EJDB vs SQLite

EJDB: Embeddable JSON document database in C, with a JQL query language and optional HTTP/WebSocket server. SQLite: The in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers.

key differences

EJDB is primarily a document database; SQLite is relational.
Transactions: EJDB offers limited ACID; SQLite offers full.
Only EJDB has online schema changes.
Only SQLite has transactions, joins, full-text search, triggers, in-memory.

choose ejdb for

+Embedded JSON storage in desktop or IoT apps
+Mobile apps needing a local document store
+Lightweight local services with an HTTP API

best at · Embedded, Mobile/offline, IoT

choose sqlite for

+Mobile and desktop application storage
+Embedded devices and IoT
+Local-first apps and offline caches
+Test fixtures and data interchange files

best at · Embedded, Mobile/offline, Edge

EJDBEmbeddable JSON document database in C, with a JQL query language and optional HTTP/WebSocket server.

SQLiteThe in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers.

overview

Primary model

Document

Relational

Also supports

–

Document

Type

Embedded library

Status

Active

Developer

Softmotions (Anton Adamansky)

D. Richard Hipp / Hwaci (SQLite Consortium)

First release

2012

2000

Latest version

2.95 (Oct 22, 2026)

3.54.1 (Oct 16, 2026)

License

Open source (permissive)MIT License

Open source (permissive)Public Domain

Free tier

✓

popularity

WhichDB Score

4.5

75.5

Rank

#401

GitHub stars

1.5K

10.8K

Stack Overflow questions

–

94.9K

scale & guarantees

Comfortable data size

Small (≤ 100 GB)

Horizontal scaling

None

Multi-region

None

ACID

Limited

Full

Consistency

Strong

Schema

Schemaless

Flexible

Architecture

Embedded, Single node

deployment

Self-hosted

✓

Vendor-managed cloud

—

Serverless

—

Embedded

✓

Edge

—

✓

Clouds

–

capabilities

Transactions

—

✓

Joins

—

✓

Secondary indexes

✓

Full-text search

—

✓

Vector search

—

Geospatial

—

JSON

✓

Change data capture

—

Triggers

—

✓

Stored procedures

—

Materialized views

—

TTL / expiry

—

Pub/Sub

—

Columnar storage

—

In-memory

—

✓

Durable persistence

✓

Compression

—

Encryption at rest

—

Role-based access

—

Time travel

—

Branching

—

Online schema changes

✓

—

Streaming ingest

—

Offline sync

—

Runs in WebAssembly

—

✓

interfaces

Query languages

JQL

SQL

Client languages

C, JavaScript, Java, Swift, Dart, Kotlin

C, Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C#, Swift

Best for

Embedded, Mobile/offline, IoT, Coordination

Embedded, Mobile/offline, Edge, Local-first

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EJDB vs SQLite: FAQ

What is the difference between EJDB and SQLite?

EJDB: Embeddable JSON document database in C, with a JQL query language and optional HTTP/WebSocket server. SQLite: The in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers. EJDB is primarily a document database; SQLite is relational. Transactions: EJDB offers limited ACID; SQLite offers full. Only EJDB has online schema changes.

When should I choose EJDB over SQLite?

Choose EJDB for embedded JSON storage in desktop or IoT apps, mobile apps needing a local document store and lightweight local services with an HTTP API. Choose SQLite for mobile and desktop application storage; embedded devices and IoT; and local-first apps and offline caches.

Is EJDB or SQLite more popular?

SQLite ranks #5 on the WhichDB Score (75.5/100) and EJDB ranks #401 (4.5/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are EJDB and SQLite open source?

Yes. EJDB is open source. License: MIT License. Yes. SQLite is open source. License: Public Domain.