SQLite as the Default Database

Where the Database Lives

A freshly created Django project stores its SQLite database as a single file named db.sqlite3 sitting right next to manage.py in the project's root folder.

Example: Where the Database Lives

Running migrate the first time creates db.sqlite3 right next to manage.py — ls afterward confirms the file now exists.

python manage.py migrate
ls db.sqlite3

No Server to Install

Unlike PostgreSQL or MySQL, SQLite doesn't run as a separate background process — Django's database driver reads and writes the file directly, so there's no server to start or configure.

Note: This is exactly why SQLite is the default for new projects: it works immediately with zero setup.

Example: No Server to Install

Running migrate for the first time both creates the db.sqlite3 file and fills it with Django's built-in tables — no separate installation step required.

python manage.py migrate
# creates db.sqlite3 automatically if it doesn't exist yet

When to Move Beyond SQLite

SQLite handles one writer at a time well, which is fine for development and small sites, but a busier production site with many simultaneous users usually switches to PostgreSQL for better concurrent write performance.

Warning: Never assume SQLite scales the same way a dedicated database server does under heavy concurrent traffic.

Example: When to Move Beyond SQLite

This is the exact DATABASES setting a new Django project ships with — nothing needs to be added for SQLite to work.

# settings.py excerpt using SQLite (the default)
DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
    }
}