pglite-oxide embeds the Electric SQL PGlite
WASI PostgreSQL runtime in Rust. It gives Rust apps a local Postgres-compatible
database without shipping a native Postgres sidecar.
Use it when you want:
- local Postgres semantics in a Rust or Tauri app
- fast Postgres-backed tests without Docker or testcontainers
- a PostgreSQL connection URI for crates such as SQLx or
tokio-postgres - a small, embedded database boundary that stays on the Rust side of the app
The crate currently targets PostgreSQL 17.x PGlite builds, Rust 1.92+, and Wasmtime 44.
cargo add pglite-oxide serde_jsonThe default path uses the bundled PGDATA template and compiled Wasmtime module cache. There are no startup flags to remember for ordinary apps.
Use Pglite when your Rust code owns the database calls.
use pglite_oxide::Pglite;
use serde_json::json;
fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let mut db = Pglite::open("./.pglite")?;
db.exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS items(value TEXT)", None)?;
db.query("INSERT INTO items(value) VALUES ($1)", &[json!("alpha")], None)?;
let result = db.query("SELECT value FROM items", &[], None)?;
println!("{:?}", result.rows);
db.close()?;
Ok(())
}For tests, use Pglite::temporary()?. Temporary databases clone a process-local
template cluster, so repeated tests avoid fresh initdb work.
Use PgliteServer when an existing library expects a PostgreSQL URL. Configure
client pools with one connection because the embedded runtime owns one backend.
For SQLx:
cargo add sqlx --features postgres,runtime-tokio
cargo add tokio --features macros,rt-multi-threaduse pglite_oxide::PgliteServer;
use sqlx::{Connection, Row};
#[tokio::main]
async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
let server = PgliteServer::temporary_tcp()?;
let mut conn = sqlx::PgConnection::connect(&server.connection_uri()).await?;
let row = sqlx::query("SELECT $1::int4 + 1 AS answer")
.bind(41_i32)
.fetch_one(&mut conn)
.await?;
assert_eq!(row.try_get::<i32, _>("answer")?, 42);
conn.close().await?;
server.shutdown()?;
Ok(())
}For app persistence, use PgliteServer::builder().path("./.pglite").start()?.