TypeORM

What is TypeORM?

TypeORM is a TypeScript/JavaScript ORM built around decorators and classes, closer in spirit to Hibernate or Entity Framework than to the more functional, schema-first ORMs that have become popular more recently. You define entities as classes with decorated properties, and TypeORM handles the mapping to and from your database tables, including relations, migrations, and query building. It supports most major SQL databases plus MongoDB.

Key features

• Decorator-based entity definitions (@Entity, @Column, @ManyToOne) that read like a classic class-based data model
• Active Record and Data Mapper patterns both supported, so teams can pick the style that fits their codebase
• Built-in migration generation and management tied to entity changes
• Deep integration with NestJS, where it's one of the default recommended ORMs
• Support for a wide range of databases: Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, Microsoft SQL Server, and MongoDB

Who it's for

Teams already working in a class-based, decorator-heavy codebase, especially NestJS projects where TypeORM's patterns fit naturally. If you're starting fresh and don't have that constraint, newer ORMs with lighter runtime overhead and stronger type inference are worth comparing first.

Pricing

Free and open source.