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SQLite Archive file format

.sqlar · .db  ·  archive (SQLite container)  ·  introduced 2017 by D. Richard Hipp

What is a SQLite Archive file?

SQLite Archive (sqlar) is an archive format defined by SQLite itself: a normal SQLite database with a single table named "sqlar" holding filename, mode, mtime, and zlib-compressed content. The sqlite3 command-line tool can create and extract sqlar files using the -A flag. Because the container is just SQLite, you can also query it as a database.

Most readers reach this page after double-clicking a .sqlar file and finding their operating system unsure what to do with it. The good news: SQLite Archive is a well-understood format with mature tooling on every major platform. It is supported in one click by mainstream archivers on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

How to extract a SQLite Archive file

Opening a .sqlar file is straightforward on every modern operating system. The exact steps depend on which platform you are on:

On Windows

  1. Locate the .sqlar file in File Explorer.
  2. Right-click the file. If you have 7-Zip installed, choose 7-Zip → Extract Here. On Windows 11 the built-in extractor handles ZIP, 7z, RAR and several other formats directly through Extract All…
  3. If prompted, pick a destination folder and click Extract.
  4. The extracted files appear in a folder next to the original archive.

On macOS

  1. Find the .sqlar file in Finder.
  2. Install The Unarchiver from the Mac App Store, or Keka for both creating and extracting.
  3. Right-click the file → Open With → The Unarchiver (or just double-click after Unarchiver is set as the default).
  4. The extracted folder appears next to the archive.

On Linux

  1. Use your file manager: right-click the archive → Extract Here (file-roller on GNOME, Ark on KDE).
  2. On the command line, run one of: 
    7z x archive.sqlar    # works for almost any format
  3. The files appear in the current directory.

How to create a SQLite Archive file

To pack files into a .sqlar archive, you typically need an archiver that supports writing this format. Not every tool can create every format — for example, only WinRAR can create real RAR files. The sidebar lists the software known to read and write SQLite Archive.

On the command line, the canonical create command is:

# Use 7-Zip, PeaZip, or the format's reference tool to create .sqlar files.

If you regularly create archives at scale, a dedicated archive automation suite can wrap this command in scheduled jobs, integrity checks, and offsite replication.

Strengths

  • Single-file portability
  • Random access via SQL
  • Universal SQLite tooling

Weaknesses and limitations

  • Niche — most users still pick zip
  • Per-file compression only

Typical use cases

  • Bundling app assets queryable as a DB
  • Archives with random-access metadata

Technical details

SQLite Archive uses the zlib (per-file) algorithm and is identified on disk by the magic byte sequence 53 51 4C 69 74 65 20 66 6F 72 6D 61 74 20 33. The standard MIME type is application/x-sqlar. The format is an open specification and is free for any use.

Frequently asked questions

Is SQLite Archive safe to open?

Archive files are containers — they are only as safe as what they contain. A .sqlar from a trusted source is fine; one received from a stranger can hold malicious executables, scripts, or files engineered to exploit bugs in your archiver. Always keep your archiver updated, and never run unknown executables that come out of an archive. A safe workflow is to extract into a sandbox and scan the contents before opening anything.

What is the maximum file size?

Modern implementations support archives in the multi-terabyte range. The practical limit is your filesystem (FAT32 caps at 4 GB; ext4, NTFS, APFS, and exFAT all comfortably handle multi-TB files).

Can I password-protect a SQLite Archive?

Some archivers can wrap SQLite Archive files in an encrypted container, but the format itself does not always include built-in encryption. Check your archiver's documentation.

How does SQLite Archive compare to other formats?

See our format comparison pages such as ZIP vs 7z, ZIP vs RAR, and tar.gz vs tar.xz for side-by-side feature tables.

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