---
id: sqlitedict
version: "2.1.0"
license: Apache 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# sqlitedict — Persistent dict in Python, backed up by sqlite3 and pickle, multithread-safe.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 1.8M/mo

## What it is and what it does

SqliteDict wraps Python's sqlite3 module to present a persistent dictionary interface backed by SQLite files. Instead of storing data in RAM, you get a dict-like object that reads from and writes to a SQLite database, making it suitable for caching, configuration storage, or small-to-medium persistent key-value needs that don't require a separate database server.

The package handles serialization (pickle by default, but JSON or custom codecs are supported), supports multiple named tables in a single database file, and provides multi-threaded access by serializing concurrent writes internally. Keys are strings; values can be any picklable Python object. You must explicitly call commit() to persist changes unless autocommit mode is enabled.

Use it for:

- Cache application state or computed results to disk without running a separate database service.
- Store configuration or session data as Python objects without manual serialization.
- Persist large collections that exceed available RAM by using SQLite's disk-backed storage.
- Share data across multiple threads in the same process while avoiding sqlite3's thread-safety limitations.
- Prototype or test applications that need persistent storage before migrating to a full database.

## Worth the install?

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

Provides a dict-like interface to SQLite databases, allowing you to store and retrieve Python objects persistently with multi-threaded access support.

No. The package is abandoned (last commit 1350 days ago) with two unpatched known vulnerabilities and no maintenance signal. While the code is stable for simple use cases, the lack of active maintenance and security patches makes it unsuitable for new projects or production systems. Consider alternatives like `shelve` (stdlib), `diskcache`, or a proper database library instead.

## Install

pip install sqlitedict
uv add sqlitedict
poetry add sqlitedict

## Installing sqlitedict

Before you install: High install friction with no runtime dependencies. The package is marked abandoned (last commit 2022-12-07, 1350 days ago) despite being marked Production/Stable. Two known vulnerabilities (GHSA-g4r7-86gm-pgqc, PYSEC-2026-1939) are unpatched.

License in practice: Apache 2.0 is permissive; you can use this in commercial projects and modify it freely, but must include a copy of the license and state significant changes.

Quickstart:

from sqlitedict import SqliteDict

db = SqliteDict('example.sqlite')
db['key'] = {'data': 'value'}
db.commit()
print(db['key'])
db.close()

Requires explicit commit() calls to persist changes unless autocommit=True is set; uncommitted data is lost on close.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the two known vulnerabilities (GHSA-g4r7-86gm-pgqc, PYSEC-2026-1939) affect your use case or have workarounds.
- Current maintenance status and whether the project has been forked or adopted elsewhere.
- Performance characteristics with large databases or high write concurrency in your specific workload.

## Package facts

- License: Apache 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 1.8M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: 2

## Tags

sqlite persistent dictionary, python dict backed by sqlite, thread-safe sqlite storage, lightweight sqlite wrapper, pickle serialization sqlite, multi-table sqlite dict, in-process key-value store, persistent-storage, sqlite-wrapper, abandoned

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