Crates / Compare / sqlx vs rusqlite
Rust crates side by side · data Oct 24, 2026
sqlx vs rusqlite
Short answerSQLite in a desktop app or CLI: rusqlite. Async web service: sqlx. By steady daily use, sqlx is bigger: 540,430 real downloads a day against 505,001 for rusqlite (1.1x). 4,124 crates depend on sqlx and 5,597 on rusqlite. sqlx last shipped 5 months ago, rusqlite 3 months ago.
sqlx
Widely usedWidely used and gaining.
4,124 crates depend on it; no release in the last 90 days, so its count is all steady use.
🧰 The Rust SQL Toolkit. An async, pure Rust SQL crate featuring compile-time checked queries without a DSL. Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite.
rusqlite
Widely usedWidely used and gaining.
5,597 crates depend on it; downloads don't spike on releases.
Ergonomic wrapper for SQLite
sqlxrusqlite · 100% = that crate's normal quiet day, so a spike to 300% is triple its usual traffic
Every number, side by side
| Same window, same method | sqlx | rusqlite |
|---|---|---|
| Real downloads a day | 540,430 | 505,001 |
| Crates that depend on it | 4,124 | 5,597 |
| Last release | 0.9.0, 5 months ago | 0.40.2, 3 months ago |
| Trend vs the field | +12% | +29% |
| Release-window share | 0.0% | 1.2% |
| Downloads in the window | 49,874,786 | 48,533,558 |
| All-time downloads | 172,259,351 | 133,674,828 |
| Versions published | 59 | 85 |
| License | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| MSRV | 1.94.0 | not set |
| First published | Jun 6, 2019 | Nov 21, 2014 |
Which to pick
- Pick sqlx if you need async, several databases (Postgres, MySQL, SQLite) or compile-time checked queries.
- Pick rusqlite if you only use SQLite, from sync code, and want thin, direct bindings.
- Bottom line: SQLite in a desktop app or CLI: rusqlite. Async web service: sqlx. (checked against each project's docs, Oct 24, 2026)
- Downloads tell you what is common, not what fits. Each crate's own description above says what it is for; when the jobs differ, pick by the job.
- When both fit, prefer the one more crates depend on (rusqlite, 5,597 dependents): more eyes, more answered questions, and you may already have it in your tree.
- Check the release dates against your own pace: sqlx 5 months ago, rusqlite 3 months ago.
Also in this space
Method
Real downloads = the median day with no release that day or the day before, from the crates.io API (Jul 27, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026). Raw crates.io counts include CI and bots and run high (why); the method is from our 90-day study. People search for this pair: Google suggests "sqlx vs rusqlite".
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