sea-orm
SeaORM is a Rust ORM library for relational databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite) with a focus on type safety and async support. It handles relationship modeling (1-1, 1-N, M-N), query generation, migrations, and nested object persistence through a batteries-included API.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | SeaQL/sea-orm |
| Owner | SeaQL |
| Primary language | Rust |
| License | Apache-2.0 — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 9.8k |
| Forks | 714 |
| Open issues | 224 |
| Latest release | 2.0.0-rc.42 (2026-07-04) |
| Last updated | 2026-07-08 |
| Source | https://github.com/SeaQL/sea-orm |
What sea-orm is
SeaORM provides async/await-native database abstraction with smart entity loading (join for 1-1, data loader for 1-N to prevent N+1), macro-based entity definition, migration support, and raw SQL fallback. Version 2.0 introduces dense entity format with nested persistence and automatic schema synchronization.
Get the sea-orm source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/SeaQL/sea-orm.gitcd sea-orm# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Async runtime required; Tokio is the primary ecosystem. Integration with sync code requires bridge patterns or `sea-orm-sync`.
- Entity definition via macros; `sea-orm-cli` can generate from existing databases, reducing hand-coding but introducing tooling dependency.
- Migration management is built-in but requires explicit schema versioning; entity-first workflow (2.0) automates detection but requires `entity-registry` and `schema-sync` features.
- Nested persistence (2.0) simplifies object graphs but only works with dense entity format; older sparse format not supported.
- Raw SQL support mitigates limitation for complex queries, but parameterization via `raw_sql!` macro requires careful attention to prevent injection.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Synchronous-only requirement — SeaORM is async-first. Synchronous support exists via optional `sea-orm-sync` crate but is not the primary path.
- Non-relational database primary storage — SeaORM is built for SQL databases only. NoSQL, document stores, or key-value systems are out of scope.
- Minimal dependency footprint critical — SeaORM brings a full ecosystem (tokio, sqlx, migrations). Lightweight projects may prefer lower-level database drivers.
- Unstable schema or prototype-stage projects — While entity-first workflow (2.0) aids iteration, generation and migration workflows add overhead vs. raw SQL for highly experimental codebases.
License & commercial use
Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution and liability disclaimer.
Apache-2.0 is a permissive license compatible with commercial use. No royalties, proprietary modifications allowed. Attribution required in documentation. Consult your legal team for enterprise compliance (patents, indemnification scope).
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 | Moderate |
| DEV.co fit | Strong |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Parameterized queries via `raw_sql!` macro help prevent SQL injection; however, responsibility lies with developer to use macros correctly. No security audit history provided in data. Connection pooling and driver-level security inherit from underlying database drivers (sqlx). Review password handling, connection secrets management, and query logging in production deployments.
Alternatives to consider
sqlx
Lower-level async SQL toolkit; more control, less abstraction. Suitable for smaller queries or non-relational workloads.
Diesel
Synchronous Rust ORM with strong compile-time checking. Preferred if async is not required and type safety at compile time is paramount.
Tokio-native custom queries / async-sqlx wrapper
Avoid ORM overhead entirely for simple CRUD or specialized query patterns; trade convenience for minimal footprint.
Build on sea-orm with DEV.co software developers
Our Rust engineers can architect your API backend, optimize queries, and manage database migrations. Let's discuss your relational data needs.
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sea-orm FAQ
Does SeaORM support NoSQL databases?
Can I use SeaORM in a synchronous context?
How does SeaORM prevent N+1 queries?
Is SeaORM production-ready?
Software development & web development with DEV.co
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Ready to build with SeaORM?
Our Rust engineers can architect your API backend, optimize queries, and manage database migrations. Let's discuss your relational data needs.