---
title: "Views"
sidebarTitle: "View"
description: "A saved query, evaluated when read. The non-materialized counterpart to a materialized view."
icon: eye
keywords: ["view", "create view", "sql", "catalog"]
availability:
  oss: unavailable
  enterprise: varies
  summary: >-
    Views need a LanceDB Enterprise deployment that has them enabled; the
    embedded library cannot create them.
---

A view stores a **query**, not rows. Reading it runs the query against current
data, so a view is never stale -- and never faster than the query it wraps.

It is the counterpart to a
[materialized view](/management/materialized-view), which stores rows and is
brought up to date by a refresh. Both are [catalog objects](/basics/catalog)
defined by a query; the difference is entirely when that query runs.

| | View | Materialized view |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stores | the query | the rows |
| Freshness | always current | as of the last refresh |
| Read cost | the full query, every read | a table scan |
| Write cost | none | a refresh |

Views are created on a deployment, either in SQL over the
[Flight SQL endpoint](/sql#connecting) or with the SDKs' `create_view` /
`createView`, which send the query to the deployment. Either way, the deployment
must have views enabled. See [View](/sql/ddl/view) for `CREATE VIEW`,
`DROP VIEW`, and listing.