# Knex.js vs sqlc

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Knex.js

| Attribute | Knex.js | sqlc |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 64.1 (71% (medium)) | 52.5 (42% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 0 | 42 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 94,868 | 4 |
| adoption.github_stars | 20,337 | 18,376 |
| adoption.package_downloads_weekly | 5,735,405 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"An open-source Node.js package supporting nine SQL databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and Oracle. Provides type-safe query building with TypeScript support, schema migrations, transaction handling with savepoints, connection pooling, and both promise and callback-based interfaces. It is indexed under ORM & Database Tools.","source":"https://knexjs.org","question":"What is Knex.js?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Knex.js is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://knexjs.org","question":"Is Knex.js free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Knex.js is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/knex/knex","question":"Is Knex.js open source?","confidence":0.99}]` | `[{"answer":"An open-source code generator that produces type-safe application code from raw SQL queries, supporting PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and ClickHouse databases. It is indexed under ORM & Database Tools.","source":"https://docs.sqlc.dev","question":"What is sqlc?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"sqlc is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the MIT licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://docs.sqlc.dev","question":"Is sqlc free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"sqlc supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://docs.sqlc.dev","question":"What platforms does sqlc support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. sqlc can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://docs.sqlc.dev","question":"Can sqlc be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. sqlc is published under the MIT licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc","question":"Is sqlc open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | - | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A Node.js library that provides a programmatic interface for constructing SQL queries, featuring support for PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, Oracle, and other popular databases with built-in connection pooling and streaming capabilities. | A command-line tool that reads SQL queries and generates type-safe code in multiple programming languages, eliminating manual database access code while maintaining type safety across database interactions. |
| features.capabilities | `{"raw_sql":true,"multi_db":true,"languages":"JavaScript, TypeScript","relations":true,"migrations":true,"studio_gui":false,"schema_first":true,"type_safe_queries":true,"connection_pooling":true}` | `{"raw_sql":true,"multi_db":true,"languages":"Go; community support for Python","migrations":true,"studio_gui":false,"schema_first":true,"type_safe_queries":true}` |
| language.primary | JavaScript | Go |
| license.spdx | MIT | MIT |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true}` | `{"cli":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","sourceUrl":"https://knexjs.org","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T08:34:17.530Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://docs.sqlc.dev","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T08:35:21.413Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | - | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| release.cadence_days | 28 | 42 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.3.0","date":"2026-06-26T14:55:58Z","type":"stable","version":"3.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.10","date":"2026-05-02T12:14:38Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.10"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.9","date":"2026-04-03T20:25:30Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.8","date":"2026-03-30T18:29:09Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.8"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.7","date":"2026-03-30T18:28:52Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.6","date":"2026-03-25T02:06:50Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.3","date":"2026-03-22T22:38:07Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.1","date":"2026-03-22T21:08:27Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.2.0","date":"2026-03-22T17:37:15Z","type":"stable","version":"3.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.1.0","date":"2023-12-07T23:17:57Z","type":"stable","version":"3.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.0.1","date":"2023-10-06T12:23:40Z","type":"stable","version":"3.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/3.0.0","date":"2023-10-06T06:56:38Z","type":"stable","version":"3.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.5.1","date":"2023-07-12T21:26:26Z","type":"stable","version":"2.5.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.5.0","date":"2023-07-08T21:04:46Z","type":"stable","version":"2.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.4.2","date":"2023-03-29T11:15:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.4.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.4.1","date":"2023-03-29T11:11:39Z","type":"stable","version":"2.4.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.4.0","date":"2023-01-06T15:45:16Z","type":"stable","version":"2.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.3.0","date":"2022-09-01T21:17:24Z","type":"stable","version":"2.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.2.0","date":"2022-07-18T21:26:26Z","type":"stable","version":"2.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/knex/knex/releases/tag/2.1.0","date":"2022-05-26T09:04:03Z","type":"stable","version":"2.1.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.31.1","date":"2026-04-22T14:55:41Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.31.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.31.0","date":"2026-04-20T04:27:44Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.31.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.30.0","date":"2025-09-01T23:13:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.30.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.29.0","date":"2025-04-17T05:53:43Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.29.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.28.0","date":"2025-01-20T18:47:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.28.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.27.0","date":"2024-08-05T20:23:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.27.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.26.0","date":"2024-03-28T20:48:51Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.26.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.25.0","date":"2024-01-04T00:26:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.25.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.24.0","date":"2023-11-22T18:11:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.24.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.23.0","date":"2023-10-24T19:48:04Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.23.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.22.0","date":"2023-09-26T17:58:05Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.22.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.21.0","date":"2023-09-06T18:51:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.21.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.20.0","date":"2023-07-31T19:52:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.20.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.19.1","date":"2023-07-13T18:45:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.19.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.19.0","date":"2023-07-06T18:12:19Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.19.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.18.0","date":"2023-04-27T17:51:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.18.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.17.2","date":"2023-02-22T18:02:56Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.17.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.17.1","date":"2023-02-22T17:18:03Z","type":"prerelease","version":"v1.17.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.17.0","date":"2023-02-14T07:14:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.17.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/releases/tag/v1.16.0","date":"2022-11-09T04:41:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v1.16.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 4.6 | 4.5 |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":2,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=knex&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":"CRITICAL"}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=homebrew&package_name=sqlc&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (ORM & Database Tools)

| Capability | Knex.js | sqlc |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Type-safe queries | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schema migrations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Relations / joins API | ✓ | - |
| Languages | JavaScript, TypeScript | Go; community support for Python |
| **Modelling** |  |  |
| Schema-first modelling | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Flexibility** |  |  |
| Raw SQL escape hatch | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Portability** |  |  |
| Multiple database backends | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ops** |  |  |
| Connection pooling | ✓ | - |
| **DX** |  |  |
| Data browser / studio | ✗ | ✗ |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:14:35.866Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*