Show HN: SQLite Online – 11 years of solo development, 11K daily users

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived Value & Use Cases

  • Many see clear value: instant SQL playground with no install, good syntax highlighting, table browser, charts, and ephemeral DBs.
  • Strong appreciation from educators and interviewers: easy to get students/candidates querying immediately without setup.
  • Users mention quick validation of joins, experimenting with SQLite and other DBs, and federated queries across external/internal sources.
  • Others initially struggle to understand “what it is” or why to use it vs. local sqlite3.

CLI vs Web: Convenience & Accessibility

  • Some argue SQLite is already trivial to set up (sqlite3 file.db or in-memory DB), so a web tool adds little.
  • Counterpoints highlight:
    • Not everyone knows command line basics or how to install SQLite.
    • Chromebooks, iPads, locked-down machines, and beginners benefit from a browser-only solution.
    • Built-in collaboration and sharing via links are not matched by bare CLI usage.

Onboarding, UX & Messaging

  • Frequent feedback: landing directly in a complex UI with no explanation is confusing.
  • Suggested improvements:
    • Simple “Welcome / What you can do here” modal or guided tour.
    • Clear H1/H2 and examples (e.g., sample queries per use case).
    • Separate landing page vs. app page, plus an “About” section and docs.
  • Some defend the current “drop you into the tool” approach, comparing it to other focused tools.

Collaboration & WebRTC Behavior

  • Collaboration works by sharing a link; DB stored in browser (memory/OpFS) and synced P2P via WebRTC.
  • Several note the app breaks or loads slowly if WebRTC is disabled; they urge graceful fallback and clearer error messages.

Monetization, Pricing & Localization

  • Despite ~11K daily users, paid subscribers are “almost zero.”
  • Critiques of pricing UX:
    • Prices shown in rubles confuse many; suggestions to use USD or localize currency more clearly.
    • “No auto-renewal” labeled as a subscription sparked a definition debate but some appreciate the manual renewal ethic.
    • Concerns about sanctions/payment feasibility if the service is based in Russia.
  • Translated UI texts (done via LLM) feel awkward or unprofessional in some languages; suggestion to stick to languages with reliable proofreading.

Technical Issues & Misc Feedback

  • Reports of slow loading, font warnings, and RTCPeerConnection errors in Firefox when WebRTC is disabled or blocked.
  • UX nits: long first-visit disclaimer, unconventional shortcuts (Shift+Enter instead of Ctrl+Enter), and design that could benefit from professional UX input.
  • Despite critiques, many praise the longevity, solo effort, and real-world utility over 11 years.