Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL and Docker – Full Setup Guide

Introduction

Looking to modernize your backend stack in 2025? Prisma ORM, when paired with PostgreSQL and Docker, provides a scalable, type-safe, and efficient database solution. Whether you're building with Next.js, Express, or any modern backend, this guide walks you through setting up Prisma ORM with PostgreSQL inside Docker containers.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• Why Prisma + PostgreSQL is a powerful combo

• Setting up a Dockerized PostgreSQL instance

• Installing and configuring Prisma ORM

• Creating your first schema and running migrations

Why Prisma + PostgreSQL + Docker?

Prisma ORM is a next-generation TypeScript ORM that simplifies database access while ensuring type safety and performance. Pairing it with PostgreSQL, a reliable open-source database, and running it all in Docker ensures:

• Consistent environments across teams

• Easy setup and teardown

• Portability for production deployment

Step 1: Create Your Project

Start by creating a new Node.js project:

>_ Bash
1mkdir prisma-postgres-docker
2cd prisma-postgres-docker
3npm init -y

Install dependencies:

>_ Bash
1npm install prisma @prisma/client

Step 2: Initialize Prisma

Run:

>_ Shell
1npx prisma init

This creates a basic Prisma setup with:

• .env for environment variables

• prisma/schema.prisma for your data models

Step 3: Set Up PostgreSQL with Docker

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

>_ Yaml
1version: '3.8'
2services:
3  db:
4    image: postgres:15
5    restart: always
6    environment:
7      POSTGRES_USER: postgres
8      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: password
9      POSTGRES_DB: mydb
10    ports:
11      - "5432:5432"
12    volumes:
13      - pgdata:/var/lib/postgresql/data
14
15volumes:
16  pgdata:

Now run:

>_ Shell
1docker-compose up -d

This will spin up a PostgreSQL container with credentials you can configure in your .env.

Step 4: Connect Prisma to Dockerized PostgreSQL

Update your .env file:

>_ Env
1DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/mydb"

In your schema.prisma file, update the datasource block:

>_ Typescript
1datasource db {
2  provider = "postgresql"
3  url      = env("DATABASE_URL")
4}

Step 5: Define Your First Prisma Model

Inside schema.prisma, add:

>_ Typescript
1model User {
2  id        String   @id @default(uuid())
3  email     String   @unique
4  name      String?
5  createdAt DateTime @default(now())
6}

Run the migration:

>_ Bash
1npx prisma migrate dev --name init

This will:

• Create a migration file

• Apply it to your PostgreSQL DB

• Generate Prisma Client

Step 6: Use Prisma Client in Your App

Create a prisma/client.ts file:

>_ Ts
1import { PrismaClient } from '@prisma/client';
2const prisma = new PrismaClient();
3export default prisma;

Now, use it anywhere:

>_ Typescript
1import prisma from './prisma/client';
2async function main() {
3  const user = await prisma.user.create({
4    data: {
5      email: 'test@example.com',
6      name: 'Lakshay',
7    },
8  });
9  console.log(user);
10}
11main();

Step 7: Useful Prisma CLI Commands

• npx prisma studio – GUI to view and edit DB records

• npx prisma generate – Regenerates Prisma client

• npx prisma format – Autoformats the schema

Bonus: Dockerize the Entire Project (Optional)

Add a Dockerfile to containerize your app too:

>_ Docker
1FROM node:20-alpine
2WORKDIR /app
3COPY package*.json ./
4RUN npm install
5COPY . .
6CMD ["node", "index.js"]

Then, extend docker-compose.yml to include the app container if needed.

Conclusion

With Prisma ORM, PostgreSQL, and Docker, you now have a clean, modern, and scalable backend setup perfect for projects in 2025. This stack is highly recommended for full-stack apps built with Next.js, Express, or NestJS.