#66th of 173 in Backends, databases and hosting
duckdb
In-process analytical SQL database that queries CSV, Parquet and JSON files directly
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- Stars
- 43k
- License
- MIT
- Last commit
- Nov 2026
- Last release
- Oct 2026
- Language
- C++
Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.
Overview
DuckDB is an embedded analytical database written in C++ that runs inside the host application, with no separate server. It reads and writes CSV, Parquet, JSON and Excel from local disk or S3, HTTP, Azure and GCS, and can attach PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite databases. It ships as a CLI and as clients for Python, R, Java, Rust, Go and Wasm. It is not an AI project; it fits this list only as a data backend.
Who it is for: Developers needing embedded SQL analytics over local or remote data files
Ranked among open-source alternatives to Firebase (#6 of 10).
Strengths
- Runs in-process with no server and no external dependencies
- Queries files by name in FROM, e.g. SELECT * FROM 'myfile.parquet'
- Attaches PostgreSQL, MySQL and SQLite and queries them in place
- Extension system for formats, connectors and functions; clients for many languages
Weaknesses
- No AI, LLM or vector features described in the README
- Built for analytics (OLAP), not as a general multi-user application backend
- No auth, storage API or hosting layer; embedding or the quack protocol is the access path
- Building from source needs CMake, Python 3 and a C++17 compiler
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