Drizzle ORM vs Kysely(2026)
Drizzle ORM is better for teams that need very fast. Kysely is the stronger choice if best typescript types of any query builder. Drizzle ORM is free and Kysely is free.
Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.
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Drizzle ORM
Drizzle is a lightweight TypeScript ORM with a SQL-like API that compiles to raw SQL for maximum performance.
Visit Drizzle ORMKysely
Kysely is a type-safe SQL query builder (not a full ORM) for TypeScript with excellent autocomplete and zero magic.
Visit KyselyHow Do Drizzle ORM and Kysely Compare on Features?
| Feature | Drizzle ORM | Kysely |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | free | free |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| SQL-like API | ✓ | — |
| Zero dependencies | ✓ | — |
| Edge-compatible | ✓ | ✓ |
| Migrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple DB drivers | ✓ | — |
| Schema introspection | ✓ | — |
| Type-safe query builder | — | ✓ |
| Raw SQL escape hatches | — | ✓ |
| Multiple dialects | — | ✓ |
| No codegen | — | ✓ |
Drizzle ORM Pros and Cons vs Kysely
D
Drizzle ORM
+Very fast
+Edge-compatible
+Thin abstraction (close to SQL)
+Great TypeScript types
+No codegen
−Less magic than Prisma
−Smaller ecosystem
−Docs less polished
K
Kysely
+Best TypeScript types of any query builder
+Close to raw SQL
+Fast
+Edge-compatible
+No codegen step
−Not a full ORM (no relations magic)
−Less magic means more code
−Smaller community than Prisma
Should You Use Drizzle ORM or Kysely?
Choose Drizzle ORM if…
- •Very fast
- •Edge-compatible
- •Thin abstraction (close to SQL)
Choose Kysely if…
- •Best TypeScript types of any query builder
- •Close to raw SQL
- •Fast