piccolo
Piccolo is a Python async ORM and query builder designed for modern web frameworks like FastAPI and Starlette. It offers both ORM-style and SQL query builder interfaces, with built-in tools for migrations, authentication, and an admin GUI.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | piccolo-orm/piccolo |
| Owner | piccolo-orm |
| Primary language | Python |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 1.9k |
| Forks | 107 |
| Open issues | 40 |
| Latest release | 1.35.0 (2026-07-01) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-01 |
| Source | https://github.com/piccolo-orm/piccolo |
What piccolo is
Fully type-annotated async/sync ORM supporting PostgreSQL and SQLite, built on asyncio. Provides a fluent query API, tab-completion support, and integrates with ASGI frameworks via Piccolo Admin and Piccolo API companion libraries for REST endpoints and middleware.
Get the piccolo source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/piccolo-orm/piccolo.gitcd piccolo# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Asyncio requirement: all database access must use async/await; mixing blocking operations will degrade concurrency benefits.
- Driver installation: choose extra dependencies explicitly (piccolo[postgres] or piccolo[sqlite]) to avoid unnecessary dependencies.
- Migration workflow: review Piccolo's built-in migration system for schema compatibility with your deployment and rollback strategy.
- Type hints: leverage full type annotation support for better IDE completion and static analysis in your codebase.
- Testing: verify async test setup (pytest-asyncio or equivalent) before committing; async ORM testing patterns differ from sync.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Your project requires synchronous-only database drivers or blocking I/O — Piccolo is optimized for async/await patterns; forcing it into sync contexts negates its core design advantage.
- You need extensive multi-database or sharding support out-of-the-box — Piccolo supports PostgreSQL and SQLite; more complex multi-tenant or sharded architectures may require custom solutions.
- Your team has no async Python experience — Async/await introduces complexity; teams unfamiliar with asyncio concepts will face a steeper learning curve than synchronous ORMs.
- You require battle-tested, highest-adoption ORM for legacy enterprise systems — With ~1.9k stars, Piccolo is younger and smaller than SQLAlchemy or Django ORM; adoption breadth and long-term stability are not yet proven at enterprise scale.
License & commercial use
Piccolo is licensed under the MIT License, an OSI-approved permissive license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions (retain license and copyright notice).
MIT License explicitly permits commercial use without fees or special permissions. No proprietary restrictions or dual-licensing reported. However, no explicit warranty or support SLA is provided by the license; production deployments should assess community support availability and consider professional support arrangements independently.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Strong |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
MIT license does not provide explicit security guarantees. Review: (1) Piccolo API's built-in middleware (auth, CSRF, CSP, rate limiting)—audit configuration for your threat model. (2) No mention of security audit, penetration testing, or CVE history in provided data; production use requires independent security review. (3) Async I/O and database connection pooling correctness must be verified for concurrency-related vulnerabilities. (4) Third-party dependencies (PostgreSQL/SQLite drivers, ASGI frameworks) inherit their own security postures.
Alternatives to consider
SQLAlchemy 2.x with async support
Mature, widely-adopted, extensive documentation; more powerful and flexible for complex queries. Steeper learning curve; verbosity higher than Piccolo.
Django 4.1+ (async views + async ORM methods)
Largest community, battle-tested, integrated admin. Heavier framework; stronger coupling between ORM and web layer; not purpose-built for async from the ground up.
Tortoise ORM
Async-first, lightweight, similar feature set. Smaller community; less mature than Piccolo; admin tooling less polished.
Build on piccolo with DEV.co software developers
Review the documented examples, test with your ASGI framework (FastAPI or Starlette), and assess whether async/await patterns and PostgreSQL/SQLite databases align with your architecture before committing to production.
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piccolo FAQ
Is Piccolo production-ready?
Can I use Piccolo with Django?
What databases does Piccolo support?
Do I need to rewrite all my code in async/await?
Software developers & web developers for hire
DEV.co helps companies turn open-source tools like piccolo into production software. Our software development services cover the full lifecycle — architecture, web development, integration, and maintenance — delivered by software developers and web developers who ship. Engage our software development agency to implement or customize it for your open-source databases stack.
Ready to evaluate Piccolo for your project?
Review the documented examples, test with your ASGI framework (FastAPI or Starlette), and assess whether async/await patterns and PostgreSQL/SQLite databases align with your architecture before committing to production.