Oracle Database In-Memory vs SQL Server comparison

Cancel
You must select at least 2 products to compare!
Comparison Buyer's Guide
Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Oracle Database In-Memory and SQL Server based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Relational Databases Tools solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.
To learn more, read our detailed Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server Report (Updated: March 2024).
765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Featured Review
Quotes From Members
We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use.
Here are some excerpts of what they said:
Pros
"The scalability is very good.""Oracle Database In-Memory is a suite of features that improves performance for real-time analytics and mixed workloads.""Normally, every database server uses hard disks. In-Memory has a feature, apart from their database, which is very good. When we start our server, all your data needs loading memory. We can use that. It's a very good feature. I think they added this feature in 2019. We can mount memory in the partition, create partitions in there, and create table space from that spot to share. It's a really good feature. We use it a lot.""We use the tool for real-time data transfer for risk management purposes. In a trading system, conversions happen fast. We use the product to handle fast transactions with low latency.""The solution's ROI is excellent.""The application development is very user-friendly.""The most valuable feature is that Database-In-Memory is more consistent and faster than traditional databases as it requires fewer CPUs to process instructions.""I like Oracle because it is a backward-compatible solution."

More Oracle Database In-Memory Pros →

"If you need to, you can scale the solution very easily.""SQL Server is essentially the backbone of every microservice. From a developer's perspective, it is the backbone of all microservices. The tool enables data retrieval, set data, and essential operations, ensuring the smooth functioning of applications. In essence, it is the integral part that keeps applications operational.""We have found there are many useful features such as the solution is continually being upgraded, ETL capabilities for extracting and transformation, and it is very easy to use.""We are using the net for our environment. We're using the ADF Azure data factory for our analysis services, and it is pretty good.""The documentation and manuals are very good.""Comparing with other database management systems that I tried in other companies, SQL Server is quite easy to install, configure, and maintain.""The solution has proven to be very stable.""We have found the solution valuable because we are able to easily create a query, shrink, backup, and make new tables."

More SQL Server Pros →

Cons
"Technical support is below our expectations currently. It could be improved.""The product could be more economical.""It would be good if Oracle could reduce downtime when transferring from non-In-Memory to In-Memory.""The solution should move to the new way of writing software code with AI that is intelligent and learns.""Oracle should include column store or advanced query optimization so a database can be optimized by enabling analytic queries to run faster.""The query optimization and backup features should be added.""Lacks sufficient integration with other tools.""The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."

More Oracle Database In-Memory Cons →

"Their datatypes need improvement.""The installation process should be simplified.""The agility of the non-SQL-based features is relevant on the market.""SQL Server could improve by enhancing the integration abilities, adding more inbuilt data security features, and simplifying the maintenance.""Technical support could be faster.""There should be more tools and documentation for tuning the performance of Microsoft SQL Server. It would be nice to have more tools for tuning because currently, all the tuning that we have to do with our databases is almost manual. We have to read a bunch of knowledge base articles, and this information should be better documented. Its free text search should also be improved. It is quite important for us. Currently, we're developing our own free text search because of the lacking flexibility in Microsoft SQL Server. Therefore, we're kind of using elastic search and making different implementations in order to reach our targets. Using just the native free text search of Microsoft SQL Server is not enough for us. It should have more flexible features as compared to the current version.""It would be nice if they can reduce its price.""Query optimitzer could be simplified."

More SQL Server Cons →

Pricing and Cost Advice
  • "Database In-Memory is priced a bit higher than its competitors like Microsoft."
  • "The pricing is pretty good so I rate it an eight out of ten."
  • "Oracle Database In-Memory is expensive."
  • "I rate the pricing a zero out of ten because Database In-Memory is too costly."
  • "It's quite costly and it comes with a fixed price."
  • "The solution's pricing is high."
  • "The product is expensive."
  • "There is a need to make a yearly payment towards the licensing costs, after which there is any to pay towards the support cost attached to the solution."
  • More Oracle Database In-Memory Pricing and Cost Advice →

  • "The free version is cumbersome to use and maintain. But $5000 for a licence is more expense than the benefit I would get from a licensed version. A licence might be worth the price to simplify management and speed up searches."
  • "​We are a Microsoft shop, so we use Active Directory. That integrates well with this product, but we did look at Oracle. We also looked at IBM. This was the best price point for us for what we were getting.​"
  • "​It has the easiest licensing."
  • "This is a downside of enterprise Microsoft products."
  • "Currently, almost all of my machines are in Azure and I think it is the best way of licensing now (VM+software)."
  • "The price has been going higher and higher. The market is quite price sensitive."
  • "My advice is quite straightforward. If you know the number of users who really and truly need access to the Server then it is a no-brainer. If you do not know, then get the basic package and minimum licenses and start from there. Needless to say, users can develop/use data structures outside and then deploy onto the Server."
  • "The setup cost is high, but it will return every penny."
  • More SQL Server Pricing and Cost Advice →

    report
    Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Relational Databases Tools solutions are best for your needs.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Questions from the Community
    Top Answer:The cost of the product is high. There is a need to make a yearly payment towards the licensing costs, after which there is any to pay towards the support cost attached to the solution.
    Top Answer:The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required. The installation process of the product is not straightforward, making it an area where improvements are required… more »
    Top Answer:SQL Server is fairly priced because it has various editions, depending on the number of users, servers, or core packs you are using. If you compare the product to others in this category, the prices… more »
    Top Answer:SQL Server has helped my organization through partitioning to distribute the workload, as it splits them up into smaller pieces so the machines can easily deal with it. However, this comes with a high… more »
    Top Answer:My company connects through SQL Server authentication. We have company Windows accounts, but we do not want to connect the two, out of security concerns and to keep things separated for our own… more »
    Ranking
    Views
    1,819
    Comparisons
    1,430
    Reviews
    10
    Average Words per Review
    403
    Rating
    8.9
    Views
    33,485
    Comparisons
    25,100
    Reviews
    26
    Average Words per Review
    361
    Rating
    8.6
    Comparisons
    Also Known As
    Microsoft SQL Server, MSSQL, MS SQL
    Learn More
    Overview

    Oracle Database In-Memory transparently accelerates analytics by orders of magnitude while simultaneously speeding up mixed-workload OLTP. With Oracle Database In-Memory, users get immediate answers to business questions that previously took hours.

    Oracle Database In-Memory delivers leading-edge in-memory performance without the need to restrict functionality, or accept compromises, complexity and risk. Deploying Oracle Database In-Memory with any existing Oracle Database compatible application is as easy as flipping a switch - no application changes are required. Oracle Database In-Memory is fully integrated with the Oracle Database’s renowned scale-up, scale-out, storage tiering, availability, and security technologies making it the most industrialstrength offering on the market.

    The ability to easily perform real-time data analysis together with real-time transaction processing on all existing applications enables organizations to transform into Real-Time Enterprises that quickly make data-driven decisions, respond instantly to customer demands, and continuously optimize all key processes.

    For more information on Oracle Database In-Memory, visit Oracle.com

    SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. The product's main purposes are to store data and retrieve it as requested by other software applications - on the same computer or on another computer across a shared network. The solution is built on top of Structured Query Language (SQL), which is a standardized programming language used for relational database management.

    The product is tied to Transact-SQL (T-SQL), which is an implementation of SQL from Microsoft that adds several proprietary programming extensions to the standard language. SQL Server is built similarly to other RDBMS products, as its structure is a row-based table that connects related data elements in different tables to one another. One of its most important components is the SQL Server Database Engine, as it controls data processing, storage, and security. Beneath the Database Engine is the SQL Server Operating System, which is used for memory and I/O management, locking data to avoid unneeded upgrades, and job scheduling.

    The solution has four editions with different sets of services and tools. They include:

    • SQL Server Developer
    • SQL Server Expression
    • SQL Server Standard 
    • SQL Server Enterprise

    The first two are available for free and are typically utilized by smaller companies, as they work with fewer functions and storage. The second two editions are generally used by bigger organizations and enterprises and offer more features.

    The solution has several functions through which users can facilitate different data-related processes. These include:

    • Aggregate functions: These functions are used to calculate one or more values and return a single value.

    • Window functions: Window functions calculate an aggregate value based on a group of rows and return multiple rows for each involved group.

    • Date functions: These functions allow clients to handle data and time data efficiently.

    • String functions: Through the string functions, SQL Server processes an input string and returns a string or numeric value.

    • System functions: The system functions of the product return objects, values, and settings.

    SQL Server Services

    SQL Server has a wide range of add-on services that provide additional benefits beyond database management. These services include:

    • Machine learning: SQL Server machine learning services allow users to do machine learning and data analytics within the product.
       
    • Service broker: This feature is a part of the database engine and offers messaging and message queuing for applications on the platform.

    • Replication: This feature consists of transaction replication, merge replication, and snapshot replication. 

    • Analysis: SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) adds online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining capabilities to SQL Server databases.

    • Reporting: This feature supports the development of custom reporting applications.

    • Notifications: This feature generates data-driven notifications which are sent to subscribers of Notification Services.

    • Integration: This SQL Server feature provides capabilities for data integration, data import, and data warehousing.

    • Full-text search: Through this feature, users can utilize specialized indexing and query for unstructured text stored in the solution.

    • Visual studio: This feature supports data programming with SQL Server.

    • Azure Data Studio: This is a cross-platform query editor that can be downloaded and used alongside SQL Server.

    SQL Server Benefits

    The solution has many benefits for users. These include the following:

    • The platform ensures a consistent experience across other platforms while being fast and agile.

    • Through the built-in intelligence features, users can understand their data better.

    • The solution has enterprise-level security, which ensures the smooth and safe performance of users' data.

    • SQL Server offers the ability to retrieve large amounts of data quickly and efficiently.

    • The product installation process is fairly easy, and it offers a user-friendly interface.

    • SQL Server offers improved data storage and retrieval functions through frequent upgrades.

    • The solution reduces the risk of database server attacks, since it is not an open-source database.

    Reviews from Real Users

    A president at a consultancy evaluates SQL Server as a veteran solution with critical log shipping feature

    Harkamal S., a user at a manufacturing company, rates SQL Server with a high mark because it is a stable, scalable, and easy-to-deploy solution that pretty much covers everything.

    Sample Customers
    Shanghai Customs
    Microsoft SQL Server is used by businesses in every industry, including Great Western Bank, Aviva, the Volvo Car Corporation, BMW, Samsung, Principality Building Society, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.
    Top Industries
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Manufacturing Company18%
    Government12%
    Computer Software Company12%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Financial Services Firm21%
    Computer Software Company13%
    Manufacturing Company9%
    Government8%
    REVIEWERS
    Financial Services Firm18%
    Computer Software Company12%
    Manufacturing Company10%
    Comms Service Provider5%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Educational Organization42%
    Financial Services Firm9%
    Computer Software Company8%
    Manufacturing Company5%
    Company Size
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business23%
    Midsize Enterprise15%
    Large Enterprise62%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business16%
    Midsize Enterprise12%
    Large Enterprise72%
    REVIEWERS
    Small Business41%
    Midsize Enterprise21%
    Large Enterprise38%
    VISITORS READING REVIEWS
    Small Business13%
    Midsize Enterprise48%
    Large Enterprise39%
    Buyer's Guide
    Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server
    March 2024
    Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server and other solutions. Updated: March 2024.
    765,386 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    Oracle Database In-Memory is ranked 8th in Relational Databases Tools with 27 reviews while SQL Server is ranked 1st in Relational Databases Tools with 245 reviews. Oracle Database In-Memory is rated 8.8, while SQL Server is rated 8.4. The top reviewer of Oracle Database In-Memory writes "User friendly with great scalability but needs to move toward intelligent AI". On the other hand, the top reviewer of SQL Server writes "A stable, scalable, and easy-to-deploy solution that pretty much covers everything". Oracle Database In-Memory is most compared with SAP HANA, Progress OpenEdge RDBMS, IBM Db2 Database, MariaDB and kdb+, whereas SQL Server is most compared with MariaDB, SAP HANA, Oracle Database, IBM Db2 Database and LocalDB. See our Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server report.

    See our list of best Relational Databases Tools vendors.

    We monitor all Relational Databases Tools reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.