQLQueryBindings =
  | string
  | bigint
  | TypedArray
  | number
  | boolean
  | null
  | Record<string, string | bigint | TypedArray | number | boolean | null>;
```

### Datatypes

| JavaScript type | SQLite type            |
| --------------- | ---------------------- |
| `string`        | `TEXT`                 |
| `number`        | `INTEGER` or `DECIMAL` |
| `boolean`       | `INTEGER` (1 or 0)     |
| `Uint8Array`    | `BLOB`                 |
| `Buffer`        | `BLOB`                 |
| `bigint`        | `INTEGER`              |
| `null`          | `NULL`                 |
