What are the best ORMs for C#?

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12

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Considered

157

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Recs.

Aug 11, 2020

Last
Updated

Here’s the Deal

11 Options Considered

Best ORMs for C#	Price	Technology	Last Updated
-- DevExpress XPO	Free / paid	-	Aug 10, 2020
-- Dapper	Free	-	Jul 25, 2020
-- RepoDb	Free	-	Jul 30, 2020
-- Entity Framework	Free	-	Aug 11, 2020
-- LLBLGen Pro	Paid	-	Jul 29, 2020

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MySQL

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score 65 · Answer 1

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score 21 · Answer 2

Dapper

Top Pro

Very efficient and quick

Top Con

Not even slightly typesafe

If you make a typo in the SQL your CI server is not going to catch it, you'll have to hope it's caught during automated UI or functional testing. See More

ImaginativeAhPeku's Experience

Has advantages of ORM but lets me use raw SQL See More

Top Pro

Makes it trivially easy to turn results into objects

Top Con

A pain to maintain

You've got a bunch of inline SQL statements that do various queries that have no strong ties to the DB architecture. This can quite easily lead to queries that get "left behind" when the underlying DB structure changes, which, again, you will not see at build time. See More

PopularHozanek's Experience

StackOverflow and other websites of stackexchange are using this. Dapper extend the IDbConnection by providing useful extension methods to query your database. See More

Top Pro

No need to roll your own conversion layer for the DataReader

Top Con

It doesn't track objects and their changes so you can just call SubmitChanges()

PositiveAlecto's Experience

This is a DBA's worse nightmare. SQL strings scattered about the software, how do you expect me to optimize queries. This is a silly tool that does more harm than good. See More

Top Pro

Makes it trivially easy to correctly parameterize queries

Top Con

It doesn't generate a class model or queries for you

DeliberateIlmatar's Experience

You have SQL buried in string literals, safely out of reach of validation, profiling or testing so it's a crap shoot. Maintenance disaster stay away from this. See More

Top Pro

Makes it trivially easy to execute queries (scalar, multi-rows, multi-grids, and no-results)

OpinionatedWanamangura's Experience

As a DBA, this is a terrible approach. Nothing worse than having to sift through code to track down non-performant queries to remove bottle necks. See More

Top Pro

Similar performance to a raw SqlCommand with DataReader and parsing

See All

score 7 · Answer 3

RepoDb

Top Pro

Fast

Top Con

Database Support

No Document Db Support See More

RickZeeland's Experience

Free and open source lightweight, efficient and very fast Hybrid ORM library for .NET. See More

Top Pro

Added Postgres and Mysql Support in Newer versions

See All

score 17 · Answer 4

Entity Framework

Top Pro

Database support

Supports most popular databases. See More

PerceptiveKhumban's Experience

Excellent choice for both junior and senior developers. Avoids having to write boiler plate code for common tasks (i.e. ORM) while leaving enough room for SQL-Specialists to write and execute supersophisticated highperformance queries and stored procedures. See More

Top Pro

Documentation

Better than the chaotic and confusing NHibernate documentation. See More

BrilliantAbundantia's Experience

Might be good for Jr Developers, but not much more. Why would a SQL Developer want to query the database with LINQ, maybe MS should rethink the approach. See More

Top Pro

Migrations API

List all versions of a schema, apply one or go back to a previous version. See More

WonderfulOmoikane's Experience

Microsoft should spend more resources on the actual tool than on evangelists over hyping poor products. This tool tries to be the end all be all tool for data tier, but just don't live up to the hype. See More

InsightfulVeles's Experience

After using this tool for a short while, I've come to the conclusion that it is strictly for beginners. If you are serious about data and it is vital to your organization, this is not the tool you should be using. See More

OptimisticPorphyrion's Experience

Used EF for 3 months, write code, deploy code, cross fingers. See More

EncouragingPistis's Experience

Spent more time sifting through stack overflow trying to resolve problems than we did writing code. Microsoft should be ashamed to advocate a tool that is so convoluted. See More

HealthyPeitharchia's Experience

We have a very large database, 1000's of tables millions of records. Just not a tool that holds up for us. See More

ProductiveBeaivi's Experience

In the beginning it saved us some time, but in the long run it's become a pain in the ass See More

RobustTskarishdida's Experience

Maintenance disaster See More

ExuberantLoviatar's Experience

Slow, clunky, prone to all sorts of problems See More

AmiableSuurToll's Experience

Development faster and easy for begginers :) See More

See All

score 5 · Answer 5

LLBLGen Pro

Top Pro

Database first / Model first

Choice between Database first or Model first approach. See More

Top Con

Not free

No free plan available. See More

FerventVellamo's Experience

The ORM is stable and matured. It integrates very well with different third-party interface components. See More

Top Pro

Multi framework support

Besides the LLBLGen Pro Runtime Framework, it supports Entity Framework Core / Full, NHibernate and Linq to Sql. See More

RickZeeland's Experience

LLBLGen Pro can generate a complete data-access tier and business objects tier (multiple target frameworks, C# or VB.NET*), it features powerful O/R mapping technology and has a flexible task-based code generator. See More

Top Pro

Async API

The runtime framework offers a full Async API for retrieval of data and object persistence, using .NET async/await statements to build truly asynchronous applications. Usable in Linq, QuerySpec and the Low-Level API. See More

See All

score 2 · Answer 6

LinqConnect

Top Pro

Performance

Has features like compiled query cache or batch updates. See More

RickZeeland's Experience

LinqConnect is a fast and easy to use ORM solution, which can be used for free. It's developed closely to the Microsoft LINQ to SQL technology, and supports SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite. The model designer tool provides complete integration with Visual Studio - Entity Developer. See More

score 6 · Answer 7

DbConnector

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score 2 · Answer 8

VITA ORM for .NET

Top Pro

Very easy and effective

SincereBeliMawr's Experience

Built a number of real-world apps See More

Top Pro

Actually usable

See All

score 2 · Answer 9

Massive

Top Con

No .NET Core support

score 2 · Answer 10

SQLite-net

Top Pro

Single file

One file only, just add SQLite.cs to your project. See More

RickZeeland's Experience

SQLite-net open source and lightweight library providing easy SQLite 3 database storage for .NET, Mono, and Xamarin applications. See More

Top Pro

Easy integration

Easy integration with existing projects, runs on all the .NET platforms. See More

See All

score 2 · Answer 11

SQL+ .NET

Top Pro

Maintainability

If you make a change to your SQL, simply regenerate your services and your code is synchronized. No need to chase down loose SQL text throughout your data tier. See More

Top Con

Not an entry level programmers tool

This tool is best suited to more experience developers who have knowledge of SQL, and at least some exposure to C# without those you would probably find yourself somewhat challenged. See More

Top Pro

Productivity

Write your SQL, add a few comments (Semantic Tags) and generate your service. For developers who have invested time in learning SQL, there is simply no faster way to create data-services. See More

Top Pro

Power

Because SQL+ is a SQL first ORM, you have the full power of the database at your disposal. Things that other tools find challenging or impossible to accomplish without add-ons or complicated workarounds, SQL+ gives you out of the box. Multiple result set queries, hierarchical or graph data, transient error management, scalar functions, table value functions, table value parameters, and the list goes on. See More

Top Pro

Performance

Because SQL+ .NET is a build time ORM, there is no trans piling or dynamic mapping at run time. Your generated services will run as efficient as possible. See More

See All

11 Options Considered

My Recommendation for DevExpress XPO

My Recommendation for DevExpress XPO

Database support

My Recommendation for Dapper

My Recommendation for Dapper

Very efficient and quick

Not even slightly typesafe

Makes it trivially easy to turn results into objects

A pain to maintain

No need to roll your own conversion layer for the DataReader

It doesn't track objects and their changes so you can just call SubmitChanges()

Makes it trivially easy to correctly parameterize queries

It doesn't generate a class model or queries for you

Makes it trivially easy to execute queries (scalar, multi-rows, multi-grids, and no-results)

Similar performance to a raw SqlCommand with DataReader and parsing

My Recommendation for RepoDb

My Recommendation for RepoDb

Fast

Database Support

Added Postgres and Mysql Support in Newer versions

My Recommendation for Entity Framework

My Recommendation for Entity Framework

Database support

Documentation

Migrations API

My Recommendation for LLBLGen Pro

My Recommendation for LLBLGen Pro

Database first / Model first

Not free

Multi framework support

Async API

My Recommendation for LinqConnect

My Recommendation for LinqConnect

Performance

My Recommendation for DbConnector

My Recommendation for DbConnector

My Recommendation for VITA ORM for .NET

My Recommendation for VITA ORM for .NET

Very easy and effective

Actually usable

My Recommendation for Massive

My Recommendation for Massive

No .NET Core support

My Recommendation for SQLite-net

My Recommendation for SQLite-net

Single file

Easy integration

My Recommendation for SQL+ .NET

My Recommendation for SQL+ .NET

Maintainability

Not an entry level programmers tool

Productivity

Power

Performance

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My Recommendation for MySQL

My Recommendation for MySQL

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