Free online DB to SQLITE converter

What the DB format is

.db is a generic filename extension, not one database format. It may identify a SQLite database, Berkeley DB file, dBase database, mobile-app store, device backup, or proprietary application database. The extension alone does not identify the engine or determine how the file can be converted.

Identify the source before changing it. On Linux or macOS, file source.db may provide a clue; on Windows, use the creating application, a database-specific viewer, or a hexadecimal editor. A normal SQLite database begins with the header text SQLite format 3. Close the source program and make a copy before inspection. If the database has accompanying -wal or -shm files, use the application’s export function or SQLite backup procedure rather than copying only the main file while it is active.

What the SQLITE format is

SQLite is a self-contained relational database engine that stores tables, indexes, views, and triggers in one file without a separate database server. SQLite databases commonly use .sqlite, .sqlite3, or .db; the extension does not change the internal format.

SQLite supports SQL queries, transactions, indexes, constraints, and foreign keys, making it suitable for local applications, embedded devices, testing, data exchange, and archives. The result can be opened with the SQLite command-line shell, DB Browser for SQLite, Python’s built-in sqlite3 module, and software frameworks with SQLite support. It is not a direct replacement for server-specific features such as user accounts, stored procedures, scheduled jobs, replication, or proprietary data types.

How to convert the file

First determine whether the source is already SQLite. If it is, no format conversion is needed. Make a safe copy with the SQLite backup command:

sqlite3 source.db ".backup 'converted.sqlite'"

You can also open a copy in DB Browser for SQLite and choose File → Save Database As. Renaming source.db to source.sqlite changes only the filename; it is valid only when the original file is already a SQLite database.

Use a native export when the source is another database. Open the source application or its documented export utility and export SQL, CSV, or another structured format. A native SQLite export is preferable because it can preserve table relationships, constraints, indexes, and data types more accurately than a generic file conversion.

If the application produces an SQL dump, create a new SQLite file and import it:

sqlite3 converted.sqlite < export.sql

SQL dumps are often engine-specific. MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, and other dumps may contain incompatible data types, quoting, auto-increment syntax, schema commands, or extensions. Edit those statements or use a conversion utility that supports both the source engine and SQLite. Review the import output for errors instead of assuming that a completed command imported every object.

For CSV exports, export each table separately with column names, create the destination schema, and then import the rows. For example:

sqlite3 converted.sqlite

CREATE TABLE customers (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT, email TEXT);
.mode csv
.import --skip 1 customers.csv customers

The exact .import options depend on the SQLite shell version; if --skip 1 is unavailable, remove the header row before importing. Define dates, numeric columns, nullability, primary and foreign keys, and unique constraints explicitly. Repeat the process for related tables, then add indexes after loading large datasets.

If the source is a proprietary binary database, use the program that created it, an official export tool, or a compatible database driver. DB Browser for SQLite can create and edit the destination file, but it cannot decode every unrelated binary .db format. A Python script can write SQLite through the standard library, but it still needs a source driver or an intermediate export; sqlite3.connect("source.db") reads SQLite, not an arbitrary database merely because its name ends in .db.

For supported source types, you can also upload the file to 101convert.com, select SQLITE as the output format, and download the converted database without installing software. Availability depends on the source format, file size, and the service’s current support.

Quality and compatibility checks

SQLite uses dynamic typing, so some source types require deliberate mapping. Spatial objects, binary attachments, encrypted fields, identity columns, timezone-aware timestamps, full-text indexes, stored procedures, permissions, triggers, and replication settings may need separate treatment or may not have a SQLite equivalent.

After conversion, compare row counts for every table and test null values, duplicate keys, character encoding, timestamps, representative queries, foreign-key relationships, views, triggers, and indexes. Recreate objects that the export omitted. Keep the original database unchanged because a converted SQLite file may exclude application metadata, encryption, permissions, attachments, unsupported features, or records that were not included in the export.