db-migrate vs Phinx
db-migrate
github.comPhinx
phinx.orgSide by side
| Figure | db-migrate | Phinx |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Database Migration Tools | 8.5 (#5) | 7.8 (#16) |
| Environments | Environment settings can be loaded from database.json, with CLI options to choose an environment and config file. | Phinx supports multiple database environments, so migrations can be created in development and run in production. |
| Installation | The project documents global installation with npm install -g db-migrate and local installation with npm install db-migrate. | The site recommends installing Phinx with Composer and running it from the command line. |
| Purpose | db-migrate describes itself as a database migration framework for Node.js. | Phinx manages database migrations for PHP applications. |
| Support | The repository invites users to seek project support through backer and sponsor contributions. | The Phinx site points users to its documentation and GitHub issue tracker for support. |
Plans
In their own words
db-migrate
db-migrate is a free, open-source database migration framework for Node.js applications. It runs on Linux and can be self-hosted. The command-line interface provides up, down, reset, create, and db commands for applying, rolling back, resetting, creating, and managing migrations. Supported databases listed by the project include MySQL, PostgreSQL, sqlite3, MongoDB, and CockroachDB, with database drivers installed separately. Migration files support callback-based or promise-based interfaces, while the --sql-file option creates separate SQL files for migration-up and migration-down statements. Applied migrations are recorded in a migrations table. Environment settings can come from database.json, with command-line choices for the environment and configuration file. Database usernames and passwords can reference environment variables. Global and local npm installation are documented. Node.js 24 and newer are officially supported; package metadata specifies version 8.0.0 or later. Rollback is supported, and the format is mixed.