Kysely

Kysely is a type-safe SQL query builder for TypeScript. It's not an ORM. It doesn't hide SQL behind methods. You write actual SQL, and TypeScript validates every piece of it.

The difference from Prisma or Drizzle: Kysely doesn't generate SQL from a schema file or provide an abstraction layer. You write SQL directly using a builder pattern, and the type system ensures it's correct. If a column doesn't exist on a table, TypeScript errors. If you try to compare a string column to a number, TypeScript errors. It's SQL with a safety net.

Completely free under MIT. No paid tier, no cloud service. It supports Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, and has community dialects for others. Drizzle ORM is the closest alternative, also type-safe, but with a more ORM-like API and built-in migrations. Prisma is easier to start with but generates heavier queries and has a larger runtime footprint.

The catch: the learning curve is steeper than Prisma. You need to understand SQL and TypeScript generics. Schema changes require manual type updates (or a code generator). It doesn't handle migrations; you'll need a separate tool. And because it's closer to raw SQL, it's more code to write than Prisma's concise API.