> And how hard is it to embed SQL for a few specific queries even when using ORM
This is the thing that many people seem to forget. Every ORM I've used has allowed you to write your own SQL for those times where the DBAL is limited or not performing well. In my experiences, those times are rare. Some ORMs (like Doctrine) even have their own DSL so that you can write complex queries and still have the benefit of a DBAL.
I'm currently working with a team on a large project where all the SQL is written by hand, and results are hydrated into plain ol' arrays. The maintenance overhead for schema changes is huge due to the number of queries which need to be updated, and there are constant bugs caused by columns being left out of SELECT statements. On top of that, the testability of the entire app suffers because most methods talk directly to the DB. It's truly a nightmare. I've never experienced these problems with an ORM.
This is the thing that many people seem to forget. Every ORM I've used has allowed you to write your own SQL for those times where the DBAL is limited or not performing well. In my experiences, those times are rare. Some ORMs (like Doctrine) even have their own DSL so that you can write complex queries and still have the benefit of a DBAL.
I'm currently working with a team on a large project where all the SQL is written by hand, and results are hydrated into plain ol' arrays. The maintenance overhead for schema changes is huge due to the number of queries which need to be updated, and there are constant bugs caused by columns being left out of SELECT statements. On top of that, the testability of the entire app suffers because most methods talk directly to the DB. It's truly a nightmare. I've never experienced these problems with an ORM.