Refinery
Refinery is a free, MIT-licensed SQL migration toolkit for Rust applications.
What Refinery is
Refinery is a free, MIT-licensed SQL migration toolkit for Rust applications. It runs migrations using a database connection provided by the application, either from embedded Rust code or through the refinery_cli command-line tool. Migration definitions can be SQL files or Rust modules whose migration function returns a String. Refinery records applied versions and metadata, then checks for missing or divergent migrations before running unapplied ones. Each migration runs in its own transaction by default; grouped mode can put all migrations in one transaction. Migrations can also be embedded in a binary, eliminating separate migration files at deployment. Listed drivers include postgres, tokio-postgres, mysql, mysql_async, rusqlite, and tiberius. SQLx can be used with a Config that implements Migrate. Driver selection uses features, and maintainers point to external repositories for additional drivers. The project aims to support stable Rust, the previous Rust version, and nightly. To reverse an applied change, users create a new migration containing the reversing changes. Migration versions default to signed 32-bit integers; 64-bit versions require enabling the int8-versions feature before using the database.
Good
- Free and MIT-licensed.
- Supports SQL files and Rust migration modules.
- Tracks versions and checks for divergent migrations.
- Migrations can be embedded in a binary.
- Grouped mode can run migrations in one transaction.
Watch out
- Rollback requires a new reversing migration.
- 64-bit versions must be enabled before database use.
- Additional drivers may be maintained externally.
Who it suits
Refinery is for Rust developers who need to manage SQL migrations against a database connection. It suits projects that want embedded migrations or command-line execution and a listed driver or SQLx configuration.
Verdict
Refinery offers migration tracking and multiple execution formats for Rust projects, with transaction options and binary embedding. Plan for explicit reverse migrations and check driver support before choosing it.
Plans and prices
From Refinery's own pricing page, checked 4 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Refinery | Free | MIT-licensed SQL migration toolkit · database drivers must be selected as features |
The facts
Each one read from Refinery's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Additional drivers
- The maintainers say limited bandwidth favors maintaining additional database drivers in external repositories; the README names Klickhouse as an example.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Embedded migrations
- The project can bake migrations into a binary so no additional files are needed when deployed.checked 4 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is licensed under the MIT License.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Migration formats
- Migrations can be SQL files or Rust modules with a migration function that returns a String.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Migration tracking
- Refinery records applied migration versions and metadata, then checks for divergent or missing migrations before executing unapplied ones.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Refinery is a SQL migration toolkit for Rust that runs migrations on a provided database connection.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Rollback
- To undo a migration, users must create a new migration and write the changes that reverse it.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Run modes
- Migrations can be embedded in Rust code or run through the refinery_cli command-line tool.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Rust support
- The project aims to support stable Rust, the previous Rust version, and nightly.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Source availability
- The project is published as a public GitHub repository.checked 4 Oct 2026
- SQLx
- The README says SQLx can be used by providing a Config that implements Migrate.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Supported drivers
- The README lists postgres, tokio-postgres, mysql, mysql_async, rusqlite, and tiberius as supported drivers.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Transactions
- By default, each migration runs in its own transaction; grouped mode can wrap all migrations in one transaction.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Version limit
- Migration versions default to signed 32-bit integers; the int8-versions feature enables 64-bit versions and must be enabled before use on a database.checked 4 Oct 2026
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