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Oracle Database In-Memory vs SQL Server 2014 Express comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Oracle Database In-Memory
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
10th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
33
Ranking in other categories
Embedded Database (4th)
SQL Server 2014 Express
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
28th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
4
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Oracle Database In-Memory is 2.0%, up from 1.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SQL Server 2014 Express is 0.2%. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Oracle Database In-Memory2.0%
SQL Server 2014 Express0.2%
Other97.8%
Relational Databases Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Hosney Osman - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Solution Architect at Vodafone
Real-time analytics have transformed response times and support huge data volumes with compression
I do not have any comment related to the improvement of the solution; for sure, it needs improvement, but for my use cases, it is very sufficient, and I think for the biggest companies, it needs a very powerful infrastructure. The area where improvement is required the most in the product is the UI. The problem with the UI is that it is not complex for understanding, but it needs some training to know what each button does, how it works, and the many variables needed.
reviewer2805456 - PeerSpot reviewer
Student at a university with 501-1,000 employees
Practical database projects have strengthened my query skills and improved real data handling
However, I also realized its limitation when I tried working on a large database. It is not perfect because it provides 10 GB per database. If we are storing a large database or large data, 10 GB is not proper for storing. Overall, I would recommend SQL Server 2014 Express for a student and as a free version you can use it, but not for a large database or a company database. There are also performance issues. SQL Server 2014 Express is fast, but it is not perfectly scalable because it provides only 10 GB per database size. However, it has proper error handling. I think SQL Server 2014 Express can be improved by first improving the database size. Making the maximum size a user can have per database is needed. Right now it is 10 GB. Increase it to a maximum so a user can save as much data as they want, approaching unlimited data storage. Additionally, the operating system should be supported on every Windows variation, including Linux and every other operating system. A backup option is also needed because SSMS is not providing built-in backup features.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"Oracle is the best database, but I love open-source software."
"The solution is very fast."
"Performance is probably the number one feature, because when we use it for OLTP, the response for the end-user is pretty fast, with website response times in micro milliseconds instead of waiting a few seconds for a page to load."
"The most valuable aspects of this solution are the fast caching and improved performance to the database."
"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."
"The warehouse is the solution's most valuable aspect."
"We can integrate it with any data sources as well."
"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."
"SQL Server 2014 Express has impacted my organization positively because it is time-saving."
"The best features of SQL Server 2014 Express are that it can be downloaded, it is open source, can be downloaded on any desktop, and it is a free version with no charge for downloads, making it highly useful for students and developers building applications for standalone or enterprise applications."
"SQL Server 2014 Express helped me gain a real-world application and practical database skills."
"SQL Server 2014 Express has positively impacted my organization by improving my knowledge in SQL coding and making my work faster."
 

Cons

"In the next release, Oracle should include column store or advanced query optimization so a database can be optimized by enabling analytic queries to run faster."
"We use some partitions in In-Memory. We have a very large table and a low dose. It is very expensive in data to load all of them into In-Memory. It takes up more memory slots in the server, as well as a lot of RAM. We use last partitions on the table. We always need to create a script and make a schedule that can load a last partition in In-Memory. Oracle doesn't have features to do this automatically. I would like them to allow us to load last partitions, as well as other table partitions, in In-Memory. I think a good feature would do that automatically, letting you see a table, load a large partition, and monitor loading memory. It's quite a good feature."
"The product could benefit from enhancements in its graphical user interface."
"The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Multitenant, to be honest, is a little adolescent at this point."
""It depends". If you get a good support engineer, it is a dream. But, most times, it is not, unfortunately."
"You need to have platinum service to get good support. Otherwise, you'll have to struggle a bit."
"The area where improvement is required the most in the product is the UI."
"However, I also realized its limitation when I tried working on a large database. It is not perfect because it provides 10 GB per database."
"Whenever we put more data, the query time is more because it is not an Enterprise version and the data storage is limited to 10 GB, which is the only drawback I can identify."
"SQL Server 2014 Express can be improved by increasing the maximum 10 gigabytes for a database, as it would be better if this limit were increased."
"SQL Server 2014 Express can be improved as there are some resource limits. There are limitations on database size, memory, and CPU usage which restrict scalability."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 product is expensive."
"The pricing is pretty good so I rate it an eight out of ten."
"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."
"Oracle Database In-Memory is expensive."
"The solution's pricing is high."
"Database In-Memory is priced a bit higher than its competitors like Microsoft."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Marketing Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Computer Software Company
6%
Construction Company
36%
Healthcare Company
17%
Computer Software Company
15%
Transportation Company
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business6
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise23
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Oracle Database In-Memory?
We can integrate it with any data sources as well.
What needs improvement with Oracle Database In-Memory?
I do not have any comment related to the improvement of the solution; for sure, it needs improvement, but for my use cases, it is very sufficient, and I think for the biggest companies, it needs a ...
What needs improvement with SQL Server 2014 Express?
I cannot particularly mention one scenario where SQL Server 2014 Express has helped us the best, as it has helped in all scenarios. Whenever we put more data, the query time is more because it is n...
What is your primary use case for SQL Server 2014 Express?
SQL Server 2014 Express is a free, entry-level relational database recommended for lightweight as well as for small-scale and small embedded deployments, using the same core databases as the Enterp...
What advice do you have for others considering SQL Server 2014 Express?
If anyone is considering a product, I recommend SQL Server 2014 Express for development works, small data insertion, or performing basic insertions or storing data. It is one of the best products i...
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Shanghai Customs
Information Not Available
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server 2014 Express and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.
885,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.