Standard SQLite
The index is a SQLite database, not a proprietary embedded engine or a hosted service. The file lives under the app-data root.
SQLite · local file
A SQLite library, not a black box.
The catalogue is a standard SQLite database on your PC. It is not a proprietary server database, and your original photos stay outside it in the folders you already back up.
- Standard SQLite
- Local file
- Inspectable
LiveGalleryApp.dbSQLite
images220,000 rows
people383
tags86
locations133
Stored under app data. The originals stay in your folders.
An illustrative SQLite catalogue. Standard file format; app-specific schema.
No proprietary database
A normal file, in a normal place.
A photo manager should not trap the catalogue in a server you cannot inspect. Live Gallery uses SQLite: a single local database file, a well-known format and no service behind it.
One local file
The catalogue is a file on your machine, alongside its thumbnail and face cache. It is not a database running on someone else’s server.
Your originals stay outside
The database stores the index, not your photo files. Source folders remain read-only and continue to work with your existing backup.
Index in place
The worker reads the source folders and writes catalogue rows to SQLite under app data.
Keep it inspectable
A standard SQLite browser can open the file and inspect the tables. The schema is app-specific, so this is transparency, not a public API.
Back up normally
The database can be included in your app-data backup, while the originals remain in the folders you already protect.
The honest part
What SQLite does and does not mean
- The database format is standard and inspectable; the schema is specific to Live Gallery.
- It is not a universal interchange format: another photo app will not read Live Gallery edits just because the file is SQLite.
- The app still does not write metadata back into your source files. Export is a separate coming-soon tool.
Good questions
SQLite library, answered.
Does Live Gallery use SQLite?
Yes. The local catalogue is a standard SQLite database under the app-data root.
Is the database proprietary?
No. SQLite is a standard, open file format. The schema is app-specific, but the file itself is not a proprietary server database.
Can I open the database?
Yes, with a SQLite browser. Treat it as inspectable app data: read it directly, or back it up, but do not expect another photo app to understand the schema.
Does SQLite mean my edits are portable?
Not yet. Tags and ratings are stored in the Live Gallery database, not written back to XMP/IPTC. Export is a separate coming-soon tool. The SQLite format is open; the interchange is still app-specific.
Keep exploring
Related features.
Local photo library
A library, not a second copy.
Index the folders you already have. No import, no upload, no proprietary store.
Photo metadata
The story is already in the file.
Read keywords, ratings, dates, camera and GPS from the library you already have.
Duplicate photos
Find the copies. Keep the keeper.
An optional content-hash scan for exact and near duplicates, with review before removal.
See it on your own library
Bring the folder.
Keep the originals.
Download the free beta, point it at a folder and try this on your own photos. No account, no upload, no card.
Windows 11 · Free 5,000-photo beta · No account needed