Rust ORM comparison
Rent vs Prisma
Prisma is the most widely used ORM in the TypeScript ecosystem. It pairs a declarative schema file with a generated client and a migration tool. Both tools start from a declared schema and generate the client from it, so the day-to-day workflow maps closely even though the languages and runtimes are entirely separate.
The difference is the runtime. Rent generates a statically typed async Rust client on top of SQLx, so every query is checked by the Rust compiler and runs without a query engine process. Rent also adds row policies and typed PostgreSQL extension packages, which Prisma leaves to application code.
Side by side
| Aspect | Rent (Rust) | Prisma (TypeScript) |
|---|---|---|
| Schema source | One central RSL document is the source of truth. The Rust client and the database catalog are both derived from it. | A declarative schema.prisma file drives both the generated client and migrations. |
| Generated client | Rust builders with compile-time checked fields, predicates, relationships, and eager loading. No runtime engine. | A TypeScript client with typed queries and relations. |
| Migrations | Rent diffs the RSL schema against the live catalog, classifies every operation as safe, review, or destructive, writes append-only SQL, and seals it with checksums in rent.sum. | Migration history with a shadow database and generated SQL files. |
| Authorization | Row policies, tenant scoping, hooks, and interceptors are part of the generated client and apply to reads, writes, and relationship endpoints. | No built-in row policies; authorization lives in application code or client extensions. |
| PostgreSQL extensions | Typed packages for pgvector, PostGIS, pgmq, pg_cron, pg_net, TimescaleDB, pg_search, pg_trgm, citext, pgcrypto, uuid-ossp, pg_jsonschema, pg_partman, and pgAudit, declared in the schema and checked before migration. | Extensions are used through raw SQL or the preview extension features. |
| Databases | PostgreSQL first, with MySQL, MariaDB, and SQLite on the same generated client. | PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite, SQL Server, MongoDB, and CockroachDB. |
Choose Rent when
- Your backend is Rust and you want the schema-first workflow without a TypeScript toolchain.
- You need tenant isolation or row policies enforced by the data layer.
- You rely on PostgreSQL extensions such as pgvector or PostGIS and want them typed.
Choose Prisma when
- Your application is TypeScript or JavaScript.
- You need MongoDB, SQL Server, or CockroachDB.