# Prisma ORM

Create a Prisma ORM app backed by Prisma Postgres.

## [Quick start](#quick-start)

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bun create prisma@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm create prisma@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn create prisma@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npm create prisma@latest
```

Run this from a Node.js 22.18 or newer (on the 24 line, 24.11 or newer) environment; Node.js 24 is recommended. When prompted, choose PostgreSQL, and answer No to `Deploy to Prisma now?`.

Setup adds a starter contract, creates `prisma-8.md`, installs project-level Prisma ORM skills for your coding agent, and adds package scripts for the database steps below. Choose the minimal template if you want the fastest first run, or a framework template when you want the first query wired into an app route or page.
:::
::::

Run this from a Node.js 22.18 or newer (on the 24 line, 24.11 or newer) environment; Node.js 24 is recommended. When prompted, choose PostgreSQL, and answer No to `Deploy to Prisma now?`.

Setup adds a starter contract, creates `prisma-8.md`, installs project-level Prisma ORM skills for your coding agent, and adds package scripts for the database steps below. Choose the minimal template if you want the fastest first run, or a framework template when you want the first query wired into an app route or page.

## [1. Create the database](#1-create-the-database)

Create a Prisma Postgres database from the terminal and export its connection string. The generated scripts read the environment variable, not `.env`:

::::tabs
:::tab{title="bun"}
```
bunx create-db@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="pnpm"}
```bash
pnpm dlx create-db@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="yarn"}
```bash
yarn dlx create-db@latest
```
:::

:::tab{title="npm"}
```bash
npx create-db@latest
```

```bash
export DATABASE_URL="<the connection string create-db printed>"
```

The command also prints a claim URL; open it within 24 hours to keep the database in your account.
:::
::::

```
export DATABASE_URL="<the connection string create-db printed>"
```

The command also prints a claim URL; open it within 24 hours to keep the database in your account.

## [2. Initialize the database](#2-initialize-the-database)

From the generated project directory, run `db:init` to apply the starter schema to Prisma Postgres and sign the database.

:::code-group
```title="bun"
bun run db:init
```

```bash title="pnpm"
pnpm run db:init
```

```bash title="yarn"
yarn db:init
```

```bash title="npm"
npm run db:init
```
:::

Sample users are seeded automatically the first time the app queries the database, so there is no separate seed step.

## [3. Run the app](#3-run-the-app)

Start the app and confirm the sample query runs successfully.

:::code-group
```title="bun"
bun run dev
```

```bash title="pnpm"
pnpm run dev
```

```bash title="yarn"
yarn dev
```

```bash title="npm"
npm run dev
```
:::

Use the URL or terminal output shown by your template to confirm the sample query runs successfully.

## [Next steps](#next-steps)

- Open the generated contract and change the starter model.
- Use [Import from PostgreSQL](/guides/migrating-off-accelerate-prisma-postgres-import-from-existing-database-postgresql) or [Import from MySQL](/guides/prisma-postgres-import-from-existing-database-mysql) when you want to move an existing database to Prisma Postgres.
- Use the [PostgreSQL existing-project guide](/guides/prisma-orm-2-prisma-orm-add-to-existing-project-postgresql) when your app already has a Prisma Postgres database.

## Related pages

- [Authentication & Tools](./authentication-tools-index.md)
- [Build](./build-index.md)
- [Changelog](../changelog.md)
- [Concepts](./concepts-index.md)
- [Console commands](./console-commands-index.md)
- [Contract Authoring](./contract-authoring-index.md)
- [Core Concepts](./core-concepts-index.md)
- [Data Modeling](./data-modeling-index.md)
- [Database](./database-index.md)
- [DB commands](./db-commands-index.md)

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