diff --git a/fastmigrate/core.py b/fastmigrate/core.py
index 8f90a12..224bfd2 100644
--- a/fastmigrate/core.py
+++ b/fastmigrate/core.py
@@ -5,16 +5,12 @@
 import sqlite3
 import subprocess
 import sys
-import time
+from sys import stderr
 import warnings
 from datetime import datetime
 from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Dict, Optional
 
-from rich.console import Console
-
-# Initialize Rich console
-console = Console()
 
 __all__ = ["run_migrations", "create_db", "get_db_version", "create_db_backup",
            # deprecated
@@ -242,14 +238,14 @@ def execute_sql_script(db_path: Path, script_path: Path) -> bool:
         
     except sqlite3.Error as e:
         # SQL error occurred
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error[/bold red] executing SQL script {script_path}:")
-        console.print(f"  {e}", style="red")
+        print(f"Error executing SQL script {script_path}:", file=stderr)
+        print(f"  {e}", file=stderr)
         return False
     
     except Exception as e:
         # Handle other errors (file not found, etc.)
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error[/bold red] executing SQL script {script_path}:")
-        console.print(f"  {e}", style="red")
+        print(f"Error executing SQL script {script_path}:", file=stderr)
+        print(f"  {e}", file=stderr)
         return False
         
     finally:
@@ -269,8 +265,9 @@ def execute_python_script(db_path: Path, script_path: Path) -> bool:
         )
         return True
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error[/bold red] executing Python script {script_path}:")
-        console.print(e.stderr.decode(), style="red")
+        print(f"Error executing Python script {script_path}:", file=stderr)
+        sys.stderr.write(e.stderr.decode())
+        print("",file=stderr)
         return False
 
 
@@ -286,8 +283,9 @@ def execute_shell_script(db_path: Path, script_path: Path) -> bool:
         )
         return True
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error[/bold red] executing shell script {script_path}:")
-        console.print(e.stderr.decode(), style="red")
+        print(f"Error executing shell script {script_path}:", file=stderr)
+        sys.stderr.write(e.stderr.decode())
+        print("",file=stderr)
         return False
 
 
@@ -306,7 +304,7 @@ def create_db_backup(db_path: Path) -> Path | None:
     db_path = Path(db_path)
     # Only proceed if the database exists
     if not db_path.exists():
-        console.print(f"[yellow]Warning:[/yellow] Database file does not exist: {db_path}")
+        print(f"Warning: Database file does not exist: {db_path}")
         return None
 
     # Create a timestamped backup filename
@@ -315,7 +313,7 @@ def create_db_backup(db_path: Path) -> Path | None:
 
     # Check if the backup file already exists
     if backup_path.exists():
-        console.print(f"[red]Error:[/red] Backup file already exists: {backup_path}")
+        print(f"Error: Backup file already exists: {backup_path}", file=stderr)
         return None
 
     conn = None
@@ -332,17 +330,17 @@ def create_db_backup(db_path: Path) -> Path | None:
         if not backup_path.exists():
             raise Exception("Backup file was not created")
 
-        console.print(f"[green]Database backup created:[/green] {backup_path}")
+        print(f"Database backup created: {backup_path}")
         return backup_path
     except Exception as e:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error during backup:[/bold red] {e}")
+        print(f"Error during backup: {e}")
         # Attempt to remove potentially incomplete backup file
         if backup_path.exists():
             try:
                 backup_path.unlink() # remove the file
-                console.print(f"[yellow]Removed incomplete backup file:[/yellow] {backup_path}")
+                print(f"Removed incomplete backup file: {backup_path}")
             except OSError as remove_err:
-                console.print(f"[bold red]Error removing incomplete backup file:[/bold red] {remove_err}")
+                print(f"Error removing incomplete backup file: {remove_err}", file=stderr)
         return None
     finally:
         # this runs before return `backup_path` or `return None` in the try block
@@ -373,7 +371,7 @@ def execute_migration_script(db_path: Path, script_path: Path) -> bool:
     elif ext == ".sh":
         return execute_shell_script(db_path, script_path)
     else:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Unsupported script type:[/bold red] {script_path}")
+        print(f"Unsupported script type: {script_path}", file=stderr)
         return False
 
 
@@ -400,14 +398,13 @@ def run_migrations(
     # Keep track of migration statistics
     stats = {
         "applied": 0,
-        "failed": 0,
-        "total_time": 0.0
+        "failed": 0
     }
     
     # Check if database file exists
     if not db_path.exists():
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error:[/bold red] Database file does not exist: {db_path}")
-        console.print("The database file must exist before running migrations.")
+        print(f"Error: Database file does not exist: {db_path}", file=stderr)
+        print("The database file must exist before running migrations.",file=stderr)
         return False
     
     try:
@@ -415,17 +412,15 @@ def run_migrations(
         try:
             create_db(db_path)
         except sqlite3.Error as e:
-            console.print(f"""[bold red]Error:[/bold red] Cannot migrate the db at {db_path}.
+            print(f"""Error: Cannot migrate the db at {db_path}.
 
 This is because it is not managed by fastmigrate. Please do one of the following:
 
 1. Create a new, managed db using `fastmigrate.create_db()` or
 `fastmigrate_create_db`
             
-2. Enroll your existing database, by manually verifying your existing
-db's data matches a version defined by your migration scripts, and
-then setting your db's version explicitly with
-`fastmigrate.core._set_db_version()`. See enrolling.md for guidance.""")
+2. Enroll your existing database, as described in
+https://answerdotai.github.io/fastmigrate/enrolling.html""",file=stderr)
             return False
         
         # Get current version
@@ -435,7 +430,7 @@ def run_migrations(
         try:
             migration_scripts = get_migration_scripts(migrations_dir)
         except ValueError as e:
-            console.print(f"[bold red]Error:[/bold red] {e}")
+            print(f"Error: {e}", file=stderr)
             return False
         
         # Find pending migrations
@@ -447,22 +442,19 @@ def run_migrations(
         
         if not pending_migrations:
             if verbose:
-                console.print(f"[green]Database is up to date[/green] (version {current_version})")
+                print(f"Database is up to date (version {current_version})")
             return True
         
         # Sort migrations by version
         sorted_versions = sorted(pending_migrations.keys())
             
         # Execute migrations
-        start_time = time.time()
         for version in sorted_versions:
             script_path = pending_migrations[version]
             script_name = script_path.name
             
-            # Start timing this migration
-            migration_start = time.time()
             if verbose:
-                console.print(f"[blue]Applying[/blue] migration [bold]{version}[/bold]: [cyan]{script_name}[/cyan]")
+                print(f"Applying migration {version}: {script_name}")
             
             # Each script will open its own connection
             
@@ -470,40 +462,32 @@ def run_migrations(
             success = execute_migration_script(db_path, script_path)
             
             if not success:
-                console.print(f"[bold red]Migration failed:[/bold red] {script_path}")
-                stats["failed"] += 1
-                
                 # Show summary of failure - always show errors regardless of verbose flag
-                console.print("\n[bold red]Migration Failed[/bold red]")
-                console.print(f"  • [bold]{stats['applied']}[/bold] migrations applied")
-                console.print(f"  • [bold]{stats['failed']}[/bold] migrations failed")
-                console.print(f"  • Total time: [bold]{time.time() - start_time:.2f}[/bold] seconds")
+                stats["failed"] += 1
+                print(f"""Migration failed: {script_path}
+  • {stats['applied']} migrations applied
+  • {stats['failed']} migrations failed""", file=stderr)
                 
                 return False
             
-            # Record migration duration
-            migration_duration = time.time() - migration_start
-            stats["total_time"] += migration_duration
             stats["applied"] += 1
             
             # Update version
             _set_db_version(db_path, version)
             if verbose:
-                console.print(f"[green]✓[/green] Database updated to version [bold]{version}[/bold] [dim]({migration_duration:.2f}s)[/dim]")
+                print(f"✓ Database updated to version {version}")
         
         # Show summary of successful run
         if stats["applied"] > 0 and verbose:
-            total_duration = time.time() - start_time
-            console.print("\n[bold green]Migration Complete[/bold green]")
-            console.print(f"  • [bold]{stats['applied']}[/bold] migrations applied")
-            console.print(f"  • Database now at version [bold]{sorted_versions[-1]}[/bold]")
-            console.print(f"  • Total time: [bold]{total_duration:.2f}[/bold] seconds")
+            print("\nMigration Complete")
+            print(f"  • {stats['applied']} migrations applied")
+            print(f"  • Database now at version {sorted_versions[-1]}")
         
         return True
     
     except sqlite3.Error as e:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Database error:[/bold red] {e}")
+        print(f"Database error: {e}", file=stderr)
         return False
     except Exception as e:
-        console.print(f"[bold red]Error:[/bold red] {e}")
+        print(f"Error: {e}", file=stderr)
         return False
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index df39064..3fd22fe 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 license = {text = "MIT"}
 dependencies = [
-    "apswutils>=0.0.2",
-    "rich>=14.0.0",
+    "apswutils>=0.0.2"
 ]
 
 [dependency-groups]