Yes, you can safely use prisma and node-postgres together.
Your workflow will look like the following:
- Create a Prisma Schema to define your models and underlying database tables.
- Use the Prisma CLI (the
prismanpm library) to run migrations to your database. This will generate the client innode_modules/.prisma/clientdirectory, which you could optionally delete as you won't be using it. - Instead of using generated Prisma Client inside your node application, use the
node-postgreslibrary to run queries against the database in your application.
Since you're only using Prisma to make any kind of migration or changes to the database structure, there's no risk of your prisma schema not being synced with your database. On the off chance this does happen, you can always get it back in sync using prisma db pull.
Furthermore, since your application is not going to use Prisma client to connect to the database for running queries, node-postgres will handle the connection pool.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/node › which postgresql node.js client library to choose today?
r/node on Reddit: Which postgreSQL node.js client library to choose today?
August 17, 2023 -
Raw queries, ORM, Query builder, code generators etc which pg client library would you choose with Node.js today in production?
Popular ones are: 1] Knex 2] Sequalize 3] TypeORM 4] Prisma 5] Drizzle 6] MikroORM
If you can also comment on "why" that would also be great. If there is any new recommendation that is also great
Top answer 1 of 13
10
I’m a big fan of postgres.js ( https://github.com/porsager/postgres ). It’s minial and straightforward but you have to know how to sql. In fact I don’t really like ORMs. Most of the time I feel it makes things over complicated for nothing and I’ll never use any other databases than postgres. Dev mode included. As everyone should in my opinion (trying to get each environements the same for testing/debuging purpose is a hughe plus). Moreover it’s fast.
2 of 13
8
Prisma & Drizzle are good for me. Drizzle is more lightweight and faster but Prisma is more mature and more abstracted. They are quite similar in many things. I had best experience with both. TypeORM - I don't really like it anymore. It has good TS support, I like declaring schema with decoratos but... There is .save() method and it performs UPSERTS. Sure, you have .update() and .insert() methods, but they return RAW results without entity typings. I also often find myself using TypeORM's query builder - there is also no typings for results. At the end of the day, I had to take care of mapping results to entity on my own. Sequelize - it was my first ORM, when started with Node.js; Nowadays it's well known for lack of good TypeScript support. MikroORM - I never used, but it seems to be similar to TypeORM. I hope it handles things better than TypeORM. Knex - it's fine query builder.
09:23:58
Node JS Full Course 2025 | PostgreSQL, Prisma, Nest JS, Bun, Hono, ...
05:17:22
Backend Full Course | NodeJS ExpressJS PostgreSQL Prisma & Docker ...
REST API with Node.js, Prisma and PostgreSQL.
24:04
Node.js & PostgreSQL CRUD Tutorial with Prisma ORM | Express API ...
12:31
Connect Node.js with PostgreSQL using Prisma ORM | Test API with ...
What is the right connection_limit for my Postgres?
Take Postgres max_connections, subtract reserved superuser slots (usually 3), divide by the number of app instances, leave 20% headroom. For a single-VM app on managed Postgres with max_connections=100: pick 10–15.
nodewire.net
nodewire.net › home › tutorials › node.js + postgresql with prisma: the 2026 setup tutorial
Node.js + PostgreSQL with Prisma: 2026 setup guide
Which database provider should I use for development if I don't want to run PostgreSQL locally?
SQLite with DATABASE_URL="file:./dev.db" works for most schemas and runs with no extra process. The caveat: Prisma has a few features that are Postgres-only (some aggregate functions, JSONB operations, advisory locks). If your prod schema uses those, you are better off running Postgres locally via Docker: docker run -e POSTGRES_PASSWORD=postgres -p 5432:5432 postgres:18.
nodewire.net
nodewire.net › home › tutorials › node.js + postgresql with prisma: the 2026 setup tutorial
Node.js + PostgreSQL with Prisma: 2026 setup guide
Drizzle vs Prisma in 2026?
See my full Prisma vs Drizzle comparison — short version: Prisma if you value the schema-driven workflow and don't mind the extra abstraction, Drizzle if you want type-safe SQL with no surprises.
nodewire.net
nodewire.net › home › tutorials › node.js + postgresql with prisma: the 2026 setup tutorial
Node.js + PostgreSQL with Prisma: 2026 setup guide
npm Trends
npmtrends.com › node-postgres-vs-pg-vs-prisma-vs-sequelize
node-postgres vs pg vs prisma vs sequelize | npm trends
Comparing trends for node-postgres 0.6.2 which has 11,456 weekly downloads and 3 GitHub stars vs. pg 8.21.0 which has 30,969,906 weekly downloads and 13,151 GitHub stars vs. prisma 7.8.0 which has 12,395,472 weekly downloads and 46,254 GitHub stars vs. sequelize 6.37.8 which has 2,931,451 weekly downloads and 30,349 GitHub stars.
Better Stack
betterstack.com › community › guides › scaling-nodejs › prisma-orm
Getting Started with Prisma ORM for Node.js and PostgreSQL | Better Stack Community
This article will guide you through setting up Prisma with Node.js and PostgreSQL, explaining key concepts, and demonstrating practical implementations through real-world examples.
nodewire
nodewire.net › home › tutorials › node.js + postgresql with prisma: the 2026 setup tutorial
Node.js + PostgreSQL with Prisma: 2026 setup guide
May 13, 2026 - If you are still choosing the ORM before wiring Postgres, start with the Sequelize vs Prisma vs TypeORM comparison and the Prisma vs Drizzle benchmark. This tutorial assumes Prisma already won that argument. Prisma 7 introduced a breaking change worth knowing about before you copy old tutorials: the new adapter-based client. Instead of Prisma’s internal query engine binary, you can now use the native Node.js PostgreSQL driver (pg) via @prisma/adapter-pg.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/node › which postgres client should we be using?
r/node on Reddit: Which Postgres Client Should We Be Using?
February 26, 2024 - Prisma is great to get started. Edit: People downvoting this, I'd love to learn what your issue is with this comment? ... The problem with these kinds of polls is that rarely will people have tried more than one or two so can't really compare. I've used the following in anger: pg, Postgres.js, Knex, TypeORM, and Prisma.
Prisma
prisma.io › home › postgresql › postgresql › postgresql
Quickstart: Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL (10 min) | Prisma Documentation
If you don't already have a PostgreSQL database, follow the quickstart to set up a production-ready Prisma Postgres database with Prisma ORM in a new project. mkdir hello-prisma cd hello-prisma · Initialize a TypeScript project: bun · pnpm · yarn · npm · bun init bun add typescript tsx @types/node --dev bunx tsc --init ·
SoloDevStack
solodevstack.com › home › blog › tool-comparisons › postgresql vs prisma for solo developers
PostgreSQL vs Prisma for Solo Developers | SoloDevStack
February 17, 2026 - Django has its ORM, Rails has Active ... tool talks to it. It just handles the data. Prisma is a TypeScript ORM, a tool that sits between your application code and your database....
w3tutorials
w3tutorials.net › blog › prisma-postgres-nodejs
Prisma, PostgreSQL, and Node.js: A Comprehensive Guide — w3tutorials.net
Node.js, on the other hand, is a JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine, enabling developers to build scalable network applications. Prisma acts as an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) and database toolkit that bridges the gap between Node.js applications and PostgreSQL databases, providing a type - safe and intuitive way to interact with the database.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/node › postgresql + prisma vs supabase - trying to make the right choice before launch
r/node on Reddit: PostgreSQL + Prisma vs Supabase - trying to make the right choice before launch
February 3, 2026 -
I’m about to launch my first project (Chrome extension) and questioning my database decision. Built everything with PostgreSQL and Prisma, but wondering if I should switch to Supabase before going live.
What I’m storing:
∙ User authentication (accounts, sessions)
∙ Subscription tiers and usage quotas
∙ Request history and some cached data
Pretty standard SaaS stuff. Nothing complex, but could scale to a decent number of users if things go well.
Current setup:
Node.js backend with Express, PostgreSQL database, Prisma as the ORM. I built the JWT auth flow myself - login, signup, password resets, token refresh, the whole thing. Took a while but it works.
I keep reading about Supabase having built-in auth and real-time features. The auth part is tempting since I’m not confident my implementation is bulletproof. But I’m not sure if Supabase even fits my architecture.
From what I understand, Supabase is designed for direct client-to-database access. My setup has the Chrome extension talking to my Express backend, which then talks to the database. Does Supabase make sense for that pattern or am I thinking about it wrong?
Is this one of those things where the choice doesn’t really matter for a small project, or are there actual tradeoffs I should consider?
For those who’ve built similar projects, what would you go with? Or should I just stick with what’s working and stop second-guessing myself?
Top answer 1 of 2
4
You can use some sort of auth providers like google and github in first implementation, is better even to avoid some sort of bots and use kysely if you wanna keep all simple.
2 of 2
2
If everything is already working with PostgreSQL, don’t switch. Think about getting users at this point.
GitHub
github.com › prisma › prisma › issues › 23573
2x worse performance when running raw queries in Prisma vs `pg` · Issue #23573 · prisma/prisma
March 21, 2024 - The expectation would be that query performance is close to equivalent between the two, but the difference is quite spectacular with the Prisma benchmark taking twice as long as pg.
Author prisma
LogRocket
blog.logrocket.com › home › prisma vs. thin backend
Prisma vs. Thin Backend - LogRocket Blog
June 4, 2024 - Thin Backend makes creating, reading, updating, and deleting records easier by giving you components that can be installed using the Node package manager. The package will render tables using the following snippet: ... You can find more components in the Thin Backend repository. Thin Backend has access policies that enable you to choose who can do what on your database. It also uses Postgres policies to reinforce data privacy. Thin Backend provides you with an IDE that has custom business logic and serverless functions, while Prisma gives you a visual database browser called Prisma Studio.
DEV Community
dev.to › victor1890 › battle-of-the-nodejs-orms-sequelize-vs-prisma-3j8b
Battle of the Node.js ORMs: Sequelize vs. Prisma - DEV Community
February 28, 2024 - You are building applications with PostgreSQL or MySQL. Ultimately, the best approach is to experiment with both ORMs on a small project to get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses before making a decision for your larger projects. By understanding the unique capabilities of Sequelize and Prisma, you can equip yourself to choose the ideal champion to streamline your Node...
Medium
medium.com › @pravir.raghu › sequelize-vs-prisma-vs-typeorm-vs-knex-js-node-js-orms-and-a-query-builder-comparison-e31794c242b1
Sequelize vs Prisma vs TypeORM vs Knex.js — Node.js ORMS (and a query builder) Comparison | by Pravir Raghu | Medium
September 20, 2025 - Winner: Prisma — for its combination of type-safe API, intuitive data modeling, broad Postgres/MySQL support, and strong community momentum, Prisma is an excellent default choice for new Node.js projects.
Medium
medium.com › hustlemind › building-scalable-apis-with-node-js-postgresql-and-prisma-orm-caa0dd0441d4
Building Scalable APIs with Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Prisma ORM | by Somendradev | Trendivo
September 2, 2025 - Node.js: Great for building scalable, event-driven APIs because of its non-blocking I/O and massive ecosystem (npm). PostgreSQL: A powerhouse relational database that handles complex queries, JSON, transactions, and indexing like a champ. Prisma ORM: The modern ORM that gives you type safety, auto-generated queries, and a schema-first approach — no more spaghetti SQL!
HackerNoon
hackernoon.com › building-a-crud-app-with-nodejs-postgresql-and-prisma
Building a CRUD App with Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Prisma | HackerNoon
May 23, 2024 - Learn how to streamline database management by building a CRUD app with Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Prisma in this comprehensive guide.
LibHunt
libhunt.com › compare-prisma-vs-node-postgres
Prisma vs PostgreSQL - compare differences and reviews? | LibHunt
You can understand the code without knowing Prisma API. It is more performant. For more complex SQL queries, I use the SQL generator for initial suggestions and adapt if needed. For the next projects I build I want to use the minimal Postgres client (https://github.com/brianc/node-postgres) combined with a lightweight migration library.
Medium
medium.com › @codethematrix › integrating-prisma-orm-with-postgresql-and-express-3f7b726cecec
Integrating Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL and Express | by Ryan | Medium
July 13, 2022 - In this blog, we will be working inside of a Node.js application. We will be learning how to integrate Prisma - an ORM for Node.js, along with Express and PostgreSQL.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/node › best orm for postgresql in node.js?
r/node on Reddit: Best ORM for PostgreSQL in Node.js?
September 3, 2024 -
I have experience working with MongoDB using Mongoose in Node.js, but now I'm planning to switch to PostgreSQL. I’m not sure which ORM to use for PostgreSQL. Can anyone suggest the best ORM for working with PostgreSQL in Node.js?