Prisma
The most mature TypeScript ORM. Readable schema.prisma, automatic migrations, 100% typed client. Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB.
Strengths
- Most mature TypeScript ORM, readable schema.prisma, automatic migrations
- Multi-DB support: PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB, CockroachDB
- 100% typed generated client, full autocomplete, zero untyped queries
- Prisma Studio: visual UI to explore and edit the DB locally
- Prisma Accelerate: built-in connection pooling + edge caching
Limitations
- Performance overhead vs raw SQL or Drizzle, N+1 queries are a classic trap
- Bundle size: heavy client (~500KB+), problematic in edge/serverless
- Prisma ≠ backend, must be combined with a server (Express, Hono, tRPC)
- Migrations can get complex to manage in teams without strict workflow
Best for
- Node.js/Express/Hono APIs needing a typed ORM and versioned migrations
- Multi-environment projects (dev SQLite, staging/prod PostgreSQL)
- Teams needing explicit migrations and schema as code