Documents
only-better-sqlite3-for-sqlite
only-better-sqlite3-for-sqlite
Type
External
Status
Published
Created
Mar 5, 2026
Updated
Mar 5, 2026

import Intro from '/docs/snippets/breaking-change-page-intro.md'
import MigrationIntro from '/docs/snippets/breaking-change-page-migration-intro.md'

Only the better-sqlite3 package is supported for the SQLite client#

Strapi 5 can only use the better-sqlite3 package for SQLite databases, and the client value for it must be set to sqlite.

Breaking change description#

In Strapi v4

The database configuration client option for SQLite databases accepts several values such as sqlite3, vscode/sqlite3, sqlite-legacy, and better-sqlite3.

In Strapi 5

The database configuration client option for SQLite database only accepts sqlite.

Migration#

Notes#

  • Strapi 5 uses the better-sqlite3 package for SQLite databases under the hood and rewrites the sqlite option as better-sqlite3 for Knex.
  • Additional information about database clients and configuration can be found in the database configuration documentation.

Manual procedure#

No manual migration should be required as codemods from the upgrade tool will handle this change.

In case you want to manually migrate, run the following commands in the terminal:

  1. Run yarn remove sqlite3 to remove the sqlite 3 package.
  2. Run yarn add better-sqlite3 to install the better-sqlite3 package.