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Sequelize

Promise-based Node.js ORM

open sourceupdated Apr 21, 2026

Mature, promise-based ORM for Node.js supporting PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and SQL Server. Features model definitions with validations, eager/lazy loading, transactions, migrations, raw queries, and lifecycle hooks. Supports soft deletes, scopes, and virtual fields. One of the oldest and most battle-tested Node.js ORMs, widely used in enterprise apps though increasingly succeeded by Prisma and Drizzle in new projects.

Sequelize is one of the most established and widely adopted ORMs for Node.js and TypeScript, providing a promise-based API for interacting with relational databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, Snowflake, Oracle, and DB2. It abstracts away raw SQL by letting developers work with JavaScript objects that represent database records, automatically translating operations into the correct SQL syntax for the target database. Sequelize has been a foundational tool in the Node.js ecosystem for over a decade, powering countless production applications.

Sequelize offers comprehensive features including model definition with automatic table synchronization, data validation and constraints, association handling for one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships, and transaction support with savepoints. It provides migration tooling for managing schema changes without data loss, eager and lazy loading strategies, scopes for reusable query filters, hooks for lifecycle events, and raw query support when the ORM abstraction is insufficient. The v7 release adds full TypeScript support with improved type inference for models and queries.

Sequelize is targeted at Node.js developers building traditional web applications, REST APIs, and enterprise systems who need a battle-tested ORM with broad database compatibility. It integrates well with Express, Fastify, NestJS, and other Node.js frameworks, and its mature ecosystem includes extensive documentation, a large community, and numerous third-party plugins. Sequelize is particularly valuable for teams that need database-agnostic code, allowing them to switch between SQL databases with minimal code changes.

Pricing

Free

Platforms

Node.js

Categories

Tags

Use Cases

Kysely logo

Kysely

Type-safe SQL query builder for TS

Type-safe SQL query builder for TypeScript that provides auto-completion and compile-time type checking without the abstraction overhead of a traditional ORM. Write queries that map directly to SQL while getting full TypeScript inference from your database schema. Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite with migrations, transactions, and raw SQL escape hatches. Lightweight with zero dependencies. Ideal for developers who want SQL control with TypeScript safety. Growing Knex.js alternative.

Open Source
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Knex.js

SQL query builder for Node.js

Flexible SQL query builder for Node.js supporting PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, and MSSQL. Chainable API for constructing queries with parameterized bindings. Features schema builder, migration system, seed files, transaction support, and connection pooling. Foundation for ORMs like Bookshelf.js and Objection.js. One of the most established query builders in the Node.js ecosystem.

Open Source
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TypeORM

ORM for TypeScript and JavaScript

Full-featured ORM for TypeScript and JavaScript supporting Active Record and Data Mapper patterns. Works with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Oracle, SQL Server, and MongoDB. Features decorator-based entity definitions, migrations, relations (one-to-one, many-to-many), lazy/eager loading, query builder, transactions, and caching. Supports both Node.js and browser runtimes. 34K+ GitHub stars. Mature but losing mindshare to Prisma and Drizzle for new TypeScript projects.

Open Source

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Comparisons

Sequelize vs Prisma: Which Node.js ORM in 2026?

Prisma is the stronger default for modern TypeScript and Node.js teams, offering a schema-first workflow, a fully type-safe generated client, and clean declarative migrations. Prisma 7 dropped its Rust engine for a TypeScript and WASM query compiler with smaller bundles and edge-runtime support. Sequelize remains a capable, mature multi-dialect ORM that shines for established JavaScript codebases favoring flexible, dynamic queries.

SequelizePrisma

FAQ

What is Sequelize?

Mature, promise-based ORM for Node.js supporting PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, and SQL Server. Features model definitions with validations, eager/lazy loading, transactions, migrations, raw queries, and lifecycle hooks. Supports soft deletes, scopes, and virtual fields. One of the oldest and most battle-tested Node.js ORMs, widely used in enterprise apps though increasingly succeeded by Prisma and Drizzle in new projects.

Is Sequelize free?

Yes — Sequelize is open source and free to use. Free

Is Sequelize open source?

Yes — Sequelize is open source.

What are the best Sequelize alternatives?

The top editor-verified Sequelize alternatives are Kysely, Knex.js, TypeORM.