TypeSQL vs Prisma TypedSQL

TypedSQL is Prisma ORM's way to run typed raw SQL. You put each query in a .sql file under prisma/sql, and prisma generate --sql connects to your database to type it.

The same query

With TypedSQL, in prisma/sql/recentPosts.sql:

SELECT u.id, u.email, p.title
FROM users u
LEFT JOIN posts p ON p.author_id = u.id
WHERE u.created_at > $1

import { recentPosts } from "./generated/prisma/sql";

const rows = await prisma.$queryRawTyped(recentPosts(new Date("2026-01-01")));

With TypeSQL, the SQL stays next to the code that runs it:

const rows = await sql(
	`SELECT u.id, u.email, p.title
   FROM users u
   LEFT JOIN posts p ON p.author_id = u.id
   WHERE u.created_at > ${sql.param(new Date("2026-01-01"))}`,
).execute();

How they differ

	Prisma TypedSQL	TypeSQL
You write	SQL in .sql files	SQL strings in TypeScript
Types come from	a running database	the TypeScript compiler, reading your schema type
Extra step	prisma generate --sql after each query change	none
Nullability	what the database reports	worked out from the SQL (LEFT JOIN, WHERE x IS NOT NULL, COALESCE)
Dynamic queries	each file is one fixed statement	fragments
Databases	PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite and others Prisma supports	PostgreSQL and SQLite; MySQL is planned

Choose Prisma TypedSQL when

• You already use Prisma ORM and only need a few raw queries.
• You use MySQL.
• You'd rather check queries against the real database than keep a schema type in sync with it.

Choose TypeSQL when

• You want types as you type, with no database running and no generate step.
• You want nullability from joins and filters rather than the database's guess.
• Some queries are built from pieces at runtime.

Using them together

@typesql/prisma runs on the same Prisma Client and reads its schema from Prisma, so TypeSQL queries and TypedSQL files can live side by side. See From Kysely, Drizzle or Prisma.