Dart ORM

Typed data. Plain Dart.

Declare immutable Dart models, query exactly the fields you need, and keep your schema and migrations in Dart. SQLite, PostgreSQL, MySQL and MariaDB share a typed query API, with explicit database capabilities and transaction boundaries.

Get started · Guides · API reference · Examples · pub.dev

6.0 beta: a new implementation requiring Dart 3.13+. This is a breaking replacement for the Prisma-based 5.x client. Read the release notes before upgrading an existing application.

Upgrading from beta.2: replace annotated entities and hand-written row types with model(...) and regenerate your clients. Keep existing migration history; table and column names continue to identify the physical schema. See the beta.3 changes.

Record schemas

Record schemas define each model and table together, without annotations:

final task = model('tasks', (
  id: identity(),
  title: text(),
  done: boolean(defaultValue: false),
));

Import package:orm/schema.dart in the definition. Generation produces the Task row, db.task and a standalone migration snapshot. See authoring and the complete company example.

Get started

Create a Dart application and add the package:

dart create -t console my_app
cd my_app
dart pub add orm:6.0.0-beta.3

dart run orm init --database sqlite

The CLI creates orm.config.dart, a model, its generated client, and a migration registry. The starter model in lib/schema.dart is ordinary Dart:

import 'package:orm/schema.dart';

final task = model('tasks', (
  id: identity(),
  title: text(),
  done: boolean(defaultValue: false),
));

Create and review the first migration, then apply it:

dart run orm migrate create 0001_initial
# Review migrations/m0001_initial.dart.
dart run orm migrate apply

Replace bin/my_app.dart with:

import 'package:my_app/schema.orm.dart';
import 'package:orm/sqlite.dart';

Future<void> main() async {
  final db = await sqlite(const SqliteOptions.file('app.sqlite'));
  try {
    final Task task = await db.task.create(title: 'Ship something useful');

    final List<(int, String)> pending = await db.task
        .where((t) => t.done.eq(false))
        .orderBy((t) => [t.id.asc()])
        .select((t) => (t.id, t.title).row)
        .get();
    print(pending);

    await db.transaction((tx) async {
      await tx.task.byId(task.id).patch(done: .set(true));
    });
  } finally {
    await db.close();
  }
}

Run dart run. When your model changes, create and review another migration. Use dart run orm generate when you only need to regenerate Dart code.

Model once, choose your result

Full-row queries return your model class. A scalar selection returns its value; .row returns a typed Record. Map selected values into a named Record or your own DTO. Create and patch inputs distinguish omission, a value, SQL NULL and a database default.

Use get() for a list, first() for a required first row, and single() when exactly one row must exist. firstOrNull() and singleOrNull() explicitly allow an empty result. Selecting a nullable column keeps its nullable Dart type.

Relationships use declared keys. Select nested results explicitly: to-one relationships can join, and collections use parameter-aware batches. There are no lazy property reads that quietly issue SQL. See relationships and the query cookbook.

Transactions use the provided tx session. Query subscriptions emit snapshots after relevant committed writes. Inspect SQL without connecting, or use raw and named SQL when a query needs database-specific features.

Choose your database

Database	Connection	Verified scope
SQLite	sqlite(SqliteOptions.file('app.sqlite'))	Native Dart, Android Flutter, Chrome JS/WASM and Flutter Web
PostgreSQL	postgres(PostgresOptions(url: url))	PostgreSQL 18, including migrations
MySQL	mysql(MysqlOptions(url: url))	MySQL 8.4, including migrations
MariaDB	mariadb(MariadbOptions(url: url))	MariaDB 11.8, including migrations

Import package:orm/sqlite.dart, postgres.dart, mysql.dart or mariadb.dart for the matching connection API. Server connections verify TLS certificates by default. init --database accepts sqlite, postgres, mysql and mariadb.

Each migration history belongs to one engine and stores only that engine's reviewed steps and frozen schema. MySQL/MariaDB DDL uses recovery checkpoints because it can commit implicitly. See migrations.

Capabilities are explicit. MySQL/MariaDB do not support cursor streaming or token cancellation; their statement timeout discards the connection. Default Linux SQLite lacks interruption. See capabilities for exact numeric limits, database versions and platforms that have not been verified.

Dart and Flutter, native and web

The SQLite entrypoint selects a native isolate or browser worker. For persistent storage, use SqliteOptions.persistent('app', nativePath: databasePath); native apps provide their own filesystem path, while browsers use named OPFS storage.

Flutter Web bundles the SQLite worker and WASM assets automatically. Plain Dart Web exports the same resources with dart run orm web-assets. No separate orm_flutter package is needed. Start with the Flutter example or the SQLite Web guide.

One package, independent libraries

Use the layer your application needs:

Import	Purpose
values.dart, schema_model.dart	Domain values, codecs and physical schema metadata
driver.dart, drivers/*.dart	SQL contracts and database adapters
runtime.dart	Raw SQL sessions, transactions and cursor ownership
sql.dart, orm.dart	Typed SQL construction and model execution
schema.dart, generate.dart, migrate.dart, cli.dart	Declarations, generation, migration and project tooling

Compile typed SQL offline, use a driver without model generation, or run saved migrations without importing today's application models. See API boundaries.

Go further

• Model declarations and codecs · Types
• Queries and pagination · Relations
• Transactions and execution · Subscriptions
• CLI · build_runner · Existing databases
• SQL inspection · Named SQL
• Contributing and validation

Licensed under the BSD 3-Clause License.