Embedded graph database with Cypher support, built on SQLite.
Embedded. Single file, no server, no configuration. Open it, query it, close it — like SQLite.
Graph-first. Cypher queries, adjacency-list storage, graph-aware query planning. Traversals are direct key lookups, not JOINs.
Multi-process safe. Multiple processes can read and write concurrently. Crash recovery is automatic.
graphdblite uses SQLite strictly as a crash-safe key-value store; graph data, query planning, and execution all live in a graph-native layer above it. See Architecture for the full rationale.
openCypher TCK conformance: 100% (3895/3895 scenarios).
cargo install builds the standalone graphdblite CLI. For the Rust library, see Language bindings below — cargo add graphdblite.
cargo install graphdblite
graphdblite my.db -q "CREATE (a:Person {name:'Alice'})-[:KNOWS]->(b:Person {name:'Bob'})"
graphdblite my.db -q "MATCH (a)-[:KNOWS]->(b) RETURN a.name, b.name"
graphdblite my.db # interactive REPL (.help for commands)| Language | Install | Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Rust | cargo add graphdblite |
Rust binding |
| Python | pip install graphdblite |
Python binding |
| Node.js | npm install graphdblite |
Node.js binding |
| Go | go get github.com/ds7n/graphdblite/bindings/go |
Go binding |
| C | link libgraphdblite_ffi, include graphdblite.h |
C binding |
The canonical embedded use case in Rust:
use graphdblite::Database;
let mut db = Database::open("my.db")?;
let tx = db.write_tx()?;
tx.query("CREATE (a:Person {name: 'Alice'})-[:KNOWS]->(b:Person {name: 'Bob'})")?;
tx.commit()?;
let tx = db.read_tx()?;
let results = tx.query("MATCH (a)-[:KNOWS]->(b) RETURN a.name, b.name")?;
tx.commit()?;MATCH (a:Person)-[:KNOWS]->(b:Person) WHERE a.age > 25 RETURN a.name, b.name
MATCH (a)-[:KNOWS*1..3]->(b) RETURN b // variable-length paths
MATCH p = shortestPath((a)-[:KNOWS*]->(b)) RETURN p // shortest path
MERGE (n:Person {name: 'Alice'}) ON CREATE SET n.created = trueFull reference (clauses, expressions, 50+ functions): Cypher reference.
cargo build --release
cargo test --tests
cargo test --test tck --features tck-supportReproducible release builds, benchmarks, and the audit workflow: Build guide.
Architecture, layering, and the rationale behind the storage and execution model: Specification.
Pre-1.0.0. Public API surface and stability guarantees are documented in Stability; binding authors should also read Binding conformance.