Show HN: SnkvDB – Single-header ACID KV store using SQLite's B-Tree engine I built *snkvDB* — a single-header, ACID-compliant key-value store with zero setup. https://ift.tt/vkrHZ3B ### Why I built this I wanted something as simple as a hashmap, but: * persistent * crash-safe * no external dependencies * easy to drop into any C/C++ project Most KV stores are either: * too heavy (servers, background processes), or * too low-level (you manage everything) snkvDB tries to sit in between. --- ### What it is * Single-header KV store (just include and use) * ACID compliant (thanks to SQLite) * No server, no config, no build system required * Works like a simple embedded database --- ### Under the hood snkvDB is built on SQLite’s storage engine (B-Tree backend), so you get: * durability * transactions * mature, battle-tested storage But the API is simplified to a minimal KV interface. --- ### When to use it * Embedding storage in CLI tools or small apps * Replacing ad-hoc file storage * Lightweight persistence without running a DB server --- ### Benchmarks I’ve compared it with RocksDB and LMDB here: https://ift.tt/vkrHZ3B TL;DR: * Faster than RocksDB for small/medium workloads * Easier to use than LMDB * Balanced read/write performance --- ### Trade-offs * Not for write-heavy, high-throughput workloads (RocksDB is better there) * LMDB can be faster for pure reads * This prioritizes simplicity + safety over raw performance --- Would love feedback, especially on: * API design * performance * real-world use cases https://ift.tt/vkrHZ3B February 16, 2026 at 05:24AM
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