Drizzle-orm vs Kysely

Side-by-side NPM package comparison

drizzle-orm

Very Popular

Version 0.45.1

92
Excellent

Drizzle ORM package for SQL databases

Weekly Downloads
5.3M
44%
Bundle (gzip)
8.4 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70

kysely

Very Popular

Version 0.28.11

92
Excellent

Type safe SQL query builder

Weekly Downloads
2.8M
56%
Bundle (gzip)
961.2 KB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
80
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Drizzle-orm and Kysely? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Drizzle-orm leads with 5.3M weekly downloads — roughly 1.9x more. Kysely has 2.8M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Drizzle-orm has the smallest gzipped bundle at 8.4 KB. Kysely comes in at 961.2 KB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Drizzle-orm has an overall health score of 92/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Kysely has an overall health score of 92/100 (excellent), with strong maintenance, quality, security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Drizzle-orm if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record. Choose Kysely if you value large community support, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Drizzle-orm and Kysely are solid choices for JavaScript development. Drizzle-orm has the edge in overall health score (92/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is drizzle-orm better than kysely?
It depends on your needs. Drizzle-orm has a health score of 92/100 while Kysely scores 92/100. Drizzle-orm has more weekly downloads (5.3M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, drizzle-orm or kysely?
Drizzle-orm has the smaller gzipped bundle at 8.4 KB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use drizzle-orm vs kysely?
Based on npm download statistics, Drizzle-orm has approximately 5.3M weekly downloads and Kysely has approximately 2.8M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, drizzle-orm or kysely?
Drizzle-orm currently has the higher overall health score at 92/100. Drizzle-orm has a maintenance score of 100/100 and Kysely scores 100/100 on maintenance.

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