Microsoft SQL Server

Relational database management system for data analytics

About Microsoft SQL Server

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDMS) designed to help businesses of all sizes analyze structured or unstructured data across various data environments including Azure SQL Database, Azure Cosmos DB, MySQL, and more. It enables administrators to track the performance of databases, monitor data lakes, and handle data warehousing operations on a unified platform.

Features of SQL Server include multi-language support, compliance management, data classification, automated alerts, full-text search, and more. It allows software developers to manage big data environments and deploy data clusters of containerized instances of Apache Spark and Hadoop Data File System (HDFS). DevOps teams can also utilize in-memory database capabilities to track the performance of business workloads.

SQL Server provides extract, transform, and load (ETL) capabilities, which enable users to extract business data from various sources, create custom workflows, execute aggregation, deduplication, or merging of data, and export the transformed data into destination databases or files. It allows employees to store digital objects including dynamic management views (DMVs), procedures, indexes, constraints, and transaction logs in a centralized repository.

Pricing starting from:

US$13 748,00/one-time

  • Free Version
  • Free Trial
  • Subscription

Top 5 alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server

Typical Customers

  • Freelancers
  • Small Businesses (2-50)
  • Mid-size Companies (51-500)
  • Large enterprises (500 and more)

Deployment

  • Cloud-based
  • On-premise

Markets

United States

Supported Languages

English

Pricing starting from:

US$13 748,00/one-time

  • Free Version
  • Free Trial
  • Subscription

Top 5 alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server

Images

Microsoft SQL Server Software - SQL Server add or remove content
Microsoft SQL Server Software - SQL Server search content
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Microsoft SQL Server video
Microsoft SQL Server Software - SQL Server add or remove content
Microsoft SQL Server Software - SQL Server search content
Microsoft SQL Server Software - SQL Server manage content

Features

Total features of Microsoft SQL Server: 36

  • API
  • Access Controls/Permissions
  • Ad hoc Analysis
  • Ad hoc Query
  • Ad hoc Reporting
  • Backup and Recovery
  • Benchmarking
  • Collaboration Tools
  • Compliance Management
  • Contact Database
  • Dashboard
  • Data Cleansing
  • Data Connectors
  • Data Dictionary Management
  • Data Extraction
  • Data Import/Export
  • Data Mapping
  • Data Migration
  • Data Profiling
  • Data Quality Control
  • Data Storage Management
  • Data Synchronization
  • Data Transformation
  • Data Verification
  • Data Visualization
  • Full Text Search
  • Performance Analysis
  • Performance Metrics
  • Predictive Analytics
  • Queries
  • Reporting & Statistics
  • Reporting/Analytics
  • Search/Filter
  • Self Service Data Preparation
  • Server Monitoring
  • Visual Analytics

Alternatives

Microsoft Access

4,5
#1 Alternative to Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft Access is a database management system that provides intuitive application development tools to create...

Oracle Primavera Cloud

4,4
#2 Alternative to Microsoft SQL Server
Oracle Primavera is the most powerful, robust, and easy-to-use solution for planning, managing, and executing projects...

SQLite

4,5
#3 Alternative to Microsoft SQL Server
SQLite is an open-source database engine designed to help organizations store, retrieve, and modify data across web...

Oracle PeopleSoft

4,1
#4 Alternative to Microsoft SQL Server
Oracle PeopleSoft is an IT asset management solution that provides complete control over your IT assets throughout the...

Reviews

Overall rating

4,6 /5
(1 827)
Value for Money
4,3/5
Features
4,6/5
Ease of Use
4,3/5
Customer Support
4,3/5

Already have Microsoft SQL Server?

Software buyers need your help! Product reviews help the rest of us make great decisions.

Showing 5 reviews of 1 827
Filipe
Overall rating
  • Industry: Information Technology & Services
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

SQL Server review

Reviewed on 2020/03/10

SQL server is great, because i can use the same language same application, and for small customers...

SQL server is great, because i can use the same language same application, and for small customers it uses free option, and only for best performnace or bigger data need to pay for it
Can use it locally on on cloud

Pros

SQL Server is a great system to develop databases with great functionalities like jobs, procedures, functions ans so one

Cons

For me the only think not so good is performance for bigger batabases, but for me between 10GiB and 15GiB works fine

Alternatives Considered

Oracle Database

Reasons for Choosing Microsoft SQL Server

SQL server is lot less expensive and have a free option for small aplications or for small customers

Switched From

Oracle Database

Reasons for Switching to Microsoft SQL Server

SQL server is lot less expensive and have a free option for small aplications or for small customers
Imi
Overall rating
  • Industry: Political Organization
  • Company size: 201–500 Employees
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 9.0 /10

SQL is getting better as it grows older

Reviewed on 2019/11/21

SQL Server centralized my data and allows my staff to "believe" that they are working in Excel, It...

SQL Server centralized my data and allows my staff to "believe" that they are working in Excel, It is super fast for loading data from the server, and allow large data set that will normally take hours, or even crash the Excel spreadsheet to load without any issue.
When I am ready for a web app.. SQL server is easy as piece to develop a simple CRUD application and push live.
It seem to connect to every thing - from MS Word Mail merge, MS Excel, MS Access and of course for development environment such as Visual Studios.
One Database ( Centralized) and many presentation modes for the end users. I love it!

Pros

MS SQL Server is certainly a competently relational database engine, with reporting service and now R.
Easy to install for small onpremise application.
Easy to administer, easy to backup, easy because it is a Microsoft application.
It is so easy that most of the application today I work on seem to be pulling data from SQL into Excel and or Power BI.
You can start from free version and expand as time goes by.
The management studio take the pain our of scripting, and the online support community most likely have your questions answered with T-SQL scripts for copy and pasting.
If you deciding on an option for an Relational Database system - you should look at this as your most productive option. It allows you to focus on the problem by making the technology easy.

Cons

The new the version, the more memory intensive this management studio will become.
Microsoft need to create some more easy to use tool for change control and change tracking.
Backward compatibility - if you used a higher version during development, then it become a pain to use a lower version during production environment.

Alternatives Considered

PostgreSQL and Oracle Database

Reasons for Choosing Microsoft SQL Server

Ease of use, Easy to learn, easy to teach easy to integrate with well know tools.

Reasons for Switching to Microsoft SQL Server

Cost and community of supporters, access to information on the open internet . Available of training.
chandrabhan
Overall rating
  • Industry: Computer & Network Security
  • Company size: 2–10 Employees
  • Used Daily for 1+ year
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Review of Microsoft SQL Server

Reviewed on 2023/02/08

I can provide you with objective information about Microsoft SQL Server.SQL Server is a relational...

I can provide you with objective information about Microsoft SQL Server.SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It is widely used for managing and storing data in various applications, ranging from small to large-scale enterprises. It provides various features such as reliability, scalability, security, and compatibility with other Microsoft products. The recent versions of SQL Server also offer advanced analytics and machine learning capabilities.SQL Server is highly configurable and offers several editions to meet the needs of different organizations. Additionally, it supports multiple programming languages, including T-SQL, .NET, and Python.Overall, Microsoft SQL Server is a robust and versatile RDBMS that has proven to be a reliable solution for many organizations.

Pros

I can say that Microsoft SQL Server is a popular and widely used relational database management system known for its reliability, performance, and security features. It also offers a comprehensive set of enterprise-level tools and services, making it a suitable option for large-scale data management and business intelligence applications. Additionally, it has a large and active user community, providing extensive resources and support.

Cons

some common criticisms of Microsoft SQL Server:Cost: The cost of acquiring and maintaining SQL Server can be high, especially for enterprise-level users.Complexity: SQL Server can be complex to set up and manage, especially for smaller organizations with limited IT resources.Limited platform support: SQL Server runs primarily on Windows operating systems, limiting its compatibility with other platforms.Lack of open-source options: Unlike other database management systems, SQL Server does not have a widely available open-source alternative, which could limit its accessibility for some users.These are just some of the common criticisms of Microsoft SQL Server and may not apply to all users or use cases.

Sergio R
Overall rating
  • Industry: Internet
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 7.0 /10

Good RDBMS

Reviewed on 2022/06/25

Pros

Very easy to implement and integrate with other systems.

Cons

MS SQL Server consumes almost all compute resourses

Alternatives Considered

PostgreSQL

Reasons for Choosing Microsoft SQL Server

Cost

Switched From

Oracle Database
Adil
Overall rating
  • Industry: Computer Software
  • Company size: Self Employed
  • Used Daily for 2+ years
  • Review Source

Overall rating

  • Value for Money
  • Ease of Use
  • Customer Support
  • Likelihood to recommend 10.0 /10

Review about the evolution of Microsoft SQL Server.

Reviewed on 2023/02/10

After the usage of Microsoft SQL Server for numerous years, I even have observed it to be a...

After the usage of Microsoft SQL Server for numerous years, I even have observed it to be a dependable and steady database control system. Its sturdy functions and intuitive coding language make it appropriate for numerous responsibilities and its user-pleasant interface is straightforward to navigate.

Pros

Microsoft SQL Server may be a reliable management tool that has a secure and structured setting for information storage and retrieval. It offers strong options for data manipulation, as well as advanced question optimization, group action process and performance monitoring. The interface is simple to use and also the cryptography language is intuitive, creating it appropriate for each toughened and novice developers.

Cons

Microsoft SQL Server may be intricate to configure and maintain, because it calls for an in-intensity understanding of database layout and administration. Additionally, sure functions are simplest to be had with the business enterprise edition, which may be steeply-priced for smaller businesses.

Showing 5 reviews of 1 827 Read all reviews

Microsoft SQL Server FAQs

Below are some frequently asked questions for Microsoft SQL Server.

Microsoft SQL Server offers the following pricing plans:

  • Starting from: US$13 748,00/one-time
  • Pricing model: Free Version
  • Free Trial: Available

SQL Server offers a 180-day free trial for new users, after which the software is available across various pricing tiers Enterprise - $13748 Standard (per core) - $3586 Standard (server) - $899 Standard (CAL) - $209 Developer – Available to users for free Express – Available to users for free Additional cost for subscriptions and add-ons include - SQL Server Enterprise - $5434/year SQL Server Standard - $1418/year Big data node cores - $400/year

Microsoft SQL Server has the following typical customers:

Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1 000, 1 001–5 000

Microsoft SQL Server supports the following languages:

English

Microsoft SQL Server supports the following devices:

Microsoft SQL Server integrates with the following applications:

Microsoft Azure, MySQL

Microsoft SQL Server offers the following support options:

Email/Help Desk, FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base, Phone Support, 24/7 (Live rep), Chat

Related categories

See all software categories found for Microsoft SQL Server.