libSQL is a fork of SQLite, created because SQLite is open-source but not open-contribution. libSQL is production-ready, fully backwards compatible with SQLite, and adds features like native vector search.
libSQL vs. Turso Database
libSQL is a fork of SQLite. It maintains the same file format, the same API, and full backwards compatibility. It extends SQLite with features the ecosystem has long needed but couldn’t contribute upstream. Turso Database is a different approach: a ground-up rewrite of SQLite. It reimplements SQLite’s semantics with a modern architecture designed for concurrent writes, async I/O, and the highest database density in the industry.
| libSQL | Turso Database | |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Fork of SQLite | Full rewrite of SQLite |
| Maturity | Production-ready | Production-ready |
| SQLite compatibility | Full (same file format and API) | Backwards compatible |
| Best for | Mission-critical workloads today | New projects, agents, smart devices, high-density use cases |
Both are open-contribution and maintained by Turso, and both can be deployed on Turso Cloud: libSQL has powered it for years, and Turso databases are now available on the platform as well.
Extensions
A full list of supported extensions can be found here.