Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird: Firebird 1 to 5 in Excel, Access, Power BI and SQL Server on Windows, Mac and Linux
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird is a $139.95-per-year ODBC driver for Windows, macOS and Linux that connects Excel, Access, Power BI, Tableau, SSIS, SQL Server linked servers, FileMaker, Python and other ODBC tools to Firebird 1.x through 5.x databases. It handles Firebird 4's newer types such as INT128 and DECFLOAT, and has a point-and-click setup on all three platforms.
Firebird has a free, open-source ODBC driver of its own, so Devart's is for the cases where that one isn't enough: a BI or office tool that trips over Firebird's types, a Mac or Linux workstation that needs a setup dialog, a linked server that must stay up, or a company that wants a vendor to call when something breaks.
Quick facts
- Version: 4.2.0, released October 16, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- Platforms: Windows 32-bit and 64-bit (including Terminal Server), macOS, Linux 32-bit and 64-bit (DEB and RPM)
- Database: Firebird 5.x, 4.x, 3.x, 2.x and 1.x (Firebird 1.5 needs a UDF with the RTRIM function). InterBase needs Devart's separate InterBase driver
- Security: SSL-encrypted connections, trusted authentication, encrypted passwords in DSN records
- Price: $139.95 per year for a Desktop license on one platform, or $279.95 perpetual
- Trial: 30 days, chosen as "Trial evaluation" when the installer asks for a license
- What we checked: the Buy Now order page charged $139.95 for Desktop for Windows with a 1-year subscription, and the same cart showed $279.95 for two years, $419.95 for three, $279.95 perpetual, and $899.95 per year or $1,799.95 perpetual for Server Standard. The download page listed version 4.2.0 with a 29.99 MB Windows installer. All checked on November 13, 2026. We didn't install the driver or connect it to a Firebird server
Before you buy
If the free Firebird ODBC driver already works with your tools, you may not need this. Devart's driver is worth paying for when you need tested compatibility with a specific tool (its change log names Access, Power BI, Tableau, SSIS, FileMaker, Crystal Reports, Qlik Replicate and more), a GUI setup on Mac and Linux, or vendor support. Licenses are per user and per platform, and a subscription license needs an internet connection to activate and to check its status; a perpetual license activates offline. It connects to Firebird only: for InterBase, Devart sells a separate driver.
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Overview
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird turns a Firebird database into a standard ODBC data source. You create a DSN with the server, port (3050 by default), database path, user and password, and every ODBC-aware program on that computer can query and update the data. Devart says the driver connects over TCP/IP without extra Firebird client libraries; the settings dialog also has a Client Library field for when you want it to use a specific fbclient.dll.
It's actively developed. Version 4.0.0 in November 2025 added a graphical configuration tool on macOS and Linux and URL-style inet4/inet6 connection strings. 4.1.0 in April 2026 added the FloatAsSingle, WireCompression, UseReadConsistency and ConnectionConfigOverrides options and better handling of INT128 and DECFLOAT fields. 4.2.0 in October 2026 added trusted authentication and Wait and LockTimeout options for transactions, plus fixes for unixODBC 2.3.13-2.3.14, Ubuntu 26 and CentOS 10. Firebird 5 support arrived in 3.6.0 (March 2024).
Devart ODBC Administrator on Linux (run as root), with Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird picked in the Choose a driver dialog over the System DSN list. From Devart's getting-started guide.
Features
Full ODBC support, including Firebird 4 and 5 types
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird implements the ODBC API and data types and maps Firebird types to ODBC types in both directions, including INT128, DECFLOAT(16) and DECFLOAT(34). It exposes tables, columns, indexes, primary keys and stored procedures through ODBC metadata calls, supports SQL dialect selection, scalar function macros and ODBC 2.x behavior emulation for older tools, and has a read-only connection mode.
Transaction and connection controls
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird 4.2 added Wait and LockTimeout settings for transactions, so a report doesn't hang forever on a locked record, and trusted authentication. Earlier releases added read consistency for Firebird 4 and later, wire compression for slow links, SSL encryption and connection pooling.
Same setup on Windows, macOS and Linux
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird installs from an EXE or MSI (for Group Policy rollouts) on Windows, a PKG on macOS and DEB or RPM packages on Linux, and since version 4.0 the macOS and Linux versions have the same kind of configuration dialog as Windows, through Devart's ODBC Administrator or iODBC.
Adding a user DSN on macOS: Devart ODBC Administrator's Choose an ODBC Driver dialog with Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird selected. From Devart's getting-started guide.
Bulk updates and tool fixes
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird batches SQL statements for bulk updates, and nearly every release lists compatibility fixes for named tools: Access, Power BI, Power Pivot, Tableau, Crystal Reports, SSIS, Informatica PowerCenter, Altova MapForce, FileMaker, DBeaver, Node.js and PHP among them.
Benefits
- Firebird data where people already work. Excel, Access and BI tools read live Firebird tables without exports.
- One driver for mixed offices. Windows, Mac and Linux users connect the same way.
- Newer Firebird types handled. INT128 and DECFLOAT columns from Firebird 4 and 5 come through properly.
- A vendor on the hook. Problems go to Devart's support team, with nightly builds for fixes.
Real-World Uses
- Reporting on an ERP or POS system. Many line-of-business applications store data in Firebird; analysts pull it into Power BI or Excel.
- A SQL Server linked server. A SQL Server instance queries Firebird tables alongside its own through a linked server on a System DSN.
- Data migration. An SSIS or Informatica job moves Firebird data into another database.
- Automation. An RPA or Python script reads and updates Firebird through ODBC on a Linux server.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird is for teams that connect office, BI and ETL tools to Firebird and want a supported driver with tool-specific fixes and the same setup on every platform.
Skip it if:
- The free Firebird ODBC driver works for you. If your tools connect without trouble, there's no need to pay.
- Your database is InterBase. This driver connects only to Firebird; Devart sells an InterBase driver separately.
- Several users share one machine. That needs a Server license ($899.95 a year), not Desktop.
Usage Guide
- Download the installer for your platform from the download page and run it; on Windows, pick the driver components you need.
- When the License Information dialog appears, choose Trial evaluation, or enter or load your activation key.
- On Windows, open the ODBC Data Source Administrator matching your application's bitness and add a DSN with Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird. For a SQL Server linked server, make it a System DSN.
- Enter the server, port, database path, user ID and password; if you use a client library, give its full path and match its bitness to the driver.
- Click Test Connection, then pick the DSN in your application.
- On macOS or Linux, use Devart's ODBC Administrator (or iODBC on macOS) to create the DSN the same way.
Where it falls short
- Bitness mix-ups. A 64-bit DSN with a 32-bit client library, or the reverse, fails with "Cannot load client library". Both Firebird client builds are called fbclient.dll, which makes it easy to pick the wrong one.
- Stored procedures from some tools. A UiPath user got "Dynamic SQL Error" calling Firebird procedures. Devart traced it to UiPath calling procedures without the ODBC {CALL ...} syntax, which only SQL Server tolerates, and suggested running EXECUTE PROCEDURE as text instead.
- Linked server setup. SQL Server linked servers need a System DSN; a User DSN fails, which tripped up at least one forum user.
- Per-platform, per-user pricing. Each platform and each user needs its own license.
What Users Say
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird has no reviews of its own on Capterra, and review sites rate Devart's ODBC drivers as one product line. Below are those family ratings, and threads from Devart's forum.
Ratings for Devart ODBC drivers
- Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 from 26 reviews of Devart ODBC Drivers; one reviewer called it the least expensive option they found, with the best instructions for their needs.
- G2: about 4.5 to 4.6 out of 5 from 17 to 18 reviews of Devart ODBC Driver.
- TrustRadius: a much lower 5.2 out of 10 from 58 reviews and ratings.
From Devart's forum
A user in 2019: "We have installed your great ODBC driver for Firebird on our Windows 10 Pro 64bit desktop, and the trial works." On a second laptop, the test connection failed with "Cannot load client library". Devart's reply explained the cause: the error "occurs when you configure the 32-bit driver version and specify a 64-bit client library in the Client Library option ... or vise versa," and advised giving the full path to the right fbclient.dll.
In 2015 a user asked: "The IBPhoenix ODBC driver for Firebird allows for the specification of Wait and Lock TimeOut (seconds). How can this be done using the DevArt ODBC driver for Firebird?" Devart's answer then was "For the time being, there is no way to these options, we will consider the possibility to such functionality in one of the next versions." Version 4.2.0 added Wait and LockTimeout options in October 2026.
A UiPath user in 2020 wrote that "Calling the firebird PROCEDURE is not working for me" and got "ERROR [HY000] [Devart][ODBC][Firebird]Dynamic SQL Error", noting the same happened with other vendors' ODBC drivers. Devart asked for a trace, then found that "UiPath incorrectly calls stored procedures in databases through ODBC" and gave a workaround.
The pattern: the driver is well rated as part of Devart's ODBC line, Devart's staff answer forum questions, and feature requests do get built, if slowly. Most trouble is setup: bitness, DSN type and client library paths.
Comparisons
Devart vs the free Firebird ODBC driver
The open-source Firebird ODBC driver costs nothing and is the natural first try. Devart's adds a configuration GUI on macOS and Linux, a steady stream of fixes for named BI and office tools, Firebird 4 and 5 type handling, and paid support. If the free driver connects your tools cleanly, stay with it; if a tool misbehaves, Devart's 30-day trial is the quick way to see whether it helps.
One driver or the Universal Bundle
Devart's ODBC Universal Bundle, which covers all 92 of its ODBC drivers, starts at $499.95 a year. If you also need InterBase, SQL Server or other sources, it can cost less than several single licenses; for Firebird alone, this driver at $139.95 is the cheaper buy.
Editions and Pricing
All editions use the one Buy Now button on this page: the order page opens set to Desktop for Windows with a 1-year subscription, and you change the edition, platform, term or license model there. Each license covers one platform.
| Edition |
Subscription (1 year) |
Perpetual |
Who can use it |
| Desktop (Windows, macOS or Linux) |
$139.95 |
$279.95 |
One user at a time on one computer |
| Server Standard (Windows, macOS or Linux) |
$899.95 |
$1,799.95 |
Many users on one server with up to 6 cores |
| Server Enterprise, Site, OEM |
On request |
On request |
Any core count, a whole company, or redistribution |
A Desktop subscription paid up front costs $279.95 for two years and $419.95 for three. Priority support is an optional extra.
FAQs
Does Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird support Firebird 5?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird added Firebird 5 in version 3.6.0 (March 2024) and supports every release back to Firebird 1.x.
Can it connect to InterBase?
No. Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird connects only to Firebird; Devart sells ODBC Driver for InterBase separately.
Can I use it for a SQL Server linked server?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird works as a SQL Server linked server through MSDASQL; create a System DSN, not a User DSN, and use a Server license if many users query through it.
Can I use one license on Windows and Mac?
No. Devart sells ODBC Driver for Firebird licenses per platform, so Windows, macOS and Linux each need their own license at the same price.
Does activation need administrator rights?
No. Since version 3.0.2, activating Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird no longer requires administrator privileges; a subscription license does need internet access to activate.
What happens when the subscription ends?
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird on a subscription works only during the paid term and checks the license online. A perpetual license keeps the version you bought running indefinitely and activates offline.
System Requirements
- Windows 32-bit or 64-bit, including Windows Terminal Server (29.99 MB EXE or 31.64 MB MSI installer)
- macOS (18.44 MB PKG)
- Linux 32-bit or 64-bit, DEB or RPM packages (about 5.6 MB)
- Firebird 1.x to 5.x; Firebird 1.5 needs a UDF containing RTRIM
- Internet access to activate a subscription license
Conclusion
Devart ODBC Driver for Firebird is worth $139.95 a year if you connect office, BI or ETL tools to Firebird and want a driver that's tested against those tools, handles Firebird 4 and 5 types, sets up the same way on Windows, Mac and Linux, and comes with support. The main reason not to buy it: the free Firebird ODBC driver may already do the job. Run the 30-day trial against your real database and tools, and buy the license that matches who will use it: Desktop for one person, Server for a shared machine or linked server.
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