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SQLAlchemy VS TypeORM

Compare SQLAlchemy VS TypeORM and see what are their differences

SQLAlchemy logo SQLAlchemy

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

TypeORM logo TypeORM

Node.js ORM written in TypeScript
  • SQLAlchemy Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-01
  • TypeORM Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-17

SQLAlchemy features and specs

  • Flexibility
    SQLAlchemy offers a high degree of flexibility for developers, allowing them to use raw SQL, an ORM, or a combination of both, which makes it adaptable to different use cases and preferences.
  • Database Agnosticism
    It supports a wide range of database backends (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite) without needing to alter application code, facilitating easier transitions between databases.
  • Powerful ORM
    Its ORM component provides powerful object-relational mapping capabilities, making complex query construction and database interaction easier by using Pythonic objects.
  • Robust Query Construction
    SQLAlchemy offers advanced query construction capabilities, enabling developers to build complex and dynamic queries efficiently.
  • Comprehensive Documentation
    The library comes with extensive and well-maintained documentation, which helps in easing the learning curve and troubleshooting issues.

Possible disadvantages of SQLAlchemy

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and flexibility, SQLAlchemy can have a steep learning curve for beginners, especially those new to databases or ORMs.
  • Complexity
    For simple CRUD applications, using SQLAlchemy might be overkill and adds unnecessary complexity compared to simpler ORM solutions like Django ORM.
  • Performance Overhead
    While powerful, the ORM layer may introduce some performance overhead compared to writing raw SQL, which can be a consideration for performance-critical applications.
  • Verbose Syntax
    The syntax, especially when using the ORM, can become verbose, which might be cumbersome for developers preferring succinct code.
  • Debugging Challenges
    Debugging complex object-relational mapping logic can be challenging, and pinpointing issues may require a deep understanding of both the database and SQLAlchemy's intricacies.

TypeORM features and specs

  • Rich Feature Set
    TypeORM provides a comprehensive set of features for data manipulation and management such as support for migrations, decorators, lazy/eager loading, and transactions.
  • Multiple Database Support
    TypeORM has built-in support for various databases like MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, MongoDB, and more, making it versatile for different projects.
  • Active Community
    Being widely adopted, TypeORM enjoys a vibrant community which results in extensive documentation, various tutorials, and plenty of third-party plugins and tools.
  • TypeScript Integration
    TypeORM is built with TypeScript and provides excellent integration, allowing developers to use all TypeScript features like typings and decorators for database entities.
  • Object Relational Mapping
    It allows developers to work with databases using more intuitive object-oriented coding paradigms instead of writing explicit SQL queries.

Possible disadvantages of TypeORM

  • Performance Overhead
    Being an ORM, it can introduce additional complexity and performance overhead compared to raw SQL queries, especially for complex operations.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive feature set, there can be a steep learning curve for developers unfamiliar with ORMs or the specific features of TypeORM.
  • Limited Customization for Complex Queries
    While TypeORM can handle most query scenarios through its abstraction, for particularly complex queries, falling back to native queries might be necessary.
  • Dependency Management
    Occasional compatibility issues may arise with newer versions of databases or when integrating with other libraries, requiring careful dependency management.
  • Non-trivial Migrations
    Although TypeORM supports migrations, they can sometimes be cumbersome to manage, requiring manual handling for advanced schema evolution scenarios.

SQLAlchemy videos

SQLAlchemy ORM for Beginners

More videos:

  • Review - SQLAlchemy: Connecting to a database
  • Review - Mike Bayer: Introduction to SQLAlchemy - PyCon 2014

TypeORM videos

Should you use Sequelize, TypeORM, or Prisma 1?

More videos:

  • Review - Typeorm Migrations
  • Review - Many to Many Entities in Typeorm

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SQLAlchemy and TypeORM)
Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Web Frameworks
50 50%
50% 50
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Development
65 65%
35% 35

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, TypeORM should be more popular than SQLAlchemy. It has been mentiond 13 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.

SQLAlchemy mentions (2)

  • Speak Your Queries: How Langchain Lets You Chat with Your Database
    Under the hood, LangChain works with SQLAlchemy to connect to various types of databases. This means it can work with many popular databases, like MS SQL, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle SQL, and SQLite. To learn more about connecting LangChain to your specific database, you can check the SQLAlchemy documentation for helpful information and requirements. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • My favorite Python packages!
    SQLModel is a library for interacting with SQL databases from Python code, using Python objects. It is designed to be intuitive, easy-to-use, highly compatible, and robust. It is powered by Pydantic and SQLAlchemy and relies on Python type annotations for maximum simplicity. The key features are: it's intuitive to write and use, highly compatible, extensible, and minimizes code duplication. The library does a lot... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago

TypeORM mentions (13)

  • TypeORM - remove children with orphanedRowAction
    TypeORM is a very convenient ORM for JS apps. We use it with NestJS and running it on NodeJS. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Which local db to use?
    React-native-quick-sqlite if you know what you're doing and Know SQL it gives you more control over the database like executing custom SQL queries, or some advance things, you can use it with an orm like Typeorm. Source: over 2 years ago
  • How does TypeORM compare to Prisma?
    TypeORM is actively maintained and issues are being fixed. https://github.com/typeorm/typeorm. Source: over 2 years ago
  • ORMs in JavaScript
    TypeORM is an ORM that can run in NodeJS, Browser, Cordova, PhoneGap, Ionic, React Native, NativeScript, Expo, and Electron platforms and can be used with TypeScript and JavaScript (ES5, ES6, ES7, ES8). -- source. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • TypeORM: Object-relational mapping with Node.js
    TypeORM is an open source tool with over 28K GitHub stars and more than 1 million weekly downloads on npm at the time of writing. Launched on Feb 21, 2016, TypeORM has grown to become one of the most popular JavaScript ORMs and one of the most popular ORM libraries built for TypeScript projects. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SQLAlchemy and TypeORM, you can also consider the following products

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

ExpressJS - Sinatra inspired web development framework for node.js -- insanely fast, flexible, and simple

Hibernate - Hibernate an open source Java persistence framework project.

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

Entity Framework - See Comparison of Entity Framework vs NHibernate.

Flyway - Flyway is a database migration tool.