Doctrine

Doctrine

Open-source PHP ORM and DBAL libraries

Overview

Doctrine provides PHP libraries for database storage and object mapping, most notably the Object Relational Mapper (ORM) and the Database Abstraction Layer (DBAL). These open-source tools help PHP developers interact with databases by mapping PHP objects to database tables and by offering a unified API for database operations. The project is widely used across PHP frameworks such as Symfony, Laravel, and Laminas, and is maintained by a volunteer community under the MIT license. Unlike proprietary DB tools, Doctrine is funded through donations and sponsorships, and it also engages the developer community through blogs, events, and consulting. The goal is to give PHP developers stable, flexible database management capabilities and a reliable open-source ecosystem.

About Doctrine

Simplify's Rating
Why Doctrine is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Enterprise Software

Company Size

N/A

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

N/A

Founded

2006

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Doctrine 3.4.0 shipped last week, signaling active feature delivery for modern PHP.
  • Doctrine pushed ORM 2 EOL from February 2026 to at least February 2027.
  • Packagist shows DBAL major 3 adoption around 60 percent, strengthening upgrade momentum.

What critics are saying

  • ORM 2 support ends after February 2027, forcing upgrades across downstream applications.
  • ORM 3 adoption sits at 25-30 percent, delaying ecosystem convergence and support simplification.
  • DBAL 4 and ORM 3 deprecations break legacy code, creating migration toil for maintainers.

What makes Doctrine unique

  • Doctrine ORM and DBAL anchor PHP persistence across Symfony, Laravel, and Laminas.
  • Doctrine 3.4.0 added PHP 8.4 native lazy objects and property hooks support.
  • Doctrine’s 2026 sponsorship program funds maintainers, infrastructure, swag, and conference travel.

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Benefits

Remote Work Options

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Professional Development Budget

Health Insurance

Gym Membership

Commuter Benefits

Meal Benefits

Company News

Doctrine Project
Jun 28th, 2025
ORM 3.4.0 released with Native Lazy Objects and Property hooks support

Last week Doctrine Project has released Doctrine 3.4.0 which primarily adds support for PHP 8.4 functionality:

TYPO3 Association
Sep 21st, 2023
SkillDisplay Partners With the Doctrine Project

Now, SkillDisplay is partnering with Doctrine to offer open data skill definitions for these libraries, creating a shared foundation of competencies that will benefit developers across the community.

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