Free online DB3 to CSV converter

A .db3 file may need to be opened in Excel, imported into a reporting system, or shared with people who cannot use the original database application. Exporting a table to CSV produces a plain-text file that spreadsheet and data-analysis software can import.

DB3 format

.db3 is an extension, not a single guaranteed format. It is often used for a SQLite 3 database, a binary database file that can contain tables, indexes, views, triggers, and application metadata. SQLite is used by desktop software, mobile apps, embedded devices, and custom business applications.

A SQLite file begins with the signature SQLite format 3. Do not rename a .db3 file to .sqlite to convert it: SQLite identifies databases from their contents, not their filename extension. Some programs use .db3 for non-SQLite or dBASE-compatible data files; if a SQLite tool reports that the file is not a database, identify the program that created it and use that program's export function.

CSV format

CSV is a plain-text tabular format: records are written as rows, and fields are usually separated by commas. It preserves exported values and column order, but it does not preserve indexes, relationships, data types, views, triggers, formulas, or multiple database tables in one file.

CSV files can be imported by Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets, Power BI, Python, R, and many database systems. Export each database table to a separate file, such as customers.csv and orders.csv.

Convert a SQLite DB3 file

Upload the .db3 file to 101convert.com, choose CSV output, select the table to export when the database contains multiple tables, and download the result. Export every required table separately; use filenames that identify the source table.

For local conversion, DB Browser for SQLite can export SQLite-based files. Open the file through File → Open Database, then select File → Export → Table(s) as CSV file. Select the required table, include column headers, use UTF-8 encoding, and choose the delimiter required by the receiving system.

The SQLite command-line utility is useful for repeatable exports. List available tables, then export a selected table:

sqlite3 database.db3
.tables
.headers on
.mode csv
.output customers.csv
SELECT * FROM "customers";
.output stdout
.quit

A one-command export is:

sqlite3 -header -csv database.db3 "SELECT * FROM customers;" > customers.csv

Use an explicit query when only selected columns or rows are needed, for example SELECT id, name, email FROM customers WHERE active = 1;. Quote table or column names that contain spaces, punctuation, or SQL keywords.

Compatibility and data checks

Retain key columns such as customer_id and order_id when exporting related tables. A CSV export cannot recreate foreign-key relationships by itself.

Use UTF-8 unless the receiving system requires another encoding. In Excel, import the file through Data → From Text/CSV to select UTF-8 and verify the delimiter instead of opening the file directly.

Spreadsheet software can change data during import. Set long identifiers, account numbers, postal codes with leading zeroes, and date-like values to Text before loading them. CSV has no native type information, so SQLite numbers, dates, and text may otherwise be interpreted differently by the destination program.

Proper CSV exporters quote fields containing commas, quotation marks, or line breaks, and double embedded quotation marks. Do not edit CSV by splitting on commas or line breaks, because quoted values may legitimately contain both. SQLite BLOB values are binary data and are not reliably represented in CSV; export them separately or convert them to a defined text encoding such as hexadecimal when the destination requires them.

Make a copy before conversion and do not upload confidential databases unless their contents may be processed externally. Password-protected, encrypted, damaged, or proprietary .db3 files must be opened with the originating application or its supported driver before they can be exported.