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Dev tools · August 16, 2023

SpacetimeDB – A database that replaces your server

We just released our database, SpacetimeDB, on GitHub under the BSL 1.1 license. It converts to a free software license after a few years. The point of the database is that you upload application logic into the database as a WebAssembly stored procedure, so instead of clients connecting to a webserver they connect directly to the database. The database itself does authentication and you write your own authorization logic just like you would inside a webserver. We’ve developed our game, BitCraft (https://bitcraftonline.com) entirely in this way. All of the game state is stored and…

SpacetimeDB – A database that replaces your server launched on August 16, 2023 with 80 votes, #1,359 of 4,347 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 3 years on.

In plain words

SpacetimeDB is a database that lets developers upload application logic as WebAssembly stored procedures, eliminating the need for a separate web server. Clients connect directly to the database, which handles authentication and authorization. The makers built the game BitCraft entirely with this architecture, storing and syncing all game state directly through the database. SpacetimeDB is available on GitHub under the BSL 1.1 license, which converts to a free software license after several years. It's designed for developers building real-time applications that require direct client-database communication.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

Development at the speed of light. Contribute to clockworklabs/SpacetimeDB development by creating an account on GitHub.

In the maker’s words, at launch

We just released our database, SpacetimeDB, on GitHub under the BSL 1.1 license. It converts to a free software license after a few years. The point of the database is that you upload application logic into the database as a WebAssembly stored procedure, so instead of clients connecting to a webserver they connect…

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