# Install sqlcipher with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
SQLite extension providing 256-bit AES encryption. Version 4.17.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-08. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install libsqlcipher-dev.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:sqlcipher
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install sqlcipher
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install sqlcipher
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: databases/sqlcipher/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- apk (92%):
```sh
sudo apk add sqlcipher
```
Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install sqlcipher
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: sqlcipher from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install sqlcipher
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: sqlcipher from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#sqlcipher
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sq/sqlcipher/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- pacman (92%):
```sh
sudo pacman -S sqlcipher
```
Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: sqlcipher from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz
- zypper (92%):
```sh
sudo zypper install sqlcipher
```
Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: sqlcipher from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/50b07339cb64c8ed4091bdbabddadc1ff5737b090e478818a195b40d8a3292861a879139b4a3987c31109699fde9fbf4a716367ddf4eef77da75f96e3193d6ed-primary.xml.zst
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:sqlcipher
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 4.17.0
- **Source summary:** SQLite extension providing 256-bit AES encryption
- **Homepage:**
- **Repository:**
- **Last updated:** 2026-07-08T16:50:17Z
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- sqlcipher (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 4.17.0
## Project history and usage
SQLCipher is Zetetic's open source SQLite-derived database library and CLI that adds full-database encryption, including 256-bit AES encryption and key-management pragmas, while preserving much of the SQLite programming model.
### Project history
The public SQLCipher source repository dates to 2008. The project README describes SQLCipher as a standalone fork of SQLite that periodically integrates stable upstream SQLite features while minimizing changes to SQLite core code.
SQLCipher is maintained by Zetetic and is distributed in community, commercial, enterprise, and FIPS-oriented editions, with the open source community edition remaining the packaging target for many operating-system package managers.
### Adoption history
Zetetic describes SQLCipher as used in thousands of commercial and open source products and as a de facto standard for encrypted databases in mobile, embedded, and desktop applications. The input package metadata lists packages in Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE ecosystems.
### How it is used
Users commonly treat SQLCipher as an encrypted SQLite replacement: open a database with the SQLCipher shell or linked library, set PRAGMA key or call sqlite3_key early, and then use familiar SQLite operations against encrypted database files.
### Why package nerds care
Package nerds care about SQLCipher because it is both a security-sensitive C library and a drop-in-ish SQLite-flavored CLI. Distribution packaging matters: crypto provider linkage, ABI compatibility, and SQLite feature parity are all visible to downstream users.
### Timeline
- 2008: Public SQLCipher repository created.
- SQLCipher 4 era: README documents major-version compatibility changes and stronger default settings compared with SQLCipher 1.x through 3.x.
- 2026: Zetetic site describes community, commercial, enterprise, and FIPS distribution options.
### Related projects
- SQLCipher is directly related to SQLite and follows stable upstream SQLite releases. It is often compared with standard SQLite when applications need local storage with encryption at rest.
### Sources
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- input.source_facts.package-manager
## Security Notes
No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for sqlcipher. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Debian apt - libsqlcipher-dev - 4.6.1-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libsqlcipher-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | SQLCipher development files | http://sqlcipher.net/
- Debian apt - libsqlcipher1 - 4.6.1-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libsqlcipher1 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | SQLCipher shared library | http://sqlcipher.net/
- Debian apt - sqlcipher - 4.6.1-2: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: sqlcipher from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Command line interface for SQLCipher | http://sqlcipher.net/
- Nix - sqlcipher: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/sq/sqlcipher/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - libsqlcipher-dev - 4.5.6-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libsqlcipher-dev from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | SQLCipher development files | http://sqlcipher.net/
- Ubuntu apt - libsqlcipher1 - 4.5.6-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: libsqlcipher1 from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | SQLCipher shared library | http://sqlcipher.net/
- Ubuntu apt - sqlcipher - 4.5.6-1build2: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: sqlcipher from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Command line interface for SQLCipher | http://sqlcipher.net/
- apk - sqlcipher - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher is an SQLite extension that provides 256 bit AES encryption of database files. | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- apk - sqlcipher-dbg - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher-dbg from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher is an SQLite extension that provides 256 bit AES encryption of database files. (debug symbols) | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- apk - sqlcipher-dev - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher-dev from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher is an SQLite extension that provides 256 bit AES encryption of database files. (development files) | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- apk - sqlcipher-doc - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher is an SQLite extension that provides 256 bit AES encryption of database files. (documentation) | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- apk - sqlcipher-libs - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher-libs from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher is an SQLite extension that provides 256 bit AES encryption of database files. (libraries) | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- apk - sqlcipher-tcl - 4.6.1-r1: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: sqlcipher-tcl from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | SQLCipher library (tcl bindings) | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher/
- dnf - sqlcipher - 4.5.2-10.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: sqlcipher from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Fork of the SQLite database library that adds 256 bit AES encryption | https://github.com/sqlcipher/sqlcipher
- dnf - sqlcipher-devel - 4.5.2-10.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: sqlcipher-devel from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Development files for sqlcipher | https://github.com/sqlcipher/sqlcipher
- pacman - sqlcipher - 4.14.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: sqlcipher from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | SQLite extension that provides transparent 256-bit AES encryption of database files | https://www.zetetic.net/sqlcipher
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/sqlcipher.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/sqlcipher.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph