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MyBATIS VS Entity Framework

Compare MyBATIS VS Entity Framework and see what are their differences

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.

Entity Framework logo Entity Framework

See Comparison of Entity Framework vs NHibernate.
  • MyBATIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18
  • Entity Framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18

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.

Entity Framework features and specs

  • Productivity
    Entity Framework automates database-related code generation, reducing the amount of boilerplate code developers must write and maintain. This allows developers to work more efficiently and focus more on business logic.
  • Abstraction
    It abstracts the database interaction details, enabling developers to work with higher-level .NET objects instead of raw SQL queries, resulting in clearer and more manageable code.
  • Code First Approach
    This allows developers to define their database schema using C# classes, making it easy to evolve the database alongside the codebase using migrations.
  • Support for Multiple Databases
    Entity Framework supports a wide range of relational databases, including SQL Server, PostgreSQL, SQLite, and MySQL, providing flexibility and choice to the developers.
  • Change Tracking
    It provides automatic change tracking of entity objects, simplifying the process of updating data in the database without manually tracking object changes.

Possible disadvantages of Entity Framework

  • Performance Overhead
    The abstraction layer can lead to performance overhead compared to plain SQL queries, as the generated queries might not be as optimized as handcrafted SQL.
  • Complexity
    For simple or small applications, the complexity introduced by using an ORM like Entity Framework might be unnecessary and could complicate the architecture.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers need to learn the specific concepts and configurations of Entity Framework, which can be time-consuming compared to traditional database access methodologies.
  • Debugging Difficulty
    Debugging issues can be more challenging because of the abstraction, making it sometimes difficult to trace the exact query being executed and pinpoint performance bottlenecks.
  • Limited SQL Features
    While Entity Framework supports a wide range of SQL functionalities, there are advanced features specific to certain databases that may not be fully supported or could require custom implementation.

MyBATIS videos

Screencast #18: Introduction to mybatis

More videos:

  • Demo - MyBatis Intro & Demo

Entity Framework videos

Entity Framework Best Practices - Should EFCore Be Your Data Access of Choice?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Entity Framework 6 Tutorial: Learn Entity Framework 6 from Scratch
  • Review - Getting the best out of Entity Framework Core - Jon P Smith

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MyBATIS and Entity Framework)
Web Frameworks
39 39%
61% 61
Development
40 40%
60% 60
Tool
100 100%
0% 0
Databases
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 MyBATIS and Entity Framework

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

Entity Framework Reviews

We have no reviews of Entity Framework yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Entity Framework should be more popular than MyBATIS. It has been mentiond 15 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.

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

Entity Framework mentions (15)

  • Create a Simple .NET Workflow App From Scratch – Your Ultimate Guide
    For the simplicity we will use MSSQLProvider to fetch the data from the database. This class has basic functionality, if you want to create complex database queries, for example JOIN, you'd better use something like Entity Framework. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Entity Framework Core in .NET 7 7️⃣
    I only wanted to give a simple preview of what can be done with Entity Framework, but if this is something that interests you and you want to go further in-depth with all the possibilities, I recommend checking out the official docs where you can also find a great tutorial which will guide you through building your very own .NET Core web application. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Got an internship, need help with .NET
    Entity Framework documentation hub - Entity Framework is a modern object-relation mapper that lets you build a clean, portable, and high-level data access layer with .NET (C#) across a variety of databases, including SQL Database (on-premises and Azure), SQLite, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Azure Cosmos DB. It supports LINQ queries, change tracking, updates, and schema migrations. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • How to create a "Database Project" that can be used across multiple .NET apps?
    You can create the DAL using your existing code or start using a Object Relational Mapper like Entity Framework which will do a lot of the work for you, check this out here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/ef/ also check out LINQ. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Website with Database. use C#
    And, possibly (not strictly speaking necessary but very useful) Entity framework as a backend part of it. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

Hibernate - Hibernate an open source Java persistence framework project.

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

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

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

SQLAlchemy - SQLAlchemy is the Python SQL toolkit and Object Relational Mapper that gives application developers the full power and flexibility of SQL.

Guava - Google core libraries for Java 6+.