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Hibernate VS MyBATIS

Compare Hibernate VS MyBATIS and see what are their differences

Hibernate logo Hibernate

Hibernate an open source Java persistence framework project.

MyBATIS logo MyBATIS

MyBatis is a top-rated SQL-based data mapping solution used by Programmers, Software Engineers, and Database Architects for developing object-oriented software applications.
  • Hibernate Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-25
  • MyBATIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18

Hibernate features and specs

  • Object-Relational Mapping
    Hibernate simplifies database interaction in Java by providing Object-Relational Mapping (ORM), allowing developers to map Java objects to database tables without writing repetitive SQL code.
  • Automatic Table Generation
    Hibernate can automatically generate database tables based on your Java entity classes, reducing the need for manually creating and maintaining database schemas.
  • HQL (Hibernate Query Language)
    Hibernate provides its own query language, HQL, which allows developers to write queries in an object-oriented manner and reduces the dependency on SQL.
  • Caching
    Hibernate supports caching mechanisms like first-level cache (session cache) and second-level cache, which can significantly improve performance by reducing the number of database hits.
  • Transaction Management
    Hibernate integrates with the Java Transaction API (JTA) to provide robust transaction management, ensuring data consistency and reducing the complexities of handling transactions manually.
  • Lazy Loading
    Hibernate supports lazy loading of associated entities, which can optimize performance by retrieving only the necessary data from the database on-demand.

Possible disadvantages of Hibernate

  • Learning Curve
    Hibernate has a steep learning curve for beginners due to its extensive set of features and configurations, which can be overwhelming initially.
  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction layer provided by Hibernate can introduce a performance overhead compared to using plain SQL queries, especially in complex queries or large-scale applications.
  • Complexity in Configuration
    While Hibernate provides flexibility in configuration, it can become complex and cumbersome to manage, especially in large applications or when tuning performance.
  • Debugging Difficulty
    Debugging issues in Hibernate can be challenging due to its abstraction and proxy mechanisms, making it harder to trace problems back to the source.
  • Dependency Management
    The use of Hibernate adds additional dependencies to your project, which can complicate dependency management and increase the size of your application.
  • Limited Control Over SQL
    Hibernate abstracts away SQL, which can be a disadvantage for developers who need fine-grained control over the generated SQL and database optimizations.

MyBATIS features and specs

  • Simplicity
    MyBatis is easier to use compared to other ORM tools because it provides a simple and direct approach to database interaction using XML or annotations, making it accessible for developers familiar with SQL.
  • Flexibility in SQL
    It allows for complete control over SQL queries, enabling developers to write complex queries and use full SQL syntax without constraints, unlike automated ORM solutions.
  • Performance
    Since developers have direct control over SQL statements, the performance can be optimized for specific use cases, potentially reducing the overhead that automated ORM solutions might introduce.
  • Mapping
    Offers robust and customizable mapping capabilities between database tables and Java classes, helping in clearly defining how data should be transformed between the system and the data layer.
  • Lazy Loading
    Supports lazy loading of related objects, which can improve performance by delaying the fetching of data until it is specifically needed.

Possible disadvantages of MyBATIS

  • Manual SQL Management
    The need to manually write and maintain SQL can be cumbersome and error-prone, especially for complex applications with large numbers of queries.
  • Lack of Automated Associations
    MyBatis does not inherently manage relationships between entities like some other ORM tools, which requires developers to handle association mappings themselves.
  • Limited Abstraction
    Compared to full ORM frameworks, MyBatis offers less abstraction over the database layer, which means developers must handle more of the database logic manually.
  • Learning Curve for XML
    While not steep, there is a learning curve involved in configuring MyBatis using XML for those who are more accustomed to purely annotation-driven configuration or other ORM tools.
  • Reduced Portability
    Because SQL is database-specific, MyBatis applications might become less portable across different database platforms when relying extensively on custom SQL.

Hibernate videos

Should you Hibernate, Shut down, or put your PC to sleep?

More videos:

  • Review - GELERT Hibernate 400 sleeping bag review.
  • Tutorial - Java Hibernate Tutorial Part 8 Chapter 1 Review 1

MyBATIS videos

Screencast #18: Introduction to mybatis

More videos:

  • Demo - MyBatis Intro & Demo

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Hibernate and MyBATIS)
Web Frameworks
77 77%
23% 23
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Development
62 62%
38% 38
Tool
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Hibernate and MyBATIS

Hibernate Reviews

17 Popular Java Frameworks for 2023: Pros, cons, and more
MyBatis is somewhat similar to the Hibernate framework, as both facilitate communication between the application layer and the database. However, MyBatis doesn’t map Java objects to database tables like Hibernate does — instead, it links Java methods to SQL statements. As a result, SQL is visible when you’re working with the MyBatis framework, and you still have control over...
Source: raygun.com
10 Best Java Frameworks You Should Know
Hibernate is one of the best Frameworks which is capable of extending Java's Persistence API support. Hibernate is an open-source, extremely lightweight, performance-oriented, and ORM (Object-Relational-Mapping) tool.

MyBATIS Reviews

17 Popular Java Frameworks for 2023: Pros, cons, and more
MyBatis is somewhat similar to the Hibernate framework, as both facilitate communication between the application layer and the database. However, MyBatis doesn’t map Java objects to database tables like Hibernate does — instead, it links Java methods to SQL statements. As a result, SQL is visible when you’re working with the MyBatis framework, and you still have control over...
Source: raygun.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Hibernate should be more popular than MyBATIS. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Hibernate mentions (16)

  • How To Secure APIs from SQL Injection Vulnerabilities
    Object-Relational Mapping frameworks like Hibernate (Java), SQLAlchemy (Python), and Sequelize (Node.js) typically use parameterized queries by default and abstract direct SQL interaction. These frameworks help eliminate common developer errors that might otherwise introduce vulnerabilities. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Top 10 Java Frameworks Every Dev Need to Know
    Overview: Hibernate is a Java ORM (Object Relational Mapping) framework that simplifies database operations by mapping Java objects to database tables. It allows developers to focus on business logic without worrying about SQL queries, making database interactions seamless and more maintainable. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • In One Minute : Hibernate
    Hibernate is the umbrella for a collection of libraries, most notably Hibernate ORM which provides Object/Relational Mapping for java domain objects. In addition to its own "native" API, Hibernate ORM is also an implementation of the Java Persistence API (jpa) specification. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Spring Boot – Black Box Testing
    I'm using Spring Data JPA as a persistence framework. Therefore, those classes are Hibernate entities. - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • How to Secure Nodejs Application.
    To prevent SQL Injection attacks to sanitize input data. You can either validate every single input or validate using parameter binding. Parameter binding is mostly used by developers as it offers efficiency and security. If you are using a popular ORM such as sequelize, hibernate, etc then they already provide the functions to validate and sanitize your data. If you are using database modules other than ORM such... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
View more

MyBATIS mentions (2)

  • How do you guys go about the persistence layer?
    Other tools you can look at for the data layer are MyBatis (https://mybatis.org/mybatis-3/) and JOOQ (https://www.jooq.org) they put you a little closer to the database than JPA/Hibernate. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Do most established companies use ORMs?
    While its not as well known, have you ever glanced at mybatis? https://mybatis.org/mybatis-3/. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Hibernate and MyBATIS, you can also consider the following products

Spring Framework - The Spring Framework provides a comprehensive programming and configuration model for modern Java-based enterprise applications - on any kind of deployment platform.

Entity Framework - See Comparison of Entity Framework vs NHibernate.

Grails - An Open Source, full stack, web application framework for the JVM

Dapper - Dapper is a user-friendly object mapper for the .NET framework.

Sequelize - Provides access to a MySQL database by mapping database entries to objects and vice-versa.

Mikro orm - TypeScript ORM for Node.js based on Data Mapper, Unit of Work and Identity Map patterns.