Introducing Drizzle ORM: A Simple and Performant Alternative to Prisma

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. The Struggle with Prisma
3. Alternatives to Prisma
4. Introducing Drizzle ORM
5. Drizzle ORM 0.26 Release
6. Relational Queries in Drizzle ORM
7. Drizzle ORM's Performance AdVantage
8. Drizzle ORM's Documentation
9. Drizzle ORM's Schema Declaration
10. Conclusion

Introducing Drizzle ORM

As a developer, working with databases can be a challenging experience. While there are many ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) tools available, they often come with their own set of issues. Prisma, for example, is a popular ORM tool for TypeScript developers, but it can be expensive and its performance can leave a lot to be desired. Additionally, the TypeScript side and the Node module generation can be a little annoying to get right, and it can break in fun ways in mono repos.

Because of these issues, there has been a lot of energy and excitement around alternatives to Prisma. One such alternative is Drizzle ORM. Drizzle is an ORM tool that is focused on being simple and providing minimal abstractions on top of your SQL database. Even the syntax looks like writing SQL, making it easy to integrate.

The Struggle with Prisma

Prisma is a great developer experience for TypeScript devs working with databases. However, it comes with a lot of weight when You use it. This weight can make it challenging to use in a lot of different places. While Prisma is not a bad tool, it can be expensive and its performance can leave a lot to be desired. Additionally, the TypeScript side and the Node module generation can be a little annoying to get right, and it can break in fun ways in mono repos.

Alternatives to Prisma

Because of the issues with Prisma, there has been a lot of energy and excitement around alternatives. One such alternative is Drizzle ORM. Drizzle is an ORM tool that is focused on being simple and providing minimal abstractions on top of your SQL database. Even the syntax looks like writing SQL, making it easy to integrate.

Drizzle ORM 0.26 Release

Drizzle ORM 0.26 is out, and it comes with some exciting changes. One of the most significant changes is the addition of relational queries. If you're familiar with Prisma, this syntax will look very familiar. You can use db.query to find many things attached to a specific object. For example, db.query.users.findMany will return a user object with the posts attached. This syntax is simple and easy to use, making it accessible for developers who are not familiar with SQL.

Relational Queries in Drizzle ORM

Drizzle ORM's new syntax is not only great, but it's also performant. Drizzle will always make exactly one SQL query, no matter how you write your query. This is in contrast to Prisma, which can do an unknown amount of back and forth when you write a query with a relation in it. This performance advantage makes Drizzle a great choice for developers who are looking for a fast and efficient ORM tool.

Drizzle ORM's Performance Advantage

Drizzle ORM's performance advantage is significant. Because it always makes exactly one SQL query, it is much faster than other ORM tools. Additionally, because it is focused on being simple and providing minimal abstractions, it is easy to integrate and use.

Drizzle ORM's Documentation

One of the most significant improvements in Drizzle ORM 0.26 is the addition of documentation. The lack of documentation has been a significant issue for developers who are interested in using Drizzle. However, the new release includes documentation, making it much easier to get started with the tool.

Drizzle ORM's Schema Declaration

Drizzle ORM's schema declaration is entirely in TypeScript. This means that you can write your schema with the syntax where you define your tables as values calling the table Helper function. When you want to sync this to your database, you point to the Drizzle CLI at the file, and it reads the TypeScript and updates the database accordingly. This makes it easy to define your schema and keep it in sync with your database.

Conclusion

Drizzle ORM is a great alternative to Prisma for developers who are looking for a simple and performant ORM tool. With its new release, Drizzle has addressed many of the issues that developers have had with the tool, including the lack of documentation and the syntax for defining relations. If you're looking for a fast and efficient ORM tool, Drizzle is definitely worth checking out.

Highlights

• Drizzle ORM is a simple and performant ORM tool that is a great alternative to Prisma.
• Drizzle ORM's new release includes documentation, making it much easier to get started with the tool.
• Drizzle ORM's schema declaration is entirely in TypeScript, making it easy to define your schema and keep it in sync with your database.
• Drizzle ORM's performance advantage is significant, making it a great choice for developers who are looking for a fast and efficient ORM tool.

FAQ

Q: What is Drizzle ORM? A: Drizzle ORM is an ORM tool that is focused on being simple and providing minimal abstractions on top of your SQL database.

Q: How does Drizzle ORM compare to Prisma? A: Drizzle ORM is a great alternative to Prisma for developers who are looking for a simple and performant ORM tool.

Q: What is the performance advantage of Drizzle ORM? A: Drizzle ORM's performance advantage is significant. Because it always makes exactly one SQL query, it is much faster than other ORM tools.

Q: Is Drizzle ORM easy to integrate? A: Yes, Drizzle ORM is easy to integrate. Even the syntax looks like writing SQL, making it easy to use.

Q: Does Drizzle ORM have documentation? A: Yes, Drizzle ORM's new release includes documentation, making it much easier to get started with the tool.