---
id: databases
version: "0.9.0"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# databases — Async database support for Python.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 925.6K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Databases is an async wrapper around SQLAlchemy Core that lets you execute database queries from async Python code. It abstracts over PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite, accepting either raw SQL strings or SQLAlchemy Core expressions, and is built to pair with async web frameworks like FastAPI, Starlette, or aiohttp.

The package handles connection pooling and query execution in an async-friendly way, so your web handlers don't block on database I/O. You install it with a specific database driver extra (e.g., `databases[aiosqlite]` for SQLite), and then create a Database instance with a connection URL, connect to it, and call methods like `fetch_all()`, `fetch_one()`, or `execute()` with await.

Use it for:

- Building FastAPI or Starlette applications that need non-blocking database queries without blocking the event loop.
- Running bulk inserts or updates asynchronously using execute_many() in web services.
- Prototyping async database access with SQLite during development before migrating to PostgreSQL or MySQL.
- Integrating SQLAlchemy Core expressions into async web handlers without rewriting query logic.
- Supporting multiple database backends (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite) with a single async interface.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides async database access for PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite using SQLAlchemy Core expressions, designed for integration with async web frameworks.

No. The repository is archived and abandoned, with no releases since 2024-03-01 and no active maintenance. While the package is stable and has low install friction, its unmaintained status means it will not receive bug fixes, security patches, or compatibility updates for future Python or database driver versions. For new projects, use actively maintained alternatives like SQLAlchemy's own async support (sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio) or other modern async ORMs.

## Install

pip install databases
uv add databases
poetry add databases

## Installing databases

Before you install: Low install friction with a single runtime dependency (sqlalchemy). However, the repository is archived and marked abandoned as of the fact sheet date, with no releases since 2024-03-01 and the last commit on 2024-05-21. This signals the project is no longer actively maintained.

License in practice: BSD license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute this package freely in both open-source and commercial projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install databases[aiosqlite]

from databases import Database

database = Database('sqlite+aiosqlite:///example.db')
await database.connect()
rows = await database.fetch_all(query='SELECT * FROM table')

Requires Python 3.8+; async context (e.g., within an async function or event loop); optional database drivers (asyncpg, aiosqlite, aiomysql, etc.) must be installed separately via extras.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the abandoned status affects long-term compatibility with current async frameworks and database driver versions.
- Whether critical bug fixes or security patches are still being backported despite the archived repository status.

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 925.6K/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

async database queries, asyncio database support, sqlalchemy async wrapper, async postgres mysql sqlite, async web framework database, asyncpg aiosqlite aiomysql, async database connection pool, async-io, sqlalchemy-core, abandoned

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