Self-hosting Lite Queen the easy way
Yulei ChenLite Queen is an open-source SQLite database management tool that gives you a clean web UI to browse, query, and manage SQLite databases on your server. If you're building apps that use SQLite (and more people are these days), having a visual database manager running alongside your app is incredibly useful.
Sliplane is a managed container platform that makes self-hosting painless. With one-click deployment, you can get Lite Queen up and running in minutes - no server setup, no reverse proxy config, no infrastructure to maintain.
Prerequisites
Before deploying, ensure you have a Sliplane account (free trial available).
Quick start
Sliplane provides one-click deployment with presets.
Deploy Lite Queen >- Click the deploy button above
- Select a project
- Select a server (If you just signed up you get a 48-hour free trial server)
- Click Deploy!
About the preset
The one-click deploy above uses Sliplane's Lite Queen preset. Here's what it includes:
- Docker image:
kivsegrob/lite-queenfrom Docker Hub - Persistent storage for app data mounted to
/home/litequeen/data - Dedicated volume for your SQLite databases mounted to
/srv - Port 8000 exposed over HTTPS with automatic SSL
The /srv volume is where Lite Queen looks for SQLite database files to manage. You can upload .db or .sqlite files there, and they'll show up in the web UI.
Next steps
Once Lite Queen is running on Sliplane, access it using the domain Sliplane provided (e.g. litequeen-xxxx.sliplane.app).
Adding databases
Lite Queen manages SQLite databases stored in the /srv directory inside the container. To add databases for Lite Queen to manage, you can use Sliplane's file upload feature to upload .db or .sqlite files into the litequeen-databases volume.
Environment variables
The preset comes with a minimal configuration. Here are some useful options:
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
PORT | 8000 | The port Lite Queen listens on |
The Docker image runs Lite Queen with --hostname 0.0.0.0 by default, so it's already configured to accept connections from outside the container.
Logging
Lite Queen logs to STDOUT by default, which works well with Sliplane's built-in log viewer. For general Docker log tips, check out our post on how to use Docker logs.
Cost comparison
You can also self-host Lite Queen with other cloud providers. Here is a pricing comparison for the most common ones:
| Provider | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Monthly Cost | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sliplane | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | €9 (~$10.65) | Flat rate, 1 TB bandwidth, SSL included |
| Fly.io | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$18 | Disk and bandwidth billed separately |
| Render | 1 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$35 | 100 GB bandwidth, Disk billed separately |
| Railway | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | ~$67 + $20 plan | Pro plan floor, usage-based, bandwidth billed separately |
Click here to see how these numbers were calculated.
(Assuming an always-on instance running 730 hrs/month)
- Sliplane: flat €9/month for the Base server. Unlimited services on the same server, 1 TB egress and SSL included.
- Fly.io:
shared-cpu-2x2 GB = $11.83/mo + 40 GB volume × $0.15/GB = $6 -> ~$17.83/mo. Egress billed separately ($0.02/GB in EU). - Render: closest match is Standard ($25, 1 vCPU / 2 GB) plus 40 GB disk × $0.25/GB = $10 -> ~$35/mo. Stepping up to Pro (2 vCPU / 4 GB) costs $85/mo + disk.
- Railway (Pro plan): CPU 2 × $0.00000772/s × 2,628,000 s = $40.57; RAM 2 × $0.00000386/s × 2,628,000 s = $20.29; volume 40 × $0.00000006/s × 2,628,000 s = $6.31 -> ~$67/mo compute, plus the $20/mo Pro plan floor and $0.05/GB egress.
Bandwidth costs can add up fast on usage-based providers. Use our bandwidth cost comparison tool to see what your egress would cost on each platform.
FAQ
What can I do with Lite Queen?
Lite Queen lets you browse tables, run SQL queries, view and edit data, and manage your SQLite databases through a web interface. It's especially handy if you're running SQLite-backed apps and want a quick way to inspect or modify data without SSH-ing into your server.
How do I connect my app's database to Lite Queen?
If your app runs on the same Sliplane server and stores its SQLite database in a Docker volume, you can mount that same volume into the Lite Queen service at /srv. That way Lite Queen can read and manage the database directly.
How do I update Lite Queen?
Go to your service settings in Sliplane and click Redeploy. Since the preset uses the latest tag (the only tag available for this image), redeploying will pull the newest version automatically.
Are there alternatives to Lite Queen?
Yes. Drizzle Gateway supports SQLite along with Postgres and MySQL. NocoDB turns any database into a spreadsheet-like interface. For Postgres-focused management, tools like pgAdmin or Metabase are popular choices.
Does Lite Queen support multiple databases?
Yes. Any .db or .sqlite file you place in the /srv directory will appear in the Lite Queen web UI. You can manage multiple databases simultaneously from a single instance.
