Quill review
A free, open-source Scala library that translates quoted queries at compile time.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Quill is an open-source Scala library for expressing database queries through a quoted domain-specific language. It maps database schemas to Scala case classes and translates quoted queries into target-language representations at compile time. Developers can also configure validation against a database during compilation. Its focus is typed query construction in Scala, making it relevant to teams that want query checks integrated into their build process rather than a separate visual query builder.
Compile-time translation is the central distinction: queries are written as quoted Scala code, then translated into SQL or Cassandra Query Language (CQL) representations. The optional database validation can check queries during compilation when configured. The supplied project documentation distinguishes Scala 3 support as ProtoQuill, so teams should account for that distinction when evaluating language-version fit. Quill also integrates with Doobie, providing a connection to an existing Scala database library.
Quill is free and open source, with self-hosted deployment and community support. That makes it a fit for Scala teams comfortable incorporating a library into their own application and build workflows. The trade-off is its narrow language focus and the need to configure database validation; it is not aimed at teams seeking a managed query-building service or broad visual tooling. SQL and CQL are named specializations, but the project details do not enumerate supplied dialects, so teams with a specific database target should verify that fit before adopting it. Choose Quill for typed Scala queries and compile-time translation; look elsewhere if you need a hosted interface or broader language coverage.
Quill pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Maps database schemas to Scala case classes
- Translates quoted queries into target-language forms at compile time
- Supports SQL, CQL, and Doobie integration
- Where it doesn't
- Requires Scala development and self-hosted deployment
- Database validation during compilation is optional and requires configuration
- Support is community-based
Quill fact sheet, pricing and score →
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