vs

NexusDB vs SQLite

NexusDB: Commercial embedded and client/server SQL database for Delphi and C++Builder, successor to FlashFiler. SQLite: The in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers.

key differences

  • Licensing: NexusDB is proprietary (Commercial; free embedded edition); SQLite is open source (permissive) (Public Domain).
  • Only NexusDB has stored procedures, encryption at rest.
  • Only SQLite has json, triggers, runs in webassembly.

choose nexusdb for

  • +Desktop and line-of-business apps built with Delphi or C++Builder
  • +Migrating BDE/Paradox or FlashFiler applications
  • +Small client/server deployments in Windows shops

best at · OLTP, Embedded

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

overview
Primary model
Relational
Relational
Also supports
–
Document
Type
Database engine
Embedded library
Status
Active
Active
Developer
NexusDB Pty Ltd
D. Richard Hipp / Hwaci (SQLite Consortium)
First release
2003
2000
Latest version
4.75.20 (Apr 14, 2026)
3.54.1 (Oct 16, 2026)
License
ProprietaryCommercial; free embedded edition
Open source (permissive)Public Domain
Free tier
✓
✓
popularity
WhichDB Score
3.6
75.5
Rank
#431
#5
GitHub stars
–
10.8K
Stack Overflow questions
–
94.9K
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Small (≤ 100 GB)
Horizontal scaling
None
None
Multi-region
None
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Strict
Flexible
Architecture
Embedded, Client server
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
SQL
SQL
Client languages
Delphi, C++Builder, C#, PHP
C, Python, Java, JavaScript, Go, Rust, C#, Swift
Best for
OLTP, Embedded
Embedded, Mobile/offline, Edge, Local-first

NexusDB vs SQLite: FAQ

What is the difference between NexusDB and SQLite?

NexusDB: Commercial embedded and client/server SQL database for Delphi and C++Builder, successor to FlashFiler. SQLite: The in-process SQL engine that ships in every phone, browser and OS: one file, zero servers. Licensing: NexusDB is proprietary (Commercial; free embedded edition); SQLite is open source (permissive) (Public Domain). Only NexusDB has stored procedures, encryption at rest. Only SQLite has json, triggers, runs in webassembly.

When should I choose NexusDB over SQLite?

Choose NexusDB for desktop and line-of-business apps built with Delphi or C++Builder; migrating BDE/Paradox or FlashFiler applications; and small client/server deployments in Windows shops. Choose SQLite for mobile and desktop application storage; embedded devices and IoT; and local-first apps and offline caches.

Is NexusDB or SQLite more popular?

SQLite ranks #5 on the WhichDB Score (75.5/100) and NexusDB ranks #431 (3.6/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are NexusDB and SQLite open source?

No. NexusDB is proprietary, closed-source software. License: Commercial; free embedded edition. Yes. SQLite is open source. License: Public Domain.