Drizzle vs Turso for Solo Developers

Quick Comparison

Drizzle Overview

Drizzle ORM gives you typed SQL queries in TypeScript without the bloat. The API mirrors SQL syntax directly. Selects look like selects, joins look like joins, and the generated SQL is exactly what you expect. The whole package is lightweight, has zero dependencies, and works across Postgres, MySQL, and SQLite.

For solo developers, Drizzle is a productivity tool. You get autocomplete on table names, column names, and query results. Typos in column names are caught at compile time, not at runtime when a user hits a broken page. The migration system (drizzle-kit) generates SQL migration files you can review before applying.

Drizzle has first-class support for Turso through the libSQL driver, which makes these two tools natural companions.

Turso Overview

Turso is a distributed database platform built on libSQL, a fork of SQLite. The core idea is that SQLite is fast, reliable, and simple, but it does not work well when you need multiple clients or edge locations accessing the same database. Turso solves this by giving you a hosted libSQL database that replicates across edge locations worldwide.

For solo developers, Turso's free tier is generous: 500 databases, 9 GB total storage, and 25 million row reads per month. That is enough to run multiple projects without spending anything. The per-database model also works well for multi-tenant architectures where each customer gets their own database.

Turso supports embedded replicas, where a copy of your database lives inside your application. Reads hit the local replica (microsecond latency), and writes sync to the primary. For read-heavy applications, this is a significant performance advantage.

Head-to-Head Comparison

When to Pick Drizzle

Pick Drizzle when you have already chosen a database and you need a type-safe way to query it. Whether that database is Turso, a local SQLite file, Neon Postgres, or PlanetScale MySQL, Drizzle provides the same developer experience across all of them.

It is also the right choice when you are comparing ORMs specifically. If you are deciding between Drizzle, Prisma, and Kysely for your TypeScript project, Drizzle stands out for its SQL-first approach and small footprint. The decision of which database to use underneath is a separate question.

Pick Drizzle when you want to keep your options open. If you start with SQLite and need to migrate to Postgres later, the Drizzle API stays mostly the same. Your schema definitions change, but your query patterns carry over.

When to Pick Turso

Pick Turso when you want SQLite's simplicity with the ability to access it from anywhere. Local SQLite files are great for single-server apps, but once you deploy to serverless or need multiple regions, you need something like Turso.

Turso is the right choice when your application is read-heavy and latency matters. Embedded replicas give you microsecond reads from a local copy of your data. For APIs that serve content, dashboards that display analytics, or any page that mostly reads from the database, this is hard to beat.

Choose Turso if you are building a multi-tenant application and want database-per-tenant isolation. The free tier allows 500 databases, and creating a new one takes milliseconds. Each tenant gets their own database with complete isolation, and you do not need to manage connection pools.

The Verdict

Drizzle and Turso are complementary tools. One is an ORM, the other is a database platform. The best answer for most solo developers is to use them together.

Drizzle plus Turso gives you typed SQLite queries, edge-distributed data, embedded replicas for fast reads, and a generous free tier. The combination is particularly strong for serverless deployments where cold start time and read latency both matter.

If you are choosing between Turso and other database hosts (Neon, Supabase, PlanetScale), the decision comes down to whether you want SQLite or Postgres. For simpler data models and read-heavy workloads, Turso's SQLite approach with edge replication is compelling. For complex relational queries and broader ecosystem support, Postgres hosts might serve you better.

Either way, Drizzle works with both, so pick the database that fits your use case and let Drizzle handle the query layer.