Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite: SQLite Files in Excel, Power BI and Access, With Encryption Built In
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite is a $139.95-per-year ODBC driver for Windows, macOS and Linux that opens SQLite 3 database files in Excel, Access, Power BI, Tableau, DBeaver, Python and other ODBC tools, and it can encrypt those files with AES, Blowfish, TripleDES, Cast128 or RC4. It carries its own SQLite engine, so nothing else needs installing.
SQLite sits inside countless apps, from browsers to mobile apps to small business tools, and sooner or later someone wants that data in a spreadsheet or a dashboard. A free ODBC driver exists, but it hasn't been updated in years and doesn't encrypt. Devart's driver is the maintained, supported option, with a configuration dialog on all three platforms and a release every spring and autumn.
Quick facts
- Version: 5.2.0, released October 16, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- Platforms: Windows x86 and x64 (including Terminal Server), macOS on Intel and Apple Silicon, Linux x86 and x64 (DEB and RPM)
- Databases: SQLite 3.x files; Direct mode needs no SQLite library, Client mode uses one you supply
- Encryption: AES-128/192/256, Blowfish, TripleDES, Cast128 and RC4, in Direct mode
- Price: $139.95 per year for a Desktop license on one platform, or $279.95 perpetual
- Trial: 30 days, activated with a trial key from a Devart account
- Refund: within 30 days of purchase, if a technical problem that support can't fix stops the driver from working
- What we checked: the Buy Now order page charged $139.95 for Desktop for Windows with a 1-year subscription, and the same cart priced the 2-year, 3-year, perpetual and Server Standard options. The download page listed version 5.2.0 with a 30.63 MB Windows installer. All checked on November 13, 2026. We didn't install the driver or open a database with it
Before you buy
Devart's encryption is its own format. A database encrypted with this driver opens only in Devart's SQLite products (LiteDAC, UniDAC, dotConnect for SQLite, the SQLite Excel Add-in and others), not in SQLCipher or in apps built on a different encryption extension. If you need to read a file another app encrypted, test it in the trial first. For plain, unencrypted files on Windows, the free SQLite ODBC driver by Christian Werner may be enough.
Download Free Trial Buy Now
Overview
An ODBC driver turns a SQLite file into a data source that any ODBC-aware program can open. You create a DSN that points at the .db or .sqlite file, and Excel, Access or Power BI sees its tables and views. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite does this in two ways: Direct mode, where the driver uses its own built-in SQLite engine, and Client mode, where it loads an sqlite3 library from a path you give it.
It's one of more than 90 ODBC drivers Devart sells and shares their framework: a full ODBC API, the same DSN dialog on every platform, and a list of tested tools that includes Power BI, Tableau, Qlik Sense, Crystal Reports, Alteryx, SQL Server Management Studio, Excel, Access, LibreOffice, FileMaker, Delphi, Visual Studio, PHP and Python.
Features
Built-in database encryption
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite can encrypt an existing database, open an encrypted one, change its key or decrypt it, all with SQL statements: PRAGMA ENCRYPTION picks the algorithm and PRAGMA REKEY sets, changes or removes the key. To connect to an encrypted file, you enter the algorithm and key in the DSN or the connection string. The official SQLite library has no encryption, so this saves you from buying and building a custom SQLite. It works in Direct mode only, and the key can be stored encrypted in the DSN.
Direct mode, no SQLite library to ship
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite includes the SQLite engine in Direct mode, so you don't install or distribute sqlite3.dll. The catch is the engine's age: the revision history last moved it to SQLite 3.42.0 in October 2023. If you need a newer SQLite feature, switch to Client mode and point the driver at the library you want.
Control over journaling, locking and types
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite exposes SQLite's own settings as connection options: journal mode (Delete, Truncate, Persist, Memory, WAL or Off), locking mode (Exclusive or Normal), synchronous level, busy timeout, shared cache and a read-only connection mode. Type options map INTEGER to BIGINT, REAL to DOUBLE and unknown types to VARCHAR, and you can force ANSI or Unicode strings or ODBC 2.x behavior for tools that need it. These settings are what make a SQLite file behave inside tools that expect a server database.
The same driver on Windows, Mac and Linux
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite installs 32-bit and 64-bit drivers on Windows, a PKG on macOS and DEB or RPM packages on Linux. Since version 5.0 (November 2025) the Mac and Linux builds have a graphical configuration window, and the same release added ISO 8601-style time values and fixed BIGINT imports into Microsoft Access.
Bulk changes and full SQL
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite supports SQL-92 reads and writes with JOINs, bulk inserts, updates and deletes, and metadata calls for tables, columns, indexes and keys. You can edit SQLite data from Access linked tables or write it back from an ETL tool, not just read it.
Benefits
- Encrypted files without custom builds. You get several encryption algorithms through a DSN setting rather than compiling SQLite with an extension.
- Nothing else to install. Direct mode means a workstation needs only the driver, which keeps deployment simple.
- A maintained driver. Releases every spring and autumn keep up with new tool and OS versions, such as Ubuntu 26 and CentOS 10 in version 5.2.
- Support when a tool misbehaves. The many compatibility switches, plus Devart support, help when a BI tool reads SQLite's loose types wrongly.
Real-World Uses
- Reporting on an app's local database. A small business pulls the SQLite file behind its point-of-sale or inventory app into Excel or Power BI for monthly reports.
- Protecting a shipped database. A developer encrypts the SQLite file that ships with a desktop app and reads it through ODBC from a reporting tool that holds the key.
- Access as a front end. An office links SQLite tables in Microsoft Access to edit them with forms and queries.
- Cross-platform scripts. A data analyst on a Mac and a colleague on Linux query the same SQLite exports from R or Python through the same DSN settings.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite is for people who need encryption, a supported driver, or the same setup on Windows, Mac and Linux, and for developers already using Devart's other SQLite components, since they share the encryption format.
Skip it if you only read unencrypted SQLite files now and then on Windows: the free Christian Werner SQLite ODBC driver, under a BSD-type license, may do that, though its last update was in October 2023. Skip it if your files are encrypted with SQLCipher or another non-Devart scheme, which this driver can't open. And if you write code, most languages have a native SQLite library that's simpler than ODBC.
Usage Guide
- Download the installer for your system from the trial link (a free Devart account is needed): EXE or MSI for Windows, PKG for macOS, DEB or RPM for Linux.
- Install it. On Windows the setup installs both the 32-bit and 64-bit drivers.
- Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (on macOS, Devart's ODBC Administrator or iODBC) and add a data source with Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite.
- Activate the driver on the License tab with the trial or purchased key from your registration email or the Devart Customer Portal. Activation is needed even for the trial.
- On the General tab, browse to the database file, leave Direct ticked, and enter the encryption algorithm and key if the file is encrypted. Click Test Connection.
- In your application, pick ODBC and choose the DSN. A DSN-less string looks like
DRIVER={Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite};Database=myDatabase.
Tip
SQLite allows one writer at a time. If a BI refresh fails with a locked database while another program has the file open, set the Locking Mode to Normal and raise the Busy Timeout so the driver waits instead of failing, or open the connection read-only.
Where It Falls Short
- An older built-in engine. Direct mode runs SQLite 3.42.0 from 2023; newer SQL features need Client mode and your own library.
- Per-user, per-platform licensing. A Desktop license covers one user at a time on one operating system, so a Windows user and a Mac user need two.
- Subscriptions need the internet. A subscription license checks its status online; only a perpetual license activates offline.
- Marketing copy that doesn't fit SQLite. Devart's product page FAQ talks about SSH and HTTPS tunnels and server connections, which don't apply to a local SQLite file. Judge the driver by the documentation, not that FAQ.
What Users Say
Review sites group Devart's ODBC drivers as one product, and we found no reviews of the SQLite driver on its own in November 2026. The figures below are for the driver family, read from the sites' listings through search summaries since the review pages block automated reading.
Ratings for Devart ODBC drivers
- Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 from 26 reviews of Devart ODBC Drivers, with 4.5 for ease of use.
- G2: about 4.5 to 4.6 out of 5 from 17 to 18 reviews.
- TrustRadius: 5.2 out of 10 from 58 reviews and ratings.
Praise and complaints
On the positive side, a Capterra reviewer called it a "Great product. Very Reliable.", others found setup straightforward, and one said Devart fixed a problem another vendor's ODBC driver had left unsolved for over two years. A G2 review was titled "Reliable driver with reliable support".
The complaints are about cost and licensing. A TrustRadius reviewer wrote that "Prices are still high", others there disliked needing a license for every user and asked for more how-to material, and a Capterra reviewer said support gave conflicting answers about which license suits a network setup.
In short: dependable and quick to set up, with friction around per-user pricing. Because there are no SQLite-specific reviews, the 30-day trial on your own files is the best test.
Comparisons
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite vs. the free SQLite ODBC driver
Christian Werner's SQLite ODBC driver is free under a BSD-type license, has Windows 32-bit and 64-bit installers and runs on Linux with unixODBC. Its site says it was tested with SQLite 3.43.2 and was last updated in October 2023.
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite adds built-in encryption, a configuration dialog on Windows, Mac and Linux, tested compatibility with named BI and office tools, regular releases and paid support. You pay $139.95 per year (or $279.95 once) for those.
Desktop vs. Server editions
The Desktop edition is for one person on one computer. If a web server, a reporting server or a shared workstation uses the driver for several people, you need Server Standard (one server with up to 6 cores) or Server Enterprise (any number of cores). Site licenses cover a whole company, and OEM licenses let you ship the driver inside your own product.
Editions and Pricing
| 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 |
Each license is for one platform and includes a year of support and upgrades. A Desktop subscription paid up front costs $279.95 for two years and $419.95 for three. Priority support costs extra, and Devart takes 5, 10 or 15 percent off for 5, 10 or 20 copies. The Buy Now button opens the order page set to Desktop for Windows with a 1-year subscription; you choose the edition, platform and term there. The ODBC Universal Bundle, with all of Devart's ODBC drivers, starts at $499.95 per year.
FAQs
Can Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite open a SQLCipher database?
No. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite uses its own encryption format, which only Devart's SQLite products can read. A database encrypted with SQLCipher or another extension won't open with it.
Do I need sqlite3.dll installed?
No, not in Direct mode. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite has the SQLite engine built in. You only need an SQLite library if you switch to Client mode.
Which SQLite version does the driver use?
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite's Direct mode is based on SQLite 3.42.0, according to its revision history. In Client mode it uses whatever SQLite 3 library you point it at.
Can several people use the same SQLite file through the driver?
Yes, within SQLite's limits. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite lets you set Normal locking and a busy timeout so readers and a writer can share the file, but each user needs their own Desktop license, and a shared server needs a Server license.
Does it work with 32-bit Excel or Access?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite installs both a 32-bit and a 64-bit driver on Windows. Create the DSN in the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator for a 32-bit Office.
Can the driver create a new database file?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite has a ForceCreateDatabase option that creates the file if it doesn't exist when the connection opens.
What happens when the subscription ends?
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite on a subscription stops working when the term ends unless you renew. A perpetual license keeps the version you bought working indefinitely.
System Requirements
- Windows x86 or x64, including Windows Terminal Server (30.63 MB EXE or 32.24 MB MSI installer)
- macOS on Intel x64 or Apple Silicon (17.15 MB PKG)
- Linux x86 or x64, DEB or RPM packages (about 4 to 5.7 MB)
- SQLite 3.x database files; no SQLite library needed in Direct mode
- Internet access to activate a subscription license
Conclusion
Devart ODBC Driver for SQLite is worth $139.95 a year if you need to encrypt SQLite files, want a maintained and supported driver, or work across Windows, Mac and Linux. The encryption is the standout feature, as long as you remember it only talks to Devart's own format.
If you only read plain SQLite files on Windows now and then, try the free driver first. Otherwise, run the 30-day trial on your real database and tool, and buy the perpetual license if you'd rather pay once.
Download Free Trial Buy Now