Why MyBatis-Flex Outperforms MyBatis-Plus: Features, Performance & Quick Start

In the Java persistence layer ecosystem, MyBatis is popular for its flexibility and strong SQL control, but developers often write repetitive CRUD code. MyBatis-Flex is an elegant, lightweight, high‑performance enhancement framework designed to dramatically improve development efficiency.

Key Characteristics of MyBatis-Flex

Lightweight : No third‑party dependencies, no interceptors, implemented via SqlProvider without SQL parsing.

Flexible : Supports multi‑primary keys, multi‑table queries, logical deletion, optimistic lock, data masking, encryption, multiple data sources, sharding, field permissions, multi‑tenant, transaction management, SQL auditing, and more—all for free.

High Performance : Architecture yields 5‑10× faster CRUD, pagination, and batch operations compared to many similar frameworks.

Only Enhances : Retains full compatibility with native MyBatis features.

Comparison with Similar Frameworks

MyBatis-Flex is compared against MyBatis‑Plus (established since 2016) and Fluent‑MyBatis (developed by Alibaba Cloud). The comparison highlights that MyBatis-Flex provides full CRUD, pagination, multi‑table queries, field encryption, data masking, and many enterprise‑grade features without the licensing costs that some alternatives charge.

Performance Comparison

Single‑record query speed: ~5‑10× faster than MyBatis‑Plus.

Querying 10 records: ~5‑10× faster.

Pagination queries: ~5‑10× faster.

Data update speed: ~5‑10× faster.

Detailed benchmark results are available at https://mybatis-flex.com/zh/intro/benchmark.html .

Supported Databases

MyBatis-Flex supports a wide range of databases, including MySQL, MariaDB, Oracle (both 11g and 12c), DB2, HSQL, SQLite, PostgreSQL, SQL Server, DM, Xugu, KingbaseES, Phoenix (HBase), GaussDB, ClickHouse, GBase, OceanBase, Firebird, Derby, HighGo, CUBRID, GOLDILOCKS, CSIIDB, SAP HANA, Impala, Vertica, XCloud, Redshift, OpenGauss, TDengine, Informix, Greenplum, and UXDB. Additional databases can be added via custom dialects.

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Create Database Table

CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `tb_account` (
  `id` INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT,
  `user_name` VARCHAR(100),
  `age` INTEGER,
  `birthday` DATETIME
);
INSERT INTO tb_account(id, user_name, age, birthday) VALUES
  (1, '张三', 18, '2020-01-11'),
  (2, '李四', 19, '2021-03-21');

Step 2: Initialize Spring Boot Project and Add Maven Dependencies

<dependencies>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.mybatis-flex</groupId>
    <artifactId>mybatis-flex-spring-boot-starter</artifactId>
    <version>1.5.3</version>
  </dependency>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.mysql</groupId>
    <artifactId>mysql-connector-j</artifactId>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
  </dependency>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>com.zaxxer</groupId>
    <artifactId>HikariCP</artifactId>
  </dependency>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
    <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
    <scope>test</scope>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

Step 3: Configure Data Source in application.yml

spring:
  datasource:
    url: jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/flex_test
    username: root
    password: 12345678

Step 4: Define Entity and Mapper

@Data
@Table("tb_account")
public class Account {
    @Id(keyType = KeyType.Auto)
    private Long id;
    private String userName;
    private Integer age;
    private Date birthday;
}

public interface AccountMapper extends BaseMapper<Account> {}

Step 5: Use QueryWrapper for Type‑Safe Queries

@SpringBootTest
class MybatisFlexTestApplicationTests {
    @Autowired
    private AccountMapper accountMapper;

    @Test
    void testSelect() {
        QueryWrapper queryWrapper = QueryWrapper.create()
            .select()
            .where(ACCOUNT.AGE.eq(18));
        Account account = accountMapper.selectOneByQuery(queryWrapper);
        System.out.println(account);
    }
}

The ACCOUNT class is auto‑generated by MyBatis‑Flex via annotation processing, allowing static imports without manual coding.

Conclusion

MyBatis-Flex combines extreme lightweight design, powerful features, and unmatched performance while preserving full MyBatis compatibility. It offers enterprise‑grade capabilities such as multi‑data‑source support, data masking, and field encryption for free, making it an excellent choice for developers seeking a modern, efficient MyBatis enhancement framework.

Official documentation: https://mybatis-flex.com/ GitHub repository: https://github.com/mybatis-flex/mybatis-flex