Diesel vs SQLx in Raw and ORM Modes

Rust developers often have to choose between Diesel and SQLx for database interactions, with Diesel being a full-featured ORM and SQLx being a compile-time checked query library. A comparison of their performance and usage in raw and ORM modes reveals key differences between the two. In pure ORM mode, Diesel is slightly faster due to optimizations, while SQLx is slower compared to Diesel in ORM-like use. However, in query builder mode, SQLx is faster, especially for raw SQL execution, with Diesel being around 50% slower. Diesel's ORM mode provides type safety and compile-time guarantees, making it ideal for certain use cases. SQLx, on the other hand, is faster for raw queries and supports async natively, making it suitable for modern web applications. The choice between Diesel and SQLx ultimately depends on the specific needs of the project, with Diesel being better for compile-time safety and schema management, and SQLx being better for high-performance and async-friendly environments. Diesel's query builder can be slower than SQLx, but its ORM mode provides a safe and convenient way to interact with databases. SQLx in raw mode is a solid choice for high-performance applications, while Diesel ORM is unbeatable for projects that require compile-time safety and ease of schema management. Overall, both Diesel and SQLx have their strengths and weaknesses, and the choice between them should be based on the specific requirements of the project.