---
id: sqlite-vec
version: "0.1.9"
license: MIT License, Apache License, Version 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# sqlite-vec

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 5.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

sqlite-vec is a SQLite extension that brings vector search and similarity operations to SQLite databases. It allows you to store embeddings and perform vector queries directly in SQL, eliminating the need for a separate vector database for simple use cases. The package is distributed as platform-specific wheels for macOS (both Intel and ARM), Linux (x86_64 and aarch64), and Windows, with no additional runtime dependencies beyond SQLite itself.

The extension is actively maintained and has achieved significant adoption, ranking in the top 5000 PyPI packages by downloads. It's designed for developers who want vector search capabilities without introducing external dependencies or complex infrastructure, keeping everything within the familiar SQLite ecosystem.

Use it for:

- Add semantic search to SQLite-backed applications without deploying a separate vector database
- Store and query embeddings from language models or image encoders within existing SQLite schemas
- Build recommendation systems that use vector similarity on small to medium datasets
- Prototype AI features quickly by embedding vector operations directly in SQL queries

## Worth the install?

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

sqlite-vec adds vector search capabilities to SQLite, enabling similarity queries and vector operations directly within SQLite databases.

Yes, if you need vector search in SQLite and accept the platform-wheel installation model. The package is actively maintained, permissively licensed, has no runtime dependencies, and is popular enough to indicate real-world usage. The main uncertainty is the unspecified Python version requirement and lack of documentation—verify compatibility with your Python version before committing.

## Install

pip install sqlite-vec
uv add sqlite-vec
poetry add sqlite-vec

## Installing sqlite-vec

Before you install: Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheels (macOS x86_64/arm64, Linux aarch64/x86_64, Windows amd64), but no runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with recent release activity.

License in practice: Dual-licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0, both permissive licenses allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install sqlite-vec
import sqlite_vec
# Vector search operations performed within SQLite queries

Requires a platform-specific wheel match (macOS, Linux, or Windows); Python version requirement unspecified in package metadata.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package requires a specific Python version (requires_python is unspecified in metadata)
- What vector operations and indexing strategies are supported
- Performance characteristics and scalability limits for vector search
- Integration requirements with existing SQLite installations

## Package facts

- License: MIT License, Apache License, Version 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 5.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

sqlite vector search, vector database sqlite, embedding similarity queries, sqlite neural search, vector indexing sqlite, vector-search, sqlite-extension, embeddings

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/sqlite-vec) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/sqlite-vec/)