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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?
Build it with a software development company
Pairing sea-orm with the rest of your stack is where most open-source databases projects stall. DEV.co is a software development agency that does the integration work — plus AI development when models are in scope.
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.