Free online ACCDB to DB converter

Conversion is needed when an application or device requires a database engine that cannot open Microsoft Access files, most commonly SQLite. Because .db is not a defined format, identify the destination engine before exporting or importing any data.

What the ACCDB format is

ACCDB is the Microsoft Access database format introduced with Access 2007. Microsoft Access and applications using the Microsoft Access Database Engine, also called ACE, create and open it.

An ACCDB file can contain tables, relationships, queries, forms, reports, macros, VBA modules, attachments, indexes, validation rules, and other Access-specific objects. Compatible Windows software can connect to it through ODBC or OLE DB when the required Access Database Engine driver is installed. ACCDB is not a general interchange format, so most database applications cannot open it as a native database.

What the DB format is

.db is a filename extension rather than a single database standard. It is frequently used for SQLite databases, but applications also use it for proprietary databases and other unrelated formats. Check the receiving program’s documentation for the required engine, schema, and import method.

When the target is SQLite, the result is usually one portable, serverless database file that applications can open without Microsoft Access. SQLite is suitable for local applications, embedded devices, testing, data exchange, and simple archives. It does not preserve Access forms, reports, VBA modules, macros, navigation settings, permissions, or Access-only query behavior as executable objects.

Convert with the built-in online converter

For a basic conversion without installing software, use the free converter on 101convert.com:

1. Open the ACCDB-to-DB converter on 101convert.com.
2. Upload the .accdb file.
3. Choose the output database type when an output option is available. Select SQLite if the receiving application specifically requires SQLite.
4. Start the conversion and download the resulting .db file.
5. Open the output in the target application and check tables, row counts, column values, dates, numeric precision, text encoding, and relationships.

Do not upload confidential, personal, or regulated data unless the service satisfies your organization’s security requirements. Password-protected or encrypted ACCDB files may need to be opened and exported locally first, and some conversion workflows may not support them.

Convert locally to SQLite

A local migration is preferable when the database contains sensitive data or requires schema control. On Windows, install Microsoft Access or the Microsoft Access Database Engine, install an ODBC-capable migration tool, and select the driver named Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb, *.accdb). Configure the source as the ACCDB file and the destination as a new SQLite database.

1. Make a backup of the original ACCDB file and work from the copy.
2. Connect to the source through the ACE ODBC driver.
3. List user tables and exclude system objects such as tables whose names begin with MSys.
4. Create SQLite tables with explicit mappings for Access data types rather than assigning every column the same type.
5. Copy rows using parameterized inserts, then recreate primary keys, indexes, unique constraints, and foreign keys where the destination design supports them.
6. Rewrite queries that depend on Jet or ACE SQL, VBA functions, Access parameters, or crosstab behavior.
7. Commit the SQLite database, run integrity checks, and compare the result with the source.

Python can automate this process with pyodbc for the Access connection and Python’s built-in sqlite3 module for the destination. Python, the ODBC driver, and the Access Database Engine must use compatible 32-bit or 64-bit architectures. A simple script that creates every SQLite column as TEXT is not a reliable migration: it can damage dates, numeric precision, Boolean values, binary data, keys, and constraints.

Use CSV for data-only transfers

For a small database, open the file in Access and use External Data → Export → Text File to create a CSV file for each required table. Import the CSV files into SQLite with a desktop database client or the SQLite command-line tools, then define the column types and constraints during import.

CSV transfers table values only. They do not carry relationships, indexes, primary keys, queries, forms, reports, macros, validation rules, attachments, or Access security settings. Export binary attachments separately when the target application cannot store them in SQLite BLOB columns.

Compatibility limitations

• Access Yes/No, Date/Time, Currency, Attachment, lookup, and multivalued fields need explicit destination mappings. SQLite uses dynamic typing and has no direct equivalent for several Access field types.
• Access AutoNumber fields should normally become SQLite INTEGER PRIMARY KEY columns when their identity behavior matches the destination design; verify generated values before importing related rows.
• Access stores dates and times differently from many SQLite applications. Test date ranges, locale-dependent formats, fractional seconds, nulls, and time-zone assumptions.
• Access queries may contain VBA functions, parameter prompts, reserved words, or Jet/ACE-specific SQL that must be rewritten for SQLite.
• Forms, reports, macros, modules, user permissions, attachments, and database-interface settings are not portable table data and require separate preservation or redevelopment.
• Validate row counts, null values, Unicode text, decimal precision, binary fields, indexes, relationships, and representative application queries before replacing the source database.
• If the target is SQL Server, PostgreSQL, dBase, or another non-SQLite system, do not rename the file to .db. Use that system’s driver, schema definition, and bulk-import utility instead.