Among 34 makers' products we track that are built with Next.js, here's what they chose for database access & ORMs — each counted from a live-product source.
Schema-first ORM, SQL-shaped query builder, or the platform's own SDK. A schema-first ORM generates types and migrations from one schema file and hides the SQL; a SQL-shaped ORM or query builder keeps queries close to SQL with full types and a smaller runtime; a backend platform (Supabase, Convex, Firebase) comes with its own client, and adding an ORM on top is often unnecessary.
Prisma24
Drizzle ORM10Counts are live products with a source, not market share; a product using two options counts in both.
PrismaSchema-first ORMBest forA schema-first ORM with generated types and migrations.
Trade-offA generated client and its own schema language sit between you and SQL; complex queries often drop back to raw SQL.
24 of the 34 Next.js products here · free tier · open source
Drizzle ORMSQL-shaped ORMBest forA thin, SQL-like TypeScript ORM that runs well on serverless and edge runtimes.
Trade-offCloser to SQL means you need to know SQL, and there are fewer guides and integrations than for Prisma.
10 of the 34 Next.js products here · free tier · open source
Also real options for database access & ORMs, not seen among these Next.js products yet: Kysely, SQLAlchemy.