---
title: 'Sequelize'
metaTitle: 'Prisma ORM vs Sequelize'
metaDescription: 'Learn how Prisma ORM compares to Sequelize.'
community_section: true
---

<TopBlock>

This page compares the Prisma ORM and [Sequelize](https://sequelize.org/docs/v6/) APIs.

</TopBlock>

## Sequelize vs Prisma ORM

While Prisma ORM and Sequelize solve similar problems, they work in very different ways.

**Sequelize** is a traditional ORM which maps _tables_ to _model classes_. Instances of the model classes then provide an interface for CRUD queries to an application at runtime.

**Prisma ORM** is a new kind of ORM that mitigates many problems of traditional ORMs, such as bloated model instances, mixing business with storage logic, lack of type-safety or unpredictable queries caused e.g. by lazy loading.

It uses the [Prisma schema](/orm/prisma-schema) to define application models in a declarative way. Prisma Migrate then allows to generate SQL migrations from the Prisma schema and executes them against the database. CRUD queries are provided by Prisma Client, a lightweight and entirely type-safe database client for Node.js and TypeScript.

## API comparison

### Fetching single objects

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
  where: {
    id: 1,
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
const user = await User.findByPk(id)
```

### Fetching selected scalars of single objects

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.findUnique({
  where: {
    id: 1,
  },
  select: {
    name: true,
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
const user = await User.findByPk(1, { attributes: ['name'], raw: true })
```

:::tip

Use the `raw: true` query option to return plain JavaScript objects.

:::

### Fetching relations

**Prisma ORM**

<TabbedContent code>
<TabItem value="Using `include`">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.user.findUnique({
  where: {
    id: 2,
  },
  include: {
    post: true,
  },
})
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="Fluent API">

```ts
const posts = await prisma.user
  .findUnique({
    where: {
      id: 2,
    },
  })
  .post()
```

</TabItem>
</TabbedContent>

> **Note**: `select` returns a `user` object that includes a `post` array, whereas the fluent API only returns a `post` array.

**Sequelize**

```ts
const user = await User.findByPk(id, {
  include: [
    {
      model: Post,
    },
  ],
})
```

:::tip

Use `model: Post as "Post"` if you used an alias to define the relationship between `User` and `Post` - for example: `User.hasMany(Post, { as: "Post", foreignKey: "authorId" });`

:::

### Filtering for concrete values

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const posts = await prisma.post.findMany({
  where: {
    title: {
      contains: 'Hello',
    },
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
const post = await Post.findAll({
  raw: true,
  where: {
    title: {
      [Op.like]: '%Hello%',
    },
  },
})
```

### Other filter criteria

**Prisma ORM**

Prisma ORM generates many [additional filters](/orm/prisma-client/queries/filtering-and-sorting) that are commonly used in modern application development.

**Sequelize**

Sequelize has an [extensive set of operators](https://sequelize.org/docs/v6/core-concepts/model-querying-basics/#operators).

### Relation filters

**Prisma ORM**

Prisma ORM lets you filter a list based on a criteria that applies not only to the models of the list being retrieved, but to a _relation_ of that model.

For example, the following query returns users with one or more posts with "Hello" in the title:

```ts
const posts = await prisma.user.findMany({
  where: {
    Post: {
      some: {
        title: {
          contains: 'Hello',
        },
      },
    },
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

Sequelize [doesn't offer a dedicated API for relation filters](https://github.com/sequelize/sequelize/issues/10943). You can get similar functionality by sending a raw SQL query to the database.

### Pagination

**Prisma ORM**

Cursor-style pagination:

```ts
const page = await prisma.post.findMany({
  before: {
    id: 242,
  },
  last: 20,
})
```

Offset pagination:

```ts
const cc = await prisma.post.findMany({
  skip: 200,
  first: 20,
})
```

**Sequelize**

Cursor pagination:

```ts
const posts = await Post.findAll({
  limit: 20,
  where: {
    id: {
      [Op.gt]: 242,
    },
  },
})
```

> **Note**: Sequelize use the [Sequelize operators](https://sequelize.org/docs/v6/core-concepts/model-querying-basics/#operators) to perform cursor pagination.

Offset pagination:

```ts
const posts = await Post.findAll({
  offset: 5,
  limit: 10,
})
```

### Creating objects

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.create({
  data: {
    email: 'alice@prisma.io',
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

<TabbedContent code>
<TabItem value="Using `save`">
```ts
const user = User.build({
  name: 'Alice',
  email: 'alice@prisma,io',
})
await user.save()
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="Using `create`">
```ts
const user = await User.create({
  name: 'Alice',
  email: 'alice@prisma,io',
})
```
</TabItem>
</TabbedContent>

### Updating objects

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.update({
  data: {
    name: 'Alicia',
  },
  where: {
    id: 2,
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

<TabbedContent code>
<TabItem value="Using `save`">
```ts
user.name = 'James'
user.email = ' alice@prisma.com'
await user.save()
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="Using `update`">
```ts
await User.update({
  name: 'James',
  email: 'james@prisma.io',
})
```
</TabItem>
</TabbedContent>

### Deleting objects

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.delete({
  where: {
    id: 10,
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
await user.destroy()
```

### Batch updates

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.updateMany({
  data: {
    name: 'Published author!',
  },
  where: {
    email: {
      contains: 'prisma.io',
    },
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
const updatedUsers = await User.update({
  { role: "Admin" },
  where: {
    email: {
      [Op.like]: "%@prisma.io"
    }
  },
})
```

### Batch deletes

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const users = await prisma.user.deleteMany({
  where: {
    id: {
      in: [1, 2, 6, 6, 22, 21, 25],
    },
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

```ts
await User.destroy({
  where: {
    id: {
      [Op.in]: [id1, id2, id3],
    },
  },
})
```

### Transactions

**Prisma ORM**

```ts
const user = await prisma.user.create({
  data: {
    email: 'bob.rufus@prisma.io',
    name: 'Bob Rufus',
    Post: {
      create: [
        { title: 'Working at Prisma' },
        { title: 'All about databases' },
      ],
    },
  },
})
```

**Sequelize**

<TabbedContent code>
<TabItem value="Manual">
```ts
return sequelize.$transaction(async (t) => {
  const user = await User.create(
    {
      name: 'Alice',
      email: 'alice@prisma,io',
    },
    {
      transaction: t,
    }
  )
  const post1 = await Post.create(
    {
      title: 'Join us for GraphQL Conf in 2019',
    },
    {
      transaction: t,
    }
  )
  const post2 = await Post.create(
    {
      title: 'Subscribe to GraphQL Weekly for GraphQL news',
    },
    {
      transaction: t,
    }
  )
  await user.setPosts([post1, post2])
})
```
</TabItem>
<TabItem value="Automatic">
```ts
return sequelize.$transaction(async (transaction) => {
  try {
    const user = await User.create({
      name: 'Alice',
      email: 'alice@prisma,io',
    })
    const post1 = await Post.create({
      title: 'Join us for GraphQL Conf in 2019',
    })
    const post2 = await Post.create({
      title: 'Subscribe to GraphQL Weekly for GraphQL news',
    })
    await user.setPosts([post1, post2])
  } catch (e) {
    return transaction.rollback()
  }
})
```
</TabItem>
</TabbedContent>
