CQLite

What is CQLite?

CQLite is a Rust library for reading Apache Cassandra 5.0 SSTable files directly — no Cassandra cluster required. It provides a CQL query interface over local data files, making it ideal for offline analysis, migrations, testing, and backup inspection.

Install the CLI

Homebrew

macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) and Linux (x86_64 or arm64). Verifies the release checksum before installing:

brew install pmcfadin/cqlite/cqlite
cqlite --help

cargo install

Build from crates.io with a Rust 1.85+ toolchain:

cargo install cqlite-cli      # installs the `cqlite` binary
cqlite --help

Prefer a prebuilt download or need another platform? See the installation guide.

Key Features

No cluster required

Read Cassandra SSTables directly from disk. No JVM, no cluster, no configuration overhead.

CQL query interface

Execute familiar CQL SELECT queries against local SSTable files.

Multiple bindings

Available as a Rust library, Python package, and Node.js module.

Multiple output formats

Export data as JSON, CSV, or Parquet for downstream processing.

Documentation Sections

User Docs Installation, quick start, CLI reference, query guide, Python and Node.js bindings.

SSTable Format Guide 22-chapter deep dive into the Cassandra 5.0 SSTable binary format.

For Agents: Using CQLite Task-oriented recipes for AI agents integrating with or automating CQLite.

For Agents: Developing CQLite Contributor doctrine, gate contracts, and development workflows for AI agents working on CQLite itself.

API Reference

Rustdoc for cqlite-core is available at /cqlite/api/latest/. Per-release API docs are at /cqlite/api/<version>/.