Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase: One InterBase Driver for Windows, macOS and Linux
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase connects Embarcadero InterBase databases (version 4.2 and later) to Excel, Access, Power BI, Tableau, SQL Server, FileMaker, DBeaver, Python and other ODBC programs on Windows, macOS and Linux. A Desktop license for one platform costs $139.95 per year or $279.95 perpetual.
InterBase often sits inside long-lived line-of-business applications built with Delphi or C++Builder. The data in them is valuable, but getting it into modern reporting tools, or onto a Mac or Linux box, is where people get stuck. That's the gap this driver is built for.
Quick facts
- Version: 4.2.0, released October 16, 2026
- Developer: Devart
- Platforms: Windows (incl. Terminal Server), macOS and Linux, each 32-bit and 64-bit; DEB and RPM packages for Linux
- Databases: InterBase 4.2 and higher (4.2 needs a UDF with the RTRIM function)
- Connects through: the InterBase client library, default port 3050, TCP/IP (NetBEUI and SPX options remain)
- Standards: ODBC 3.52, with ODBC 2.x behavior emulation
- Price: $139.95 a year or $279.95 perpetual for Desktop on one platform
- Trial: 30 days from installation
- Refunds: within 30 days of purchase, and only when Devart support can't fix a technical problem that stops the driver working
- What we checked: the order page charged $139.95 for ODBC Driver for InterBase with its default options (Desktop for Windows, 1-year subscription renewing every 12 months, no premium support); the download page offered version 4.2.0 as a 29.97 MB Windows EXE, a 31.59 MB MSI, an 18.41 MB macOS PKG and Linux DEB and RPM packages of about 4 to 6 MB. Checked November 14, 2026. We didn't connect it to an InterBase server
Before you buy
This driver needs the InterBase client library (for example ibclient64.dll on Windows) on each machine, and you point the DSN at it. The license is per platform: a Windows license doesn't cover a Mac. If your database is actually Firebird, Devart sells a separate ODBC Driver for Firebird; this one is built and tested for InterBase. A subscription license needs internet access to activate and check its status.
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Overview
Unlike Devart's cloud drivers, this one talks to a database server you run yourself. You give it the server name, the full path to the database file (for example D:\testdb.gdb), the client library, a user and password, and optionally a role, a character set and the SQL dialect. From then on, every ODBC tool on that machine can query InterBase with ordinary SQL.
The driver is actively developed. Version 4.0.0 (November 2025) added a graphical setup tool on macOS and Linux, so you no longer have to edit odbc.ini by hand, and fixed a Linux issue where the wrong client library was used when the Client Library field was empty. 4.1.0 (April 2026) added a FloatAsSingle option and Access and SSMS linked-server fixes. 4.2.0 (October 2026) added Wait and LockTimeout transaction options and worked around a unixODBC 2.3.13-2.3.14 bug that broke DSN handling on newer Linux distributions.
Features
InterBase-specific connection settings
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase exposes the settings InterBase users actually need: SQL Dialect (with a Downgrade SQLDialect switch for older databases), Charset, Role, Port, Protocol, and a Force Using Default Value option that drops port 3050 from the connection string for InterBase versions that dislike it. SSL settings sit on their own Security tab.
Read-only mode and transaction control
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase has a ReadOnly connection option (since version 3.7.0) that blocks data changes, which is the safe way to hand a production database to report writers. Version 4.2.0 added Wait and LockTimeout, so a report doesn't hang forever behind another user's lock.
Same driver on three operating systems
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase ships for Windows (EXE and MSI), macOS (PKG, using iODBC) and Linux (DEB and RPM, using unixODBC). Each install creates a sample DSN named DEVART_INTERBASE, and a separate Devart ODBC Administrator tool gives macOS and Linux a Windows-style DSN editor.
Fixes for the tools people really use
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase has a long change log of tool-specific fixes: Access errors -7748 with NUMERIC fields and Unicode, BIGINT imports into Access, Crystal Reports, Tableau Prep, FileMaker Server on Linux and macOS, SSIS in Visual Studio, Informatica PowerCenter, Altova MapForce, BDE SQL Explorer and 4D on macOS. Bulk updates through batched statements, connection pooling and Unicode support round it out.
Real-World Uses
- Reporting on a Delphi application's data. A company keeps its InterBase-based ERP but builds management dashboards in Power BI through a read-only DSN.
- Mac users in Excel. Finance staff on Macs query the InterBase server from Excel through the macOS driver.
- Linux ETL. A Python or PHP job on Ubuntu pulls InterBase tables nightly through unixODBC.
- Migration staging. A DBA uses a SQL Server linked server to copy InterBase tables into SQL Server ahead of a migration.
Who It's For, and Who Should Skip It
It suits teams with an InterBase database that need it in BI, office or ETL tools, especially on macOS or Linux. Developers in Delphi or C++Builder who want native access should look at Devart's InterBase Data Access Components or its dbExpress driver instead, and Python developers at Devart's Python connector for InterBase.
Skip it if you're on Firebird (get Devart's Firebird driver), or if a single Windows report already works fine with the driver that came with your InterBase installation.
Usage Guide
- Download the package for your OS from Devart (sign-in required). On Linux, install unixODBC first; on macOS, iODBC.
- Install it and choose Trial evaluation or enter your key. On Linux, activate afterwards with
sudo ./interbaseodbcactivator -a <key> from the install folder.
- Open ODBC Data Sources on Windows (matching your program's bitness) or Devart ODBC Administrator on macOS and Linux, and add a DSN.
- Enter Server, Database (full path), User ID, Password and the path to the InterBase Client Library; set Port if it isn't 3050.
- For reporting users, turn on ReadOnly in the advanced settings, then test the connection and save.
A DSN-less connection string looks like this: DRIVER={Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase};Data Source=127.0.0.1;Database=D:\testdb.gdb;User ID=sysdba;Password=...;Client Library=D:\ibclient64.dll.
Where it falls short
- Client library dependency. Most connection failures come down to a missing or wrong-bitness InterBase client library; a 64-bit program needs the 64-bit client.
- macOS installer warning. macOS may block the package because Apple can't verify it, until you allow it under Privacy & Security.
- Separate GUI download. On macOS and Linux the DSN editor is a separate download, or you edit odbc.ini.
- Per-platform licensing. Mixed Windows and Mac teams pay for each platform.
What Users Say
The InterBase driver has no review profile of its own on the big review sites, which list Devart's ODBC drivers together.
Devart ODBC Drivers overall
Capterra rates the family 4.7/5 (26 reviews) and G2 4.6/5 (18 reviews). Users credit painless installation and fast connections. Among G2 reviews of Devart's individual database drivers, the ASE driver averages 4.7 from 10 reviews, with one reviewer noting minor compatibility problems on Linux, and the PostgreSQL driver 4.4 from 40, where DSN setup was called a bit finicky for first-timers and credential documentation thin.
Devart customer stories for its database drivers
Chemsalve, on ODBC Driver for Firebird (InterBase's open-source sibling): "With ODBC Driver for Firebird, we always have our data available in reports."
Hertz, on ODBC Driver for Oracle: "While the product makes connectivity between the server and the database efficient, I can sleep well."
Comparisons
Devart driver vs. the database vendor's driver
Devart's own comparison says both are ODBC 3.52 compliant, support the latest server versions, 32- and 64-bit applications and fast bulk loading. It claims its driver adds verified compatibility with BI and ETL tools, full ODBC API and data type compliance, builds for Linux and macOS, and a few-click installer, plus nightly builds and a dedicated support team.
ODBC driver vs. Devart's Delphi and Python options
For code you write yourself, Devart's InterBase Data Access Components (Delphi, Lazarus, C++Builder), dbExpress driver and Python connector talk to InterBase directly. The ODBC driver is the one to pick for off-the-shelf tools like Excel, Power BI, Access and SSMS.
Editions and Pricing
Pick the edition and platform as options on the order page.
| Edition | Platforms | 1-year subscription | Perpetual |
|---|
| Desktop (one computer, one user at a time) | Windows, Linux or macOS | $139.95 | $279.95 |
| Server Standard (one server, up to 6 cores) | Windows, Linux or macOS | $899.95 | $1,799.95 |
| Server Enterprise, Site, OEM | Any | Quote | Quote |
Buy Now starts with Desktop for Windows on a 1-year subscription at $139.95; switch to Linux or macOS, a Server edition, a perpetual license or a 2- or 3-year term on the same page. Volume discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% apply from 5, 10 and 20 copies.
FAQs
Which InterBase versions does Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase support?
Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase supports InterBase 4.2 and every later version; 4.2 itself needs a UDF that provides the RTRIM function. Version 3.5.0 specifically improved compatibility with InterBase 6.x and 7.0.
Do I need the InterBase client installed to use Devart's ODBC driver?
Yes. Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase uses the InterBase client library, and you enter its full path in the Client Library field. It normally comes with the InterBase server installation.
Can I make the InterBase ODBC connection read-only?
Yes. Set ReadOnly to True in the DSN's advanced settings or the connection string, and the InterBase driver refuses data changes.
Does one InterBase driver license cover Windows and Mac?
No. Devart licenses the InterBase driver per platform, so Desktop for Windows and Desktop for macOS are separate purchases, each $139.95 a year.
Can I get a refund on the InterBase driver?
Only for technical failures. If the InterBase driver doesn't work because of a problem Devart support can't solve, you may get a full refund within 30 days of purchase. Use the 30-day trial to check it against your own database first.
What happens to a perpetual license of the InterBase driver after a year?
It keeps working with the version you have. The included subscription to updates and support ends, and renewing it more than 3 months late costs 20% more, more than 12 months late 60% more.
System Requirements
- Windows 32-bit or 64-bit (including Terminal Server), macOS 32-bit or 64-bit, or Linux 32-bit or 64-bit
- iODBC on macOS, unixODBC on Linux (Windows includes its own driver manager)
- InterBase 4.2 or later and the InterBase client library
- Administrator rights to install
Conclusion
If you have InterBase data and need it in Excel, Power BI, Access, SSMS or a Linux ETL job, Devart ODBC Driver for InterBase is a well-maintained, cross-platform choice at $139.95 a year per platform, with real InterBase options like dialect, role, read-only mode and lock timeouts. The main reason not to buy is if the ODBC driver that came with InterBase already works for your one Windows tool, or if your database is really Firebird. Try it for 30 days with a read-only DSN against your production server.
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