typeorm vs knex vs sequelize vs bookshelf
Node.js ORM Libraries Comparison
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What's Node.js ORM Libraries?

Node.js ORM libraries provide developers with an abstraction layer for interacting with databases, allowing them to work with database records as JavaScript objects. These libraries facilitate the management of database queries, relationships, and migrations, enhancing productivity and code maintainability. Each library has its unique features and design philosophies, catering to different project requirements and developer preferences.

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typeorm2,760,455
35,77320.7 MB2,490a month agoMIT
knex2,514,800
20,004874 kB1,0132 years agoMIT
sequelize2,159,985
30,1572.91 MB9866 months agoMIT
bookshelf67,661
6,368-2375 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: typeorm vs knex vs sequelize vs bookshelf

Database Support

  • typeorm:

    TypeORM supports various SQL databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and Microsoft SQL Server, and also offers support for MongoDB, making it a flexible choice for different database types.

  • knex:

    Knex is primarily a SQL query builder that supports multiple databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle, allowing developers to write database-agnostic queries.

  • sequelize:

    Sequelize supports a wide range of SQL databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and Microsoft SQL Server, providing a robust solution for diverse database environments.

  • bookshelf:

    Bookshelf supports various SQL databases through Knex.js, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite, making it versatile for different project needs.

Learning Curve

  • typeorm:

    TypeORM has a moderate to steep learning curve, particularly for those unfamiliar with TypeScript or decorators, but it provides a rich set of features that can be very beneficial for complex applications.

  • knex:

    Knex has a moderate learning curve, as it requires understanding SQL syntax and query building, but its flexibility allows developers to gradually learn as they build more complex queries.

  • sequelize:

    Sequelize has a steeper learning curve due to its extensive feature set and conventions, but it offers comprehensive documentation and examples to help new users get started.

  • bookshelf:

    Bookshelf has a relatively low learning curve, especially for those familiar with Knex.js, as it provides a simple API for defining models and relationships without overwhelming complexity.

Extensibility

  • typeorm:

    TypeORM provides a robust extensibility model with decorators, custom repositories, and event listeners, allowing developers to create highly customized data models and interactions.

  • knex:

    Knex is highly extensible, allowing developers to create custom query builders and plugins, making it suitable for projects that require unique database interactions.

  • sequelize:

    Sequelize offers a variety of hooks and lifecycle events that allow for extensive customization and extensibility, enabling developers to implement complex business logic easily.

  • bookshelf:

    Bookshelf is extensible through plugins and custom model methods, allowing developers to tailor the ORM to their specific needs without significant overhead.

Performance

  • typeorm:

    TypeORM is optimized for performance, particularly in TypeScript applications, but it can introduce some overhead with its advanced features. Proper configuration and usage patterns can help mitigate performance issues.

  • knex:

    Knex is designed for performance, allowing developers to write optimized SQL queries directly, which can lead to better performance in high-load scenarios.

  • sequelize:

    Sequelize provides good performance for most applications, but its extensive feature set can introduce overhead. Proper indexing and query optimization are essential for maintaining performance.

  • bookshelf:

    Bookshelf's performance is generally good for most applications, but it may not be as optimized for large-scale applications compared to more complex ORMs due to its simplicity.

Community and Support

  • typeorm:

    TypeORM has a growing community, especially among TypeScript developers, with good documentation and community support, although it may not be as large as Sequelize's.

  • knex:

    Knex has a strong community and is widely used, providing ample resources, documentation, and community support for developers.

  • sequelize:

    Sequelize boasts a large and active community, with extensive documentation, tutorials, and third-party resources available, making it easy to find help and examples.

  • bookshelf:

    Bookshelf has a smaller community compared to others, but it benefits from the Knex.js community for support and resources.

How to Choose: typeorm vs knex vs sequelize vs bookshelf
  • typeorm:

    Choose TypeORM if you are working with TypeScript and need an ORM that fully integrates with it, offering decorators and a powerful entity management system. It's suitable for complex applications that require advanced features like lazy loading and caching.

  • knex:

    Select Knex if you need a flexible SQL query builder that allows you to write raw SQL queries while still providing some ORM-like features. It's ideal for projects where you want fine-grained control over SQL syntax and database interactions.

  • sequelize:

    Opt for Sequelize if you need a feature-rich ORM that supports multiple SQL dialects, offers a wide range of built-in functionalities like migrations, validations, and associations, and has a strong community and documentation for support.

  • bookshelf:

    Choose Bookshelf if you prefer a simple and lightweight ORM that is built on top of Knex.js, providing a straightforward way to manage relations and models without the complexity of a full-fledged ORM.

Similar Npm Packages to typeorm

typeorm is an Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) library for TypeScript and JavaScript applications. It provides a powerful and flexible way to interact with databases, allowing developers to work with database entities as if they were regular JavaScript objects. TypeORM supports various database systems, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and more, making it a versatile choice for many applications. Its features include support for migrations, relations, and eager/lazy loading, which help streamline database interactions and improve productivity.

While TypeORM is a popular choice, there are several alternatives in the Node.js ecosystem that also provide ORM capabilities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • bookshelf is a JavaScript ORM for Node.js that is built on top of the Knex.js SQL query builder. It provides a simple and intuitive API for interacting with relational databases while supporting features like relations, virtuals, and pagination. Bookshelf is a great option if you prefer a lightweight ORM that offers flexibility and ease of use, especially if you are already using Knex for query building.
  • knex is primarily a SQL query builder for Node.js, but it can also be used as a foundation for building your own ORM. It provides a powerful and flexible way to construct SQL queries and supports various database systems. If you need fine-grained control over your SQL queries and prefer to build your own data access layer, Knex is an excellent choice. However, it requires more manual setup compared to full-fledged ORMs like TypeORM or Bookshelf.
  • sequelize is another popular ORM for Node.js that supports various SQL dialects, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. It offers a rich set of features, including model validation, associations, and migrations. Sequelize is known for its extensive documentation and active community, making it a solid choice for developers looking for a comprehensive ORM solution. If you need a robust and feature-rich ORM with a focus on SQL databases, Sequelize is worth considering.

To see how TypeORM compares with Bookshelf, Knex, and Sequelize, check out the comparison: Comparing bookshelf vs knex vs sequelize vs typeorm.

Similar Npm Packages to knex

knex is a SQL query builder for Node.js that provides a flexible and powerful way to interact with databases. It supports various SQL dialects and allows developers to build complex queries using a fluent API. Knex is particularly useful for projects that require raw SQL capabilities while still benefiting from a programmatic interface. However, there are several alternatives that offer different features and paradigms for database interaction. Here are a few notable ones:

  • bookshelf is an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) library built on top of Knex. It provides a higher-level abstraction for working with databases, allowing developers to define models and relationships between them. Bookshelf is ideal for applications that require a more structured approach to data management, as it simplifies the process of defining models, handling relationships, and performing CRUD operations. If you're looking for an ORM that leverages the power of Knex while providing a more intuitive interface, Bookshelf is a great choice.

  • sequelize is another popular ORM for Node.js that supports multiple SQL dialects. It offers a rich set of features, including model validation, associations, and migrations. Sequelize is known for its comprehensive documentation and community support, making it a solid option for developers who need a feature-rich ORM. If your application requires advanced ORM capabilities and you prefer a more opinionated structure, Sequelize might be the right fit.

  • typeorm is an ORM for TypeScript and JavaScript that supports various SQL databases as well as MongoDB. It is designed to work seamlessly with TypeScript, providing decorators and a type-safe API. TypeORM is particularly useful for developers who want to leverage TypeScript's features while working with a relational database. If you're building a TypeScript application and need an ORM that integrates well with TypeScript's type system, TypeORM is an excellent choice.

To see how Knex compares with Bookshelf, Sequelize, and TypeORM, check out the comparison: Comparing bookshelf vs knex vs sequelize vs typeorm.

Similar Npm Packages to sequelize

sequelize is a promise-based Node.js ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) library that provides a powerful and flexible way to interact with relational databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and Microsoft SQL Server. It allows developers to define models, perform queries, and manage relationships between data in a more intuitive manner, abstracting away the complexities of raw SQL queries. Sequelize is particularly popular for its rich feature set, including support for transactions, migrations, and associations.

While Sequelize is a robust choice for ORM in Node.js applications, there are several alternatives that developers might consider:

  • bookshelf is an ORM for Node.js that is built on top of the Knex.js SQL query builder. It provides a simple and elegant way to interact with databases while supporting features like relations, virtuals, and pagination. Bookshelf is particularly well-suited for projects that require a lightweight ORM with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. If you prefer a more minimalistic approach and want to leverage Knex.js for building queries, Bookshelf is a great option.

  • objection is another ORM for Node.js that is also built on top of Knex.js. It aims to provide a more powerful and flexible alternative to Bookshelf by supporting advanced features such as eager loading, transactions, and complex queries. Objection is designed for developers who need more control over their database interactions while still benefiting from the simplicity of an ORM. If your application requires complex relationships and queries, Objection may be the right choice.

  • waterline is an ORM that is part of the Sails.js framework but can also be used independently. It provides a simple data access layer that works with various databases, including SQL and NoSQL options. Waterline abstracts the database interactions, allowing developers to work with a unified API regardless of the underlying database. If you are building an application with Sails.js or need a versatile ORM that supports multiple database types, Waterline is worth considering.

To see how Sequelize compares with Bookshelf, Objection, and Waterline, check out the comparison: Comparing bookshelf vs objection vs sequelize vs waterline.

Similar Npm Packages to bookshelf

bookshelf is an elegant JavaScript ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) for Node.js, built on top of the Knex.js SQL query builder. It provides a simple and intuitive way to interact with relational databases, allowing developers to define models, manage relationships, and perform queries with ease. Bookshelf is particularly useful for applications that require a structured approach to database interactions while leveraging the flexibility of Knex for raw SQL queries when needed.

While Bookshelf is a solid choice for ORM in Node.js applications, there are several alternatives that also provide robust database interaction capabilities. Here are a few noteworthy options:

  • knex is a SQL query builder for Node.js that provides a flexible and powerful interface for building and executing SQL queries. Unlike Bookshelf, which is an ORM, Knex focuses solely on query building and does not impose any specific structure on your data models. This makes it a great choice for developers who prefer to write raw SQL queries or need more control over their database interactions without the overhead of an ORM.

  • sequelize is another popular ORM for Node.js that supports multiple SQL dialects, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite. It offers a rich set of features, including model validation, associations, and migrations, making it a comprehensive solution for managing database interactions. Sequelize is known for its extensive documentation and active community, making it a strong alternative to Bookshelf for developers looking for a feature-rich ORM.

  • waterline is an ORM used primarily with the Sails.js framework, but it can also be used independently. Waterline provides a simple data access layer that works with various databases, allowing developers to interact with different data sources using a unified API. Its focus on abstraction makes it a good choice for applications that require flexibility in switching between different database systems.

For a detailed comparison of these packages, check out the following link: Comparing bookshelf vs knex vs sequelize vs waterline.

README for typeorm

TypeORM is an ORM that can run in Node.js, Browser, Cordova, Ionic, React Native, NativeScript, Expo, and Electron platforms and can be used with TypeScript and JavaScript (ES2021). Its goal is to always support the latest JavaScript features and provide additional features that help you to develop any kind of application that uses databases - from small applications with a few tables to large-scale enterprise applications with multiple databases.

TypeORM supports more databases than any other JS/TS ORM: Google Spanner, Microsoft SqlServer, MySQL/MariaDB, MongoDB, Oracle, Postgres, SAP HANA and SQLite, as well we derived databases and different drivers.

TypeORM supports both Active Record and Data Mapper patterns, unlike all other JavaScript ORMs currently in existence, which means you can write high-quality, loosely coupled, scalable, maintainable applications in the most productive way.

TypeORM is highly influenced by other ORMs, such as Hibernate, Doctrine and Entity Framework.

Features

  • Supports both DataMapper and ActiveRecord (your choice).
  • Entities and columns.
  • Database-specific column types.
  • Entity manager.
  • Repositories and custom repositories.
  • Clean object-relational model.
  • Associations (relations).
  • Eager and lazy relations.
  • Unidirectional, bidirectional, and self-referenced relations.
  • Supports multiple inheritance patterns.
  • Cascades.
  • Indices.
  • Transactions.
  • Migrations and automatic migrations generation.
  • Connection pooling.
  • Replication.
  • Using multiple database instances.
  • Working with multiple database types.
  • Cross-database and cross-schema queries.
  • Elegant-syntax, flexible and powerful QueryBuilder.
  • Left and inner joins.
  • Proper pagination for queries using joins.
  • Query caching.
  • Streaming raw results.
  • Logging.
  • Listeners and subscribers (hooks).
  • Supports closure table pattern.
  • Schema declaration in models or separate configuration files.
  • Supports MySQL / MariaDB / Postgres / CockroachDB / SQLite / Microsoft SQL Server / Oracle / SAP Hana / sql.js.
  • Supports MongoDB NoSQL database.
  • Works in Node.js / Browser / Ionic / Cordova / React Native / NativeScript / Expo / Electron platforms.
  • TypeScript and JavaScript support.
  • ESM and CommonJS support.
  • Produced code is performant, flexible, clean, and maintainable.
  • Follows all possible best practices.
  • CLI.

And more...

With TypeORM, your models look like this:

import { Entity, PrimaryGeneratedColumn, Column } from "typeorm"

@Entity()
export class User {
    @PrimaryGeneratedColumn()
    id: number

    @Column()
    firstName: string

    @Column()
    lastName: string

    @Column()
    age: number
}

And your domain logic looks like this:

const userRepository = MyDataSource.getRepository(User)

const user = new User()
user.firstName = "Timber"
user.lastName = "Saw"
user.age = 25
await userRepository.save(user)

const allUsers = await userRepository.find()
const firstUser = await userRepository.findOneBy({
    id: 1,
}) // find by id
const timber = await userRepository.findOneBy({
    firstName: "Timber",
    lastName: "Saw",
}) // find by firstName and lastName

await userRepository.remove(timber)

Alternatively, if you prefer to use the ActiveRecord implementation, you can use it as well:

import { Entity, PrimaryGeneratedColumn, Column, BaseEntity } from "typeorm"

@Entity()
export class User extends BaseEntity {
    @PrimaryGeneratedColumn()
    id: number

    @Column()
    firstName: string

    @Column()
    lastName: string

    @Column()
    age: number
}

And your domain logic will look this way:

const user = new User()
user.firstName = "Timber"
user.lastName = "Saw"
user.age = 25
await user.save()

const allUsers = await User.find()
const firstUser = await User.findOneBy({
    id: 1,
})
const timber = await User.findOneBy({
    firstName: "Timber",
    lastName: "Saw",
})

await timber.remove()

Samples

Take a look at the samples in sample for examples of usage.

There are a few repositories that you can clone and start with:

Extensions

There are several extensions that simplify working with TypeORM and integrating it with other modules:

Contributing

Learn about contribution here and how to set up your development environment here.

This project exists thanks to all the people who contribute:

Sponsors

Open source is hard and time-consuming. If you want to invest in TypeORM's future, you can become a sponsor and allow our core team to spend more time on TypeORM's improvements and new features. Become a sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Become a gold sponsor and get premium technical support from our core contributors. Become a gold sponsor

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