Oracle Database vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise comparison

Oracle and SAP are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Oracle is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.3, while SAP is ranked #20 with an average rating of 8.0. Oracle holds a 10.9% mindshare in SQL, compared to SAP’s 1.4% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Oracle users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 85% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Oracle Database

Read 293 Oracle Database reviews

14,179 Views
13,186 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Read 14 SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise reviews

1,520 Views
1,429 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

Oracle Database

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Oracle Database and SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise compete in the enterprise database management category. Oracle Database appears to have the upper hand due to its high availability, reliability, and a comprehensive feature set that supports large enterprise needs.

Features: Oracle Database is known for its high availability, robust security, and support for massive data volumes, making it suitable for large enterprises. Its diagnostic capabilities help in maintaining consistent performance levels. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is recognized for its cost-efficiency, ability to handle diverse data types including views and objects, and its efficiency in using infrastructure, appealing to transactions-heavy users with budget constraints.

Room for Improvement: Oracle Database faces criticism for its high licensing costs and complexity in setup. Its feature-rich environment can cause performance issues if not properly managed, and its licensing model lacks flexibility. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise struggles with fewer updates to meet evolving transaction needs and may face end-of-life support from SAP, prompting users to transition to newer solutions like S/4HANA.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Oracle Database offers on-premises, hybrid, and cloud deployment models, with customer service noted for being proactive yet sometimes slow and challenging. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise provides quick support, though it has faced criticism for market positioning and infrequent updates.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle Database, while known for high costs, justifies these with its stability and performance, making it a staple for large enterprises but potentially cost-prohibitive for smaller businesses. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise offers more affordable options, efficient infrastructure use, and appeals to organizations handling high transaction volumes while managing budget constraints.

To learn more, read our detailed Oracle Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise Report (Updated: April 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

April 2026

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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

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

293

Ranking in other categories

Database Management Systems (DBMS) (2nd)

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

20th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Oracle Database is 10.9%, down from 12.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is 1.4%, up from 0.9% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Oracle Database	10.9%
SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise	1.4%
Other	87.7%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Usman Muzaffar

Senior Vice President IT Operations at ZTBL

Running secure internal banking applications has been reliable and supports fast deployments

I am still working with Oracle products. I am still using Enterprise Manager 14c. I am using Oracle Database, Oracle ExaCC, Oracle EBS, Oracle WebLogic, Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Oracle Linux. I can answer questions about my experience with WebLogic Suite. I use it in my company. I have not used WebLogic's diagnostic tools. I do not utilize its lifecycle management features. I do not have much experience with WebLogic Java EE support, as I just deploy the application and the other team utilizes this server. I am not directly involved in WebLogic. I have been using Oracle Linux myself. The deployment is local, on-premises. I have been working with Enterprise Manager as well. All the components of Oracle I am using are on-premises. I use Oracle 19c database, Oracle ExaCC, Exadata on Cloud at Customer. I have been using Oracle Linux, Enterprise Manager, and databases as well. I have been working with Oracle Database for about 20 years. My experience has been 100% positive with Oracle Database. I have utilized its Real Application Clusters along with Data Guard. I do not use Oracle's Advanced Analytics and machine learning features right now. I have given this review an overall rating of 9 out of 10.

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reviewer2784705

Senior Advisor at a government with 10,001+ employees

Long term database experience has supported OLTP workloads and delivers reliable cross platform migrations

SAP is not putting money into modernizing SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise. One of the things I discovered on the last project I was on was that they did not incorporate the Intel new instruction set in SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise. Intel has augmented its instruction set referred to as new instructions. They did that to make conversion easier. When you migrate SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise cross-platform, you go through a process where it converts the character set. If you are going from AIX to Linux or from Solaris to Linux, Linux is referred to as Little Endian, while AIX or Solaris are considered Big Endian. This is determined by how the product stores data. The word size of these processors is 32 bits long. If you start numbering from the little end, it is referred to as Little Endian. If you start numbering from the big end, it is called Big Endian. To migrate a SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise database from a Big Endian setup like AIX or Solaris to migrate to a Big Endian setup on an Intel, the operating system determines whether it is Little Endian or Big Endian. When you migrate from Big Endian to Little Endian, the database has to go through a character set conversion, and some of these databases are quite large with gigabytes and gigabytes of data. They have to do a character set conversion to the existing database before they do anything else. The worst part is that you have to rebuild all the indexes when you do that. When you switch endianness of the database, you have to rebuild all the indexes. It will automatically do that for system tables, but for actual user databases, you have to rebuild all your indexes, and it takes a long time. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is a relational database and is the predecessor of Microsoft SQL Server. All that functionality that Microsoft SQL Server had came from essentially SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise. The problem with SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise these days is it is not expanding its place in the marketplace or expanding its position in the marketplace. A lot of companies have migrated away from SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise. It works fairly well, but the problem is SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise was architected to be an OLTP engine and is now doing things for larger databases that were not in its original intended purpose. The endianness of the RDBMS is a major impediment to continuing to use SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise. You have a multi-gigabyte database, and it will go through a conversion process in a single-threaded fashion, and then you have to rebuild the indexes. Rebuilding the indexes is lengthy and time-consuming. The part of the conversion process that is concerned with conversion of the character set is single-threaded. You may have eight cores on your machine or virtual machine and only one can be used in the conversion process. There is another problem with the whole thing in that it will sometimes not operate properly. Under certain workloads, SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise will become overwhelmed. When you convert it, it does not operate properly in all circumstances. The root cause of that is that SAP in its desire to save money and desire to orphan the product has not recompiled or redeveloped the product to take advantage of the Intel new instruction set. Other relational databases such as Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server have the same issue to deal with, but with those platforms, they are taking advantage of the new instruction set. There are some additional Intel instruction sets or instructions in their Intel instruction set. With SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, they did not bother to incorporate support for the new instruction set instructions. In certain circumstances, the database does not operate properly. It is unable to do what it needs to do. If you do your research and go on the internet and see what happens with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server, what comes back is that it takes 4% longer to perform a lot of the instructions. When you are using the new instruction set, it adds 4% to the runtime of the database.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I like that it's a robust product. It has very good features. One good feature is Oracle REX because, in SQL Server, we don't have that. SQL Server has something similar, but it's not the same stuff."

"Because we're servicing end clients, I need to have the SLA, the performance is the key point for us, and when a customer logs in to the website, it needs to be within a few seconds, so that's how it's helping us, improved performance and, ultimately, gaining customer satisfaction."

"Despite the fact that it's the most expensive of the RDBMS solution available, there's a reason why Oracle Database has the largest market share."

"I like the design of the database because it works well, and I also like the stability of the solution."

"Oracle Database is definitely a great tool."

"If you get Oracle Database set up right the first time, it'll run many years without any errors."

"The database is very secure, robust, and scalable, with all the features that you need, such as disaster recovery, replication, and backup."

"We are quite comfortable with this solution at the moment and it provides us with everything we need."

More Oracle Database pros

"This is a wonderful database that is, in my opinion, underrated."

"During the last 20 years, I have never had a stability problem with this product."

"SAP ERP offers us a robust platform where financial stakeholders spend less time collating and sourcing out records and implementing payments."

"This is a wonderful database that is, in my opinion, underrated. Users are able to get the most out of my experience by taking advantage of its centralized environment."

"I like that SAP ASE can match code and the database index to index data in the programming language."

"In SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, there are some built-in stored procedures that you can use to fire those commands and get the data in a very systematic manner where you can see the results."

"The actual interface is good."

"Provides very good integration."

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise pros

Cons

"The price of the Oracle Database should be cheaper."

"Oracle is very expensive. So if I suggest Oracle to a client, they'll often say it's too costly."

"Oracle Database could make the documentation better around licensing."

"There are a lot of bugs in the Oracle Database, and it would be better if the bugs would be solved more quickly than they are today."

"Oracle could improve by providing better integration with other solutions, such as Angular platforms."

"I did encounter issues with stability."

"Frankly speaking, Oracle Database is very expensive."

"Cost is always a concern."

More Oracle Database cons

"They turned a functional product into something where you have to go through a difficult process to do the conversion."

"The solution is kind-of expensive."

"SAP should refine its debugging method, and the process needs to be a little faster. It should use more Pragmas and fewer pseudocomments. I would like if SAP added more features based on advanced technologies, like artificial intelligence and voice control. The modularization and if-else techniques could also incorporate the latest technology to code and solve complex problems. The SAP Editor should be more elaborative, and it should allow many more types of statements for all uses."

"I'd like to see a more friendly user interface."

"Cost-wise, SAP is still expensive compared to other available products."

"In my opinion, product support is not that great from SAP because they have already declared the end-of-date for SAP ASE. They will be stopping product support."

"SAP should refine its debugging method, and the process needs to be a little faster."

"There is lack of good support in Mexico - I would prefer Oracle or IBM over SAP in terms of support."

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Our customers sometimes complain about the price of the license, as it is very high for them."

"There are licensing costs."

"The price is very expensive for the support."

"It is very expensive. We pay in dollars, so the inflation and conversion cost is also there for us. They charge on a yearly basis for the license."

"The licensing costs are on a yearly basis."

"The licenses could definitely be cheaper."

"The price of Oracle Database could improve, it is expensive and they are paid annually. We are looking for lower pricing and flexible pricing plans, they are very rigid in the price."

"The price of the solution is expensive compared to other database solutions. We are on an annual subscription."

More Oracle Database pricing and cost advice

"Price-wise, the product is worth it since one needs very less infrastructure to use it."

"I rate SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise's pricing a six out of ten."

"The licensing cost for ASE is pretty low."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

14%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Construction Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	87
Midsize Enterprise	66
Large Enterprise	179

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	3
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

How do you run Oracle Database at your organization and why?

My company has been using Oracle Exadata Database Service for some years now, and we are happy with it. I will allow myself to answer your questions about why and what benefits it provides us with ...

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Do you know of any disadvantages of Oracle Database?

Undoubtedly, Oracle Database is a top product in its category. But it does have its disadvantages, and for me and my organization, that has been the limitations of the product. When it comes to Ora...

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What is the best use for Oracle Database?

Oracle Database is flexible and can be used for many things. My company's main use case for this product is for storing data. We benefit from its high level of security as well as from the fact tha...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

From a pricing perspective, I would say the solution is fairly priced. In Oracle, you have two or three databases at most on one machine. In SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, one machine can have mul...

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What needs improvement with SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

I have worked with SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise, SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise IQ, and Replication Server. I also worked with SQL Anywhere at one point. SAP acquired Sybase at one point, and the...

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Comparisons

SAP HANA vs Oracle Database

Compared 20% of the time

SQL Server vs Oracle Database

Compared 9% of the time

IBM Db2 Database vs Oracle Database

Compared 7% of the time

Teradata vs Oracle Database

Compared 6% of the time

MySQL vs Oracle Database

Compared 5% of the time

More Oracle Database Competitors

SAP IQ vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 16% of the time

SAP HANA vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 16% of the time

SQL Server vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 11% of the time

IBM Db2 Database vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 8% of the time

Oracle Database In-Memory vs SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

More SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database

May 2026

Download Oracle Database product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

May 2026

Download SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise product report

Also Known As

Oracle 12c, RDBMS

SAP ASE

Overview

Oracle Database is renowned for its reliability, scalability, and performance, delivering high availability and security. It integrates seamlessly with other systems, providing exceptional data protection and backup, suitable for managing multiple applications and supporting large datasets.

Oracle Database offers a powerful platform for managing data across industries such as finance, manufacturing, and agriculture. It is particularly beneficial for ERP systems, data warehouses, and transactional processing. Users can harness advanced security measures, automation, and integration capabilities, though high pricing and complex licensing can deter smaller enterprises. The database's flexible yet intricate setup process requires advanced skills, while limited integration with other databases and cloud platforms can be a drawback. User interface improvements, along with enhancements in query optimization and support services, are areas for potential development.

What are Oracle Database's key features?

Reliability and Scalability: Delivers consistent performance and can handle increasing workloads.
High Availability: Features like Data Guard ensure database uptime and disaster recovery.
Advanced Security: Protects sensitive data with robust security measures.
Seamless Integration: Works well with existing systems and applications.
Data Management: Supports large datasets and complex computations for varied applications.

What benefits can users expect?

Security: Offers comprehensive data protection mechanisms.
Scalability: Easily adapts to changing data processing needs.
Performance: Provides strong transactional and analytical processing capabilities.
Flexibility: Supports diverse applications, from CRM to e-commerce.
Disaster Recovery: Ensures continuity with reliable backup solutions.

Industries like finance, manufacturing, and agriculture utilize Oracle Database for its ability to handle extensive transactions and data analyses. It's essential for ERP systems, supporting CRM, e-commerce, and healthcare applications with its robust infrastructure and disaster recovery options. Despite its challenges in pricing and complexity, it remains a top choice for organizations requiring reliable and high-performing databases.

Oracle

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise delivers customizable operations and reliable OLTP features crucial for banking, being resource-efficient and SQL-capable while maintaining high security and performance standards, though updates and cross-platform conversion can be challenging.

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is tailored for environments needing secure, efficient data handling. Its OLTP capabilities make it a top choice for banking and finance by ensuring smooth transactions. While the database supports multiple data types and cloud integration, it is essential to address the need for user-friendly interfaces and better synchronization features. Although its transaction management isn't as competitive compared to Oracle and PostgreSQL, its SQL capabilities and security tools remain highly regarded. Users primarily utilize it for data storage, scripting, and operational management across development environments, including banking, enabling effective data manipulation and storage.

What are the standout features of SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

Customizable Operations: Tailored configurations for diverse business needs.
Strong OLTP Features: Efficient and swift transaction processing.
SQL Capabilities: Robust tools for SQL programming and querying.
Financial Integration: Seamlessly handles financial data and transactions.
Cloud Integration: Supports integration with cloud-based storage and services.

What benefits should users look for when evaluating SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise?

Cost Efficiency: Requires minimal resources for effective performance.
User-friendliness: Easy learning curve for new users and developers.
High Security: Strong measures to protect sensitive data.
Efficient Transaction Handling: Smooth management of complex transactions.
Reliability: Consistent performance with minimal downtime.

SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise is widely implemented in banking, dealing with efficient data manipulation and storing historical data crucial for operations. It is leveraged for both financial and operational management tasks, including planning and logistics. The database's robust features extend benefits to industries requiring rigorous data management, such as development, testing, and production environments connected across banking networks, focusing on main data handling and replication tasks.

SAP

Sample Customers

Agncia Nacional de guas, Anbima, Aria Systems, Asiana Airlines, Astelit LLC, Australian Finance Group, Banco Occidental de Descuento, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, BT, Caja de Seguros S.A., Casas GEO S.A.B. de C.V., Comic Relief UK, Corsair Components Inc., CSAM Health AS, CSOB Group, Datacraft Solutions, DenizBank A.S., Department of Treasury and Finance WA, Office of State Revenue, Deutsche B_rse AG, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Deutsche Messe AG, Digicel Haiti, DPR COSEA, Essar Group, Essatto Software Pty Ltd, Farmšcia e Drogaria Nissei Ltda., Fomento Econ‹mico Mexicano S.A.B. de C.V. (FEMSA), FundaÊo Petrobras de Seguridade Social, Future Group, GFKL Financial Services AG, Grupo Posadas S.A.B. de C.V., Grupo Sinosserra, Guerra S.A. Implementos Rodovišrios, Hanatour International Service, Hays plc, Henan Mobile Co. Ltd, Hochschule Hof, Hong Kong and China Technology (Wuhan) Co. Ltd (Towngas Technology), Industries Corpa_al C.A., Infrastructure Development Finance Company Limited, Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatstica, Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial, Kcell, LinkShare Corporation, MercadoLibre Inc., MetLife Inc., Nextgen Distribution, €BB-IKT GmbH, Octagon Research Solutions, Pacific Lutheran University, Paragon Data GmbH, Ping ltd., PJSC Trustbank, Prodaub _ Processamento de Dados de Uberl_ndia, Purdue University, Redknee Inc., Robi Axiata Limited, Shanghai Infoservice Technology Co. Ltd, Shanghai Sihua Technologies Co. Ltd, Sistema de Aguas de la Ciudad de M_xico, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Suddenlink Communications, Suprajit Engineering Limited, Tallink Grupp, Terminales Ro de la Plata S.A., Therap Services LLC, Think Passenger Inc., Trafigura, Transmed S.A.L Lebanon, ValeShop, VelQuest Corporation, Vodafone Group plc, West Virginia Network, WIND Hellas Telecommunications S.A

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), Takisada-Osaka Co. Ltd., Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY

Buyer's Guide

Oracle Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

April 2026

Free Report: Oracle Database vs. SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise

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