Drizzle
Open SourceThe TypeScript ORM that thinks in SQL.
Published 27 September 2026
Scores
Popularity4/5
Around 35,500 GitHub stars and close to 2 million weekly npm downloads, growing quickly and now the most-watched newer ORM in the TypeScript space, though still behind Prisma in absolute reach.
Learning Curve3/5
The SQL-first design rewards developers who already know SQL, but there is less abstraction to lean on, and having both a relational query API and a lower-level SQL builder takes some time to navigate.
Flexibility4/5
Queries stay close to raw SQL, so complex joins, subqueries, and database-specific features are expressible without escape hatches, and the unopinionated design imposes few conventions.
Performance4/5
A tiny dependency-free bundle, prepared statements, and tree-shaking keep runtime and cold-start cost low, which is why it is a common pick for edge and serverless deployments.
Portability4/5
MIT licensed, works across multiple databases, and because queries resemble SQL the knowledge transfers directly to other tools, with little lock-in to Drizzle-specific concepts.
About Drizzle
Drizzle is a SQL-first ORM for TypeScript. Its query builder mirrors SQL closely, so a select().from().where() chain maps almost one to one onto the statement it produces, while tables, columns, and results keep full type inference. Developers who know SQL are productive quickly because there is little new query language to learn, and a separate relational query API fetches nested data in one call where hand-written joins get tedious.
The library is small and has no runtime dependencies, which suits edge and serverless runtimes such as Cloudflare Workers, Vercel Functions, Bun, and Deno, where bundle size and cold starts matter. It supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SingleStore, SQL Server, and CockroachDB, plus hosted variants including Neon, Supabase, PlanetScale, Turso, and Cloudflare D1, each through its own driver.
Drizzle Kit is the companion CLI. It generates SQL migration files from your TypeScript schema, can push changes straight to a development database, and introspects an existing database into schema definitions. Drizzle Studio, a browser-based data explorer, runs locally through Kit.
The ORM and Drizzle Kit are open source under the Apache 2.0 license and free to use. PlanetScale employs the core team and is the project's main backer, but Drizzle keeps its own roadmap and works with every supported database, not only PlanetScale's.
Key Features
- SQL-first query builder with full type inference
- Relational query API for fetching nested data in one call
- Small footprint with no runtime dependencies
- Runs on edge and serverless runtimes such as Workers, Bun, and Deno
- Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, SingleStore, SQL Server, and CockroachDB
- Drizzle Kit CLI for migrations, schema push, and introspection
- Drizzle Studio visual data browser
Pros
- Predictable queries that map directly to SQL
- Minimal runtime overhead, ideal for edge functions
- Schema is plain TypeScript, with no separate schema language or generate step
- Wide driver coverage, including serverless Postgres, MySQL, and SQLite hosts
Cons
- Assumes comfort with SQL, less hand-holding than Prisma
- Younger ecosystem with fewer tutorials and integrations
- Two syntaxes (query API and core SQL builder) can confuse newcomers
- Fewer built-in conveniences than a batteries-included ORM
Drizzle Pricing
Open Source- · Drizzle ORM and Drizzle Kit are free under Apache 2.0
- · Drizzle Studio is free for local development through Drizzle Kit
- · Use with any supported database you host or manage
Tech Stacks with Drizzle
Next.js + PostgreSQL
ProjectFull-stack Next.js app on PostgreSQL (self-managed or a serverless host like Neon), with Clerk, Auth0, or BetterAuth for auth, deployed to Vercel or a container host like Railway.
Vue + Node.js + PostgreSQL
ProjectVue.js SPA with an Express/Node.js API and a PostgreSQL database, self-hosted or serverless on Neon, Prisma Postgres, or PlanetScale.
Frontend
Programming
Databases
Hosting
Authentication
Next.js + SQLite
ProjectA lightweight Next.js starter backed by SQLite/libSQL, with no database server to provision, with a managed edge path (Turso), a Cloudflare-native path (D1), or a fully self-hosted path depending on how the app deploys.
Tools Related to Drizzle
Works well with Drizzle(4)
Drizzle pairs with Nuxt server routes as a lean, type-safe database layer.
Drizzle is a lightweight data layer for Next.js, popular where bundle size and edge compatibility matter.
Drizzle is widely used in the SvelteKit community for type-safe, SQL-first database access.
Drizzle runs well inside Cloudflare Workers thanks to its tiny bundle and D1/libSQL driver support.
Integrates with Drizzle(7)
Drizzle has first-class PostgreSQL support with SQL-first, type-safe queries and Drizzle Kit migrations.
Drizzle supports MySQL with a dedicated driver and a type-safe query builder.
Drizzle supports SQLite natively, a natural fit for its lightweight, edge-friendly design.
Drizzle integrates with Neon's serverless driver for querying Postgres from edge functions.
Drizzle integrates directly with Cloudflare D1 bindings, a common choice for Workers-based apps.
Drizzle connects to PlanetScale through its serverless HTTP driver for MySQL and the standard Postgres drivers, and PlanetScale employs Drizzle's core team.
Alternatives to Drizzle(2)
Prisma and Drizzle are the two leading TypeScript ORMs — Prisma is schema-first and higher-level, Drizzle is SQL-first and lighter. Teams typically choose one.
Drizzle and TypeORM take different approaches to the same job: Drizzle is SQL-first and lighter-weight with a smaller runtime footprint for edge and serverless deployments, while TypeORM uses decorator-based entities with a choice of Active Record or Data Mapper patterns.
Learning Resources
No resources yet — check back soon.
Vendor
Drizzle Team
Website →Tags
Details
- Maintained
- Yes
- GitHub stars
- 35.9k
- Stars updated
- 2026-09-23