Drizzle ORM

Drizzle is the lightweight challenger to Prisma. v0.30+ (2025) focuses on SQL-like syntax, zero dependencies at runtime, and extreme cold-start performance.

When to Use

• Serverless: Zero runtime overhead makes it perfect for Lambdas.
• SQL Lovers: You prefer db.select().from(users) over object APIs.
• Performance: Faster query building than Prisma.

Core Concepts

Schema Definition

Define tables in TS. export const users = pgTable('users', { ... }).

Query Builder

Composable, type-safe SQL builder.

Relational API

db.query.users.findMany({ with: { posts: true } }) (Prisma-like convenience).

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use drizzle-kit: For migration management.
• Use run: Explicit execution model.
• Use Driver Specifics: Drizzle embraces database-specific features (JSONB, Arrays).

Don't:

• Don't over-abstract: Drizzle shines when you stay close to SQL.

References

• Drizzle ORM Documentation