While we need more context as to where this handwritten SQL is going (into a codebase [with parameterization ] to get code reviewed / PRed / compiled , vs. being typed in by a user to some textbox etc. ) to more specifically comment, I have a tendency to avoid ORMs at all costs since (dogma ahead!) they are never worth it long term. In very specific circumstances, they can make translating domain types into database access feel simpler, but their indirect costs almost always outweigh their use in my (limited, granted) experience.