We've shipped production apps with all three major Node.js ORMs. Here's what we learned about each, beyond the documentation.
Prisma
Used in Errandoo with NestJS and PostgreSQL. The auto-generated TypeScript types from the schema file are genuinely transformative for developer experience — every query is fully typed without manual interface definitions. The declarative migration system is clean and predictable. The main weakness is the clunky raw SQL escape hatch and cold start times in serverless.
Sequelize
Used in Prevadu Health with Express and MySQL. Battle-tested and reliable with excellent association handling. Model-level hooks are powerful for audit logging. The TypeScript support feels bolted on rather than native, and migration files are verbose compared to Prisma.
TypeORM
Used in older NestJS projects. Decorator-based models feel natural in NestJS applications. Supports both active record and data mapper patterns. Maintenance has been inconsistent, and we encountered edge cases with migrations and lazy relation loading.
Our Recommendation
For new projects, use Prisma — the developer experience is unmatched. For legacy projects already on Sequelize, stay there — it's stable and well-understood. The ORM matters less than your schema design and query optimization patterns. Pick one, master it, and focus on writing good queries.