Mobile databases: SQLite and SQLite alternatives for Android and iOS

UPDATED 2022. At Droidcon Berlin, we noticed a lot of questions around databases. Many people weren’t aware of SQLite alternatives and Object-Relational Mappers (ORMs). Therefore, we follow up with an overview of the mobile database landscape.

What is a mobile database?

While Wikipedia defines a mobile database as “either a stationary database that can be connected to by a mobile computing device […] over a mobile network, or a database which is actually stored by the mobile device,” we solely refer to databases that run on the mobile device itself.

Why use a mobile database?

There are some advantages associated with using a mobile database:

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ORM FAQ

SQLite access with an ORM – FAQ

What is an Object-Relational-Mapper (ORM)?

An ORM is a layer between the relational SQLite database and the object-oriented app code. The ORM allows the developer to use the database without the need to transform objects into a format suited for the relational database.

Do I need an ORM to work with SQLite?

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