This is a false dichotomy isn't it? Most ORMs allow the developer to bypass the ORM and use raw SQL when the need arises, so I don't really see the point of av

This is a false dichotomy isn't it? Most ORMs allow the developer to bypass the ORM and use raw SQL when the need arises, so I don't really see the point of avoiding ORMs. Across the lifespan of a project, in early stages, a developer would discover that ORMs provide code maintainability and depend heavily on it. As project requirements increase in complexity, raw SQLs will be required because of performance reasons.