<TopBlock>

Prisma and Drizzle take different approaches to working with databases. While Drizzle appeals to developers who prefer writing queries close to SQL, Prisma is designed to support teams building and maintaining production applications—where clarity, collaboration, and long-term maintainability matter.

While both libraries solve similar problems, they work in very different ways and have individual pros and cons. Which one to choose will depend on the needs of your project and the exact tradeoffs that are important for it.

</TopBlock>

## Drizzle vs Prisma ORM

**Drizzle** is a traditional SQL query builder that lets you compose SQL queries with JavaScript/TypeScript functions. It can be used to query a database or run migrations. Drizzle also offers a Queries API, which offers a higher level abstraction from SQL and can be used to read nested relations. Drizzle schema is defined in TypeScript files, which are used to generate SQL migrations and are then executed against a database.

**Prisma ORM** mitigates many problems of traditional ORMs, such as bloated model instances, mixing business with storage logic, lack of type-safety or unpredictable queries caused e.g. by lazy loading. It uses the [Prisma schema](/orm/prisma-schema) to define application models in a declarative way. Prisma Migrate then allows the generation of SQL migrations from the Prisma schema and executes them against the database. CRUD queries are provided by Prisma Client, a lightweight and entirely type-safe database client for Node.js and TypeScript.

## Prisma: Built for Teams

Prisma is designed to help teams ship faster—especially when not everyone is a SQL expert.
* **No SQL bottlenecks**: With Prisma, you don’t need deep SQL knowledge to be productive. Your entire team can contribute to backend code—without relying on one person to write raw queries or debug database logic.
* **Shared mental model**: Prisma’s schema is human-readable and easy to reason about. It provides a single, consistent view of your application’s data model.
* **Easier code reviews**: Schema changes and data access patterns are transparent and consistent, making it easier for reviewers to understand and approve backend changes.
* **Predictable workflows**: Prisma automates migration generation, client typing, and query construction—so your team doesn’t have to.

Drizzle can be great in the hands of a single developer who knows SQL or prefers learning it. But once you have a team, Prisma removes the friction and knowledge risk that slows you down.

## Type safety

Drizzle is not _fully_ type safe. As quoted on this [comparison study](https://github.com/thetutlage/meta/discussions/8) done by a 3rd party, "Drizzle gives the impression of type-safety. However, only the query results have type information. You can write invalid queries with Drizzle."

With Prisma, you get _full_ type safety thanks to the generated types. This means, less potential for errors when writing code and collaborating with team members.

## Prisma Schema as a Single Source of Truth

With Prisma, your data model lives in a single file: schema.prisma.
* **It’s explicit**: No need to infer types or decipher SQL-generating functions—your schema is right there.
* **It’s readable**: Even non-technical teammates can understand your models and relationships.
* **It powers everything**: Migrations, TypeScript types, autocompletion, ERD generation, and more all come from your schema.

In contrast, Drizzle’s schema is built via TypeScript code, which makes it harder to visualize your full data model, increases cognitive load, and can lead to inconsistencies in how models are defined across the codebase. [Read more](https://www.prisma.io/blog/prisma-schema-language-the-best-way-to-define-your-data) about why we are bullish on PSL (Prisma Schema Language).

Want to see your schema as an ERD? With Prisma, it’s one command: `npx prisma generate && npx prisma-erd-generator`

## API design & Level of abstraction

Drizzle and Prisma ORM operate on different levels of abstraction. Drizzle's philosophy is "If you know SQL, you know Drizzle ORM". It mirrors SQL in its API while Prisma Client provides a higher-level abstraction that was designed with the common tasks of application developers in mind. Prisma ORM's API design heavily leans on the idea of [making the right thing easy](https://jason.energy/right-thing-easy-thing/).

While Prisma Client operates on a higher level of abstraction, you are able to drop down to [raw SQL](/orm/prisma-client/using-raw-sql) at any time. However, full use of Prisma ORM and development of your application does not require SQL knowledge. Prisma ORM's goal is to construct a query syntax focused on developer experience and productivity that feels familiar to developers. You can learn more about this here: [Why Prisma](/orm/overview/introduction/why-prisma#application-developers-should-care-about-data--not-sql).

For the few queries that are unable to be expressed in the Prisma Client API, Prisma ORM also offers [TypedSQL](/orm/prisma-client/using-raw-sql/typedsql) which provides a more familiar and type-safe experience by directly utilizing `.sql` files. Your existing SQL tooling and workflow can work alongside Prisma Client to handle any level of abstraction desired.

While fully typed SQL queries are available in Prisma ORM with TypedSQL, the following sections examine a few examples of how the Prisma and Drizzle APIs differ and what the rationale of Prisma ORM's API design is in these cases.

### Data modeling

Prisma models are defined in the [Prisma schema](/orm/prisma-schema), while Drizzle uses TypeScript functions for table definitions. These functions are then exported and used in queries.

Prisma generates a lightweight database client that exposes a tailored and fully type-safe API to read and write data for the models that are defined in the Prisma schema, following the DataMapper ORM pattern.

Prisma ORM's DSL for data modeling is lean, simple and intuitive to use. When modeling data in VS Code, you can further take advantage of Prisma ORM's powerful [VS Code extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Prisma.prisma) with features like autocompletion, quick fixes, jump to definition and other benefits that increase developer productivity. On the other hand, Drizzle's use of TypeScript means that you can lean on the power of TypeScript for additional flexibility (via reused code, for example).

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```prisma
model User {
  id    Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  name  String?
  email String  @unique
  posts Post[]
}

model Post {
  id        Int     @id @default(autoincrement())
  title     String
  content   String?
  published Boolean @default(false)
  authorId  Int?
  author    User?   @relation(fields: [authorId], references: [id])
}
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
import {
  boolean,
  integer,
  pgTable,
  serial,
  text,
  uniqueIndex,
  varchar,
} from 'drizzle-orm/pg-core'

export const users = pgTable('users', {
  id: serial('id').primaryKey(),
  name: varchar('name', { length: 256 }),
  email: varchar('email', { length: 256 }).unique(),
})

export const posts = pgTable('posts', {
  id: serial('id').primaryKey(),
  title: varchar('title', { length: 256 }).notNull(),
  content: text('content'),
  published: boolean('published'),
  authorId: integer('author_id').references(() => users.id),
})
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

### Migrations

Migrations work similarly between Drizzle and Prisma ORM. Both tools follow the approach of generating SQL files based on the provided model definitions and provide a CLI to execute them against the database. The SQL files can be modified before the migrations are executed so that any custom database operation can be performed with either migration system.

### Querying

Plain queries are natural to construct in both Drizzle and Prisma ORM. Using Drizzle's Queries API, the two approaches are very similar:

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
// find all users
const allUsers = await prisma.user.findMany()

// find a single user
const user = await prisma.user.findFirst({
  where: { id: 27 },
})

// find a unique user
const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
  where: { email: 'nilu@prisma.io' },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
import { eq } from 'drizzle-orm'

// find all users
const allUsers = await db.query.users.findMany()

// find a single user
const user = await db.query.users.findFirst({
  where: eq(users.id, 1),
})

// find a unique post
const user = await db.query.users.findFirst({
  where: eq(users.email, 'nilu@prisma.io'),
})
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

When performing a mutation, a `create`, `update`, or `delete`, the Drizzle Queries API is not available. In these cases, you will need to use Drizzle's SQL-like APIs:

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
// create a user
const user = await prisma.user.create({
  data: {
    name: 'Nilu',
    email: 'nilu@prisma.io',
  },
})

// update a user
const user = await prisma.user.update({
  where: { email: 'nilu@prisma.io' },
  data: { name: 'Another Nilu' },
})

// delete a user
const deletedUser = await prisma.user.delete({
  where: { email: 'nilu@prisma.io' },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
// create a user
const user = await db.insert(users).values({
  name: 'Nilu',
  email: 'nilu@prisma.io',
})

// update a user
const user = await db
  .update(users)
  .set({ name: 'Another Nilu' })
  .where(eq(users.email, 'nilu@prisma.io'))
  .returning()

// delete a user
const deletedUser = await db
  .delete(users)
  .where(eq(users.email, 'nilu@prisma.io'))
  .returning()
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

### Relations

Working with records that are connected via foreign keys can become very complex in SQL. Prisma ORM's concept of [virtual relation field](/orm/prisma-schema/data-model/relations#relation-fields) enables an intuitive and convenient way for application developers to work with related data. Some benefits of Prisma ORM's approach are:

- traversing relationships via the fluent API ([docs](/orm/prisma-client/queries/relation-queries#fluent-api))
- nested writes that enable updating/creating connected records ([docs](/orm/prisma-client/queries/relation-queries#nested-writes))
- applying filters on related records ([docs](/orm/prisma-client/queries/relation-queries#relation-filters))
- easy and type-safe querying of nested data without worrying about underlying SQL ([docs](/orm/prisma-client/queries/relation-queries#nested-reads))
- creating nested TypeScript typings based on models and their relations ([docs](/orm/prisma-client/type-safety))
- intuitive modeling of relations in the data model via relation fields ([docs](/orm/prisma-schema/data-model/relations))
- implicit handling of relation tables (also sometimes called JOIN, link, pivot or junction tables) ([docs](/orm/prisma-schema/data-model/relations/many-to-many-relations#implicit-many-to-many-relations))

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  include: {
    author: true,
  },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
const posts = await db.query.posts.findMany({
  with: {
    author: true,
  },
})
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

### Filtering

Drizzle exposes the underlying filter and conditional operators for a given SQL dialect. Prisma ORM on the other hand, provides a more [generic set of operators](/orm/prisma-client/queries/filtering-and-sorting#filter-conditions-and-operators) that are intuitive to use.

A good example of how the filtering APIs of both Drizzle and Prisma ORM differ is by looking at `string` filters. While Drizzle provides filters for `like` and `ilike`, Prisma ORM provides more specific operators that developers can use, e.g.: `contains`, `startsWith` and `endsWith`.

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
// case sensitive filter
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: 'Hello World',
  },
})

// case insensitive filter
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: 'Hello World',
    mode: 'insensitive',
  },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
// case sensitive filter
const posts = await db
  .select()
  .from(posts)
  .where(like(posts.title, 'Hello World'))

// case insensitive filter
const posts = await db
  .select()
  .from(posts)
  .where(ilike(posts.title, 'Hello World'))
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: {
      contains: 'Hello World',
    },
  },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
const posts = await db
  .select()
  .from(posts)
  .where(ilike(posts.title, '%Hello World%'))
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: {
      startsWith: 'Hello World',
    },
  },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
const posts = await db
  .select()
  .from(posts)
  .where(ilike(posts.title, 'Hello World%'))
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

<ParallelBlocks>

<block content="Prisma ORM">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: {
      endsWith: 'Hello World',
    },
  },
})
```

</block>

<block content="Drizzle">

```ts
const posts = await db
  .select()
  .from(posts)
  .where(ilike(posts.title, '%Hello World'))
```

</block>

</ParallelBlocks>

### Observability

Both Drizzle and Prisma ORM have the ability to log queries and the underlying SQL generated.


## Additional products

Both Drizzle and Prisma offer products alongside an ORM. Prisma Studio was released to allow users to interact with their database via a GUI and also allows for limited self-hosting for use within a team. Drizzle Studio was released to accomplish the same tasks.

In addition to Prisma Studio, Prisma offers commercial products via the Prisma Data Platform:

- [Prisma Accelerate](https://www.prisma.io/accelerate?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=orm-docs): A connection pooler and global cache that integrates with Prisma ORM. Users can take advantage of connection pooling immediately and can control caching at an individual query level.
- [Prisma Optimize](https://www.prisma.io/optimize?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=orm-docs): A query analytics tool that provides deep insights, actionable recommendations, and allows you to interact with Prisma AI for further insights and optimizing your database queries.

These products work hand-in-hand with Prisma ORM to offer comprehensive data tooling, making building data-driven applications easy by following [Data DX](https://www.datadx.io/) principles.

## Safer Changes and Fewer Bugs

Prisma minimizes the risk of human error when working with your database.
* **Renaming a field?** Prisma updates the schema, the database, and the generated client. You stay in sync automatically.
* **Changing a relationship?** Prisma generates a safe migration and enforces correctness via full type safety.

Teams choose Prisma because it enforces correctness and helps you move fast without breaking things.

## Batteries-Included Ecosystem

Both Drizzle and Prisma ORM have cases where users want to do something not directly supported by the library. Drizzle relies on the expressiveness of SQL to avoid these cases, while Prisma ORM has [Prisma Client extensions](/orm/prisma-client/client-extensions) to allow any user to add additional behaviors to their instance of Prisma Client. These extensions are also shareable, meaning teams can develop them for use across their projects or even for use by other teams.

While Drizzle is a relatively new product, Prisma ORM was [released in 2021](https://www.prisma.io/blog/how-prisma-orm-became-the-most-downloaded-orm-for-node-js) and is well established in the JavaScript/TypeScript space. It has proven value and many companies trust [Prisma ORM in production](https://www.prisma.io/showcase).

Prisma ORM is also included as the data layer tool of choice in many meta-frameworks and development platforms like [Amplication](https://amplication.com/), [Wasp](https://wasp.sh/), [RedwoodJS](https://rwsdk.com/), [KeystoneJS](https://keystonejs.com/), [Remix](https://remix.run/) and the [t3 stack](https://create.t3.gg/).

Thanks to its maturity, Prisma's community has developed a [plethora of useful tools](https://www.prisma.io/ecosystem) that helps with various Prisma workflows. Here are a few highlights:

- [`prisma-erd-generator`](https://github.com/keonik/prisma-erd-generator#prisma-entity-relationship-diagram-generator): Visualizes the Prisma schema as an entity-relationship-diagram (ERD).
- [`prisma-zod-generator`](https://github.com/omar-dulaimi/prisma-zod-generator): Generates [Zod](https://github.com/colinhacks/zod) schemas from the Prisma schema.
- [`bridg`](https://github.com/bridg-db/bridg): Let's you access your database from the frontend using Prisma Client.
- [`jest-prisma`](https://github.com/Quramy/jest-prisma): Environment for Prisma integrated testing with [Jest](https://jestjs.io/).
- [`prisma-pothos-types`](https://github.com/hayes/pothos/tree/main/packages/plugin-prisma): Creates GraphQL types based on Prisma models when using [GraphQL Pothos](https://github.com/hayes/pothos/tree/main).
- [`prisma-trpc-generator`](https://github.com/omar-dulaimi/prisma-trpc-generator): Creates [tRPC](https://trpc.io/) routers from your Prisma schema.
- [`@cerbos/orm-prisma`](https://github.com/cerbos/query-plan-adapters/tree/main/prisma): Filter data based on authorization policies from [Cerbos](https://www.cerbos.dev).

Prisma isn’t just an ORM—it’s a complete type-safe data toolkit:
* Prisma Schema → migrations, types, and documentation
* Prisma Client → auto-completed, fully type-safe queries
* Prisma Studio → a [GUI](https://prisma.io/studio) to inspect and edit data
* Native integrations → PlanetScale, Vercel, Cloudflare D1, Neon, and more

## Database support

Both Drizzle and Prisma ORM support multiple and different kinds of databases. Drizzle achieves this support through driver implementations created by Drizzle, which integrate with existing third-party database drivers.

Prisma ORM has begun adding support for [third-party database drivers](https://www.prisma.io/blog/serverless-database-drivers-KML1ehXORxZV), but primarily uses [built-in drivers](/orm/more/under-the-hood/engines#the-query-engine-at-runtime) to communicate with an underlying database. Prisma also defaults connections to TLS, which improves security.

Additionally, Prisma ORM supports CockroachDB, Microsoft SQL Server, and MongoDB, which Drizzle does not currently support. Prisma ORM also offers the [relation mode](/orm/prisma-schema/data-model/relations/relation-mode) that allows Prisma ORM to emulate foreign key constraints for those database engines that do not support it. Drizzle currently supports Cloudflare D1, `bun:sqlite`, and SQLite via HTTP Proxy, which Prisma ORM currently does not.

## Benchmarks
We understand that performance is a key consideration when selecting an ORM. To compare performance of various ORMs, you can use the open-source [database latency benchmark tool](https://pris.ly/benchmark) hosted by Vercel. This tool allows you to evaluate the latency and throughput of various ORMs under different workloads and configurations. By running the benchmarks against the databases or database providers you are considering, you can get a clear picture of their relative performance characteristics to help make an informed decision.

Alternatively, you can also review findings on the [benchmark tool](https://benchmarks.prisma.io) that we have built that compares popular TypeScript ORMs, including Drizzle. This benchmark is open source and aims to be a fair comparison of database query latencies across database providers and ORM libraries in the Node.js and TypeScript ecosystem.

## Conclusion

Yes, we are biased, but this is also what we have heard from our users and customers:
* "We switched from Drizzle to Prisma because schema drift was killing us. Prisma just works."
* "I onboarded a junior dev in 2 hours thanks to Prisma’s schema. With Drizzle, it would’ve taken days."
* "I trust Prisma to keep our database sane. No one on our team needs to be a Postgres expert."
* "The pace of updates and new features from the Prisma team has been nothing short of outstanding."

Both Drizzle ORM and Prisma ORM are tools for data access and migrations. Drizzle is focused on being a thin wrapper around a SQL-like syntax while Prisma is focused on a convenient and expressive API. Other important differences include Prisma ORM's support of MSSQL and MongoDB, support for additional features via [Prisma Client extensions](/orm/prisma-client/client-extensions), additional cloud-ready products, and a robust ecosystem.

On the other hand, for teams that are a mix of developers (front-end, back-end, and full-stack) that have varying levels of experience with databases, Prisma ORM offers a comprehensive and easy-to-learn approach for data access and managing database schemas.

---

# Comparing Prisma ORM