Sqitch
Sqitch is a standalone database change management tool. It runs native SQL deploy, revert, and verify scripts per engine. We assess it for schema delivery when teams want migrations outside ORM-owned changelogs. It orders changes through a plan file and dependency graph instead of numbered files alone.
Blurb
Sqitch is not tied to any framework, ORM, or platform. Rather, it is a standalone change management system with no opinions about your database engine, application framework, or development environment.
Summary
What it is: A CLI and project layout for database schema evolution. Each change gets deploy, revert, and optional verify scripts in engine-native SQL (for example psql for Postgres). A sqitch.plan file records change names, dependencies, and integrity hashes in a Merkle-style chain.
When to use: Multi-engine shops, SQL-first teams, and services where ORM migration tools feel too coupled to application code. Good when you need explicit revert scripts and verify checks in CI before promote.
When to skip: Small apps with a single ORM that already ships reliable migrations. Teams that want one Java or .NET stack tool with no separate SQL workflow. Greenfield Postgres-only work where Flyway-style numbered SQL is already standard and working.
Workflow: sqitch init, sqitch add, edit deploy/revert/verify scripts, sqitch deploy, tag releases when the plan should freeze. Changes can be rewritten until tagged, which supports iterative or test-driven schema work.
Details
| Topic | Notes |
|---|---|
| Engines | Postgres, SQLite, MySQL, Oracle, Firebird, Vertica, Exasol, Snowflake, ODBC (feature flags at build time) |
| Layout | sqitch.plan, deploy/, revert/, verify/ directories per project |
| Config | sqitch.conf at project, user, or system scope (Git-like layering) |
| CI | Run sqitch deploy and sqitch verify against ephemeral or staging targets |
Practices: Keep DDL and DML in separate changes when verify tests need an empty schema. Declare cross-project dependencies when shared libraries ship their own plans. Tag before release so deployed hashes lock and scripts stop being editable.
References