InterBase is a full‑featured, commercial‑grade SQL database for developers building applications on desktop, mobile, and server platforms. InterBase is ideal for a wide range of use cases thanks to offering enterprise-grade data security with built‑in AES‑256 encryption, TLS 1.2+ communications, optional FIPS 140‑3 compliance, and a very small footprint suitable for both client‑side and server‑side deployments.
Software developers choose InterBase because it is low cost, has high performance, requires minimal to no administration, is easy to install and deploy while being scalable and powerful, and provides embedded data security. InterBase Server also comes with powerful disaster recovery capabilities to enable data continuity even in the case of server failure.
Absolutely. InterBase uses a single on-disk file format, making it simple to move databases from development through testing and into production—without needing complex migration steps, even between desktop and mobile! That same consistency makes debugging and lifecycle management straightforward across all platforms.
InterBase 15 also provides a free Developer Edition, giving you full access to the same enterprise-grade features—including advanced encryption—that are available in production. Whether you’re building for desktop, mobile, or server, InterBase keeps development simple, portable, and secure.
InterBase provides first-class connectivity across modern development stacks:
- RAD Studio: Native support through FireDAC and IBX components.
- .NET / Visual Studio: Use the InterBase ADO.NET provider on NuGet.
- Java: JDBC driver (included with the InterBase Server/Developer installer).
- Python: interbase package on PyPI for Python applications.
- Other languages: ODBC support enables integration with PHP, and other rich data analytical tools and reporting solutions such as Excel and Office suites, C/C++, and more.
- Server & Developer Editions: 64-bit Windows and Linux, including Windows Server 2025, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, and Ubuntu 24 LTS.
- Desktop Edition: Windows only.
- InterBase ToGo Pro and ToGo Mobile: Full featured embedded engine for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android, including encryption and data changes tracking.
- InterBase ToGo Lite: Free embedded engine for Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and macOS.
(*) Check the Documentation for a detailed list of features in each of the editions.
InterBase uses a single cross-platform on-disk file format and supports heterogeneous OS connectivity across all editions.
InterBase ToGo Lite is a free, deployable, embeddable database for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS and Android that runs stand-alone inside your application. It allows basic local storage without encryption or multi-core support. When you need features like larger database files, or multi-core performance, you can upgrade by replacing the license file with a ToGo Pro license.
Download InterBase ToGo LiteWith InterBase 15, every Server Edition license is perpetual and includes one year of Maintenance. Customers using prior versions can continue their existing maintenance plans, but new purchases of InterBase 15 automatically include Maintenance.
Refer to the Supported Versions list at https://docwiki.embarcadero.com/Support/en/Supported_Versions for details.
InterBase ToGo Lite is the free edition of ToGo. It’s designed for lightweight embedded use, with restrictions such as a 100 MB database size limit and fewer simultaneous connections.
InterBase ToGo Pro is the commercial edition. It supports much larger databases, allows up to eight concurrent connections, and enables Change Views (not available in ToGo Lite). It’s intended for production applications that need scalability and reliability.
Yes. InterBase offers a VAR/OEM program with development/test licenses for Server, Desktop, and ToGo via the VAR SDK Pack. Learn more.
Customers with an active Support and Maintenance contract can download the latest updates from the My Downloads section of the Embarcadero Customer Portal.
Yes; DES encryption is not supported in InterBase 15. Hence, all editions except InterBase ToGo Lite support strong encryption.
The Developer Edition is a free, annual license of InterBase designed for building and testing applications. It includes the full feature set of the Server Edition (including AES-256 encryption, journaling, and Change Views™) but is restricted to non-production use. This allows developers to design, test, and validate their applications with all enterprise features before moving to a paid deployment license.
Download the Developer EditionInterBase with AES-256 encryption is classified under ECCN 5D002 and qualifies for ENC/Unrestricted treatment under U.S. export rules. This means it can be exported globally without an export license. Customers who require validated cryptography can enable FIPS 140-3 mode.
There is no additional charge for InterBase encryption capability.
Embarcadero offers online webinars that you can attend to learn more about InterBase and ask questions from InterBase experts. The videos on the InterBase Resources and InterBase Labs pages offer free on-demand training videos. You can find a list of upcoming webinars and live events on our events page.
You can join our community on Embarcadero Blogs or contact your local sales representative for more information.