Why We Created Turso, a Rust-Based Rewrite of SQLite

Turso is a Rust-based rewrite of SQLite designed to address modern development needs while maintaining compatibility. SQLite's single-writer architecture, synchronous design, and limited extensibility create bottlenecks for high-throughput writes, real-time applications, and modern features like vector search and CDC. Turso introduces asynchronous I/O, concurrent writes through MVCC, native encryption, vector search, CDC support, and live materialized views. The rewrite enables SQLite-like simplicity with architectural improvements for edge computing, AI agents, and streaming analytics while fostering an open contribution model with over 150 contributors.