SAP SQL Anywhere vs SQL Server comparison

SAP and Microsoft are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. SAP is ranked #32, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.2. SAP holds a 1.4% mindshare in SQL, compared to Microsoft’s 10.6% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of SAP users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

SAP SQL Anywhere

Read 6 SAP SQL Anywhere reviews

1,221 Views
1,136 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

SQL Server

Read 274 SQL Server reviews

19,744 Views
17,375 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

SAP SQL Anywhere

SQL Server

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

SQL Server and SAP SQL Anywhere are both database management products, with SQL Server typically preferred in enterprise settings for its extensive feature set, while SAP SQL Anywhere is often favored for mobile and embedded database needs due to its efficient data synchronization capabilities.

Features: SQL Server offers dynamic resource allocation, a Graphical Query Analyzer for complex query management, and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) capabilities. SAP SQL Anywhere provides robust support for mobile applications, efficient data synchronization, and a user-friendly interface that is particularly intuitive for developers.

Room for Improvement: SQL Server could improve in terms of simplifying its deployment process and reducing initial setup complexity. It may also benefit from offering more straightforward pricing models. SAP SQL Anywhere might enhance its integration capabilities with larger enterprise applications and expand its documentation resources to match competitors.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SQL Server requires more intensive deployment processes but has extensive documentation and a broad support network. SAP SQL Anywhere features a simpler deployment process and offers direct support which suits smaller implementations, making it ideal for companies with limited IT resources.

Pricing and ROI: SQL Server tends to have higher initial costs, justified by the extensive features it offers for large enterprises, providing substantial ROI. SAP SQL Anywhere, with its lower upfront costs and maintenance expenses, offers a significant ROI for small to medium businesses, making it an appealing choice for specific niche deployments.

To learn more, read our detailed SAP SQL Anywhere vs. SQL Server Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

SAP SQL Anywhere vs. SQL Server

June 2026

Download the complete report

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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

SAP SQL Anywhere

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

32nd

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SQL Server

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

274

Ranking in other categories

Database Management Systems (DBMS) (1st)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of SAP SQL Anywhere is 1.4%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SQL Server is 10.6%, down from 17.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SQL Server	10.6%
SAP SQL Anywhere	1.4%
Other	88.0%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Crewmem67

IT Consultant at College Notre Dame de Nazareth

Reliable and able to expand but needs to be more secure

It is not as good as a SQL Server. I prefer to work with the SQL Server for Microsoft or Oracle. These are better as there are some comments on SQL Anywhere that makes me feel that I'm blocked. We'd like to have them update to a new version. They should update more often. I find I can't move to a new version without running tests as there are chances of bugs that can get into my system. The initial setup is not simple or straightforward, and it took a while to deploy. It is not as secure as it could be. This is an aspect they need to improve. There needs to be more encryption.

Read full review

Peter Larsson

Data Warehouse Lead at Resurs Bank AB (publ.)

Ledger and seamless integrations have strengthened trusted analytics and unified workloads

SQL Server's high availability and disaster recovery features work for supporting mission-critical applications, but there is much more to wish for. These features are not quite ready yet, although they do function. However, they could be significantly better. High availability and disaster recovery features should be improved in the next releases. I have noticed that everything could be improved or enhanced in the future, particularly temporal tables and window functions. Sometimes, I believe Microsoft releases features to stay ahead of competitors, but they do not make them feature-rich or feature-complete. They release something to be ahead of leaders and then seem to forget to maintain and upgrade them. I want Microsoft to pay more attention and be more mindful about the things they implement. It is fine to do a first release that works, but you cannot simply abandon it in the following years without service packs and improvements. You must continue to build on features rather than forgetting about them.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"SQL Anywhere is easy and it did not cost as much as SQL Microsoft."

"It's a great product to use if you are already have an integration with SAP's ERP/CRM systems."

"The auto-backup replication is a perfect feature. That is the feature I liked the most."

"The most valuable features of SAP SQL Anywhere are the ease of use and the user interface is intuitive."

"It works well in general."

"SAP SQL Anywhere is very helpful."

"We've found the solution very reliable overall. It's very fast."

"It is an overall very good product."

"It allows for performance tuning to maximize performance."

"We've mostly been pretty happy with its performance."

"The documentation and manuals are very good."

"Very easy to use, and it's very democratic in the enterprise."

"The product has very good online documentation that can be used for troubleshooting."

"The most valuable feature is replication because we had several replicas of the SQL Server database in different geographical locations."

"SQL Server's most valuable features are its user-friendly nature and cost-effectiveness."

More SQL Server pros

Cons

"It is not as secure as it could be."

"It is not as secure as it could be; there needs to be more encryption and we can find passwords very easily."

"We have had some stability issues with SAP SQL Anywhere, but I am not sure if it is an application or network issue. We sometimes have a large amount of data being queried and it cannot handle it."

"Performance issues when syncing the MBO packages to the server."

"SAP SQL Anywhere needs to incorporate functionalities like SAP S/4HANA."

"The interface is not easy in comparison to the SQL Server. It could be more user-friendly."

"A problem we are experiencing now is when doing a backup in SQL 2012 and 14 there's a problem with the license."

"Right now, the tool you use to query the system updates every month. It pesters you to update the Client every month when there is nothing new that you really need to add, but it is constantly pestering you."

"SQL Server needs to improve in performance and monitoring because there are no specific monitoring solutions to detect and analyze events for issues in the database. You have to use another monitoring solution. If Microsoft could provide an update to this solution or provide a monitoring solution specifically for SQL Server, it would be very valuable."

"Even if you have some technical agreement with Microsoft, the technical support of the solution won't help you. The support needs to be improved."

"It is costly to implement high throughput systems, beyond millions of transactions per second."

"The scalability could be better."

"We are the largest micro-credit finance company with more than thirty companies internally. We have 25,000 employees using the business application and SQL does not scale to our requirements."

"There is always some place for improvements. Statistics could be better (2 table statistic), or dynamic partition function, but that is probably true with every other product."

"If you have a lot of data and you want to perform computations on it, you will have problems and the performance will be degraded."

More SQL Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"SAP SQL Anywhere is affordable."

"SQL Anywhere cost us about $400."

"We have had to purchase the Enterprise version to the tune of a few hundred thousand dollars, which is just ridiculous."

"There is no licensing cost for SQL Server."

"Pricing for this product is very reasonable."

"We did a one-time payment. Its price, in general, can be reduced."

"The price of the solution could be reduced, it is expensive."

"This solution is available at a much lower price point than Oracle."

"Some of our clients purchase the license and others do not, they use Express SQL Server."

"There is a license required for servers and for the POS we use the free version. The free version allows you to have tables and a total database size of approximately 10 GB, which is enough for our requirements."

More SQL Server pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Construction Company

University

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

39%

Manufacturing Company

Construction Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	119
Midsize Enterprise	60
Large Enterprise	118

Questions from the Community

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Would you say the price of SQL Server is high compared to that of similar products?

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 price...

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Has using SQL Server helped your organization in any way?

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 h...

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Which authentication mode is best for SQL Server?

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 pur...

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Comparisons

MySQL vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 16% of the time

Oracle Database vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 13% of the time

OpenText Analytics Database (Vertica) vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 10% of the time

SAP IQ vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 7% of the time

SAP HANA vs SAP SQL Anywhere

Compared 7% of the time

More SAP SQL Anywhere Competitors

IBM Db2 Database vs SQL Server

Compared 23% of the time

Oracle Database vs SQL Server

Compared 9% of the time

SAP HANA vs SQL Server

Compared 6% of the time

MySQL vs SQL Server

Compared 6% of the time

Teradata vs SQL Server

Compared 5% of the time

More SQL Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Relational Databases Tools

May 2026

Download SAP SQL Anywhere product report

Buyer's Guide

SQL Server

May 2026

Download SQL Server product report

Also Known As

Sybase SQL Anywhere

Microsoft SQL Server, MSSQL, MS SQL

Overview

SAP SQL Anywhere provides rugged database management for diverse environments, efficiently handling data synchronization and processing for embedded and mobile applications. Its flexibility and reliability make it suitable for enterprises needing robust data solutions.

SAP SQL Anywhere is known for its ability to run in resource-constrained environments, supporting mobile and remote database access without sacrificing performance. It offers comprehensive data management capabilities, ensuring seamless data integration and synchronization across varying platforms. This scalability complements business growth and evolving data needs, providing a cost-effective way to manage data across mobile and embedded applications.

What are the noteworthy features of SAP SQL Anywhere?

SQL Database Server: Efficiently manages data with full support for SQL standards.
Data Synchronization: Ensures consistent data across multiple devices in real-time.
Cross-platform Support: Operates on multiple operating systems, enhancing versatility.
Security Features: Provides encryption and authentication for data protection.

Why choose SAP SQL Anywhere for your business?

Cost Efficiency: Reduces IT overhead with minimal maintenance requirements.
Adaptability: Fits seamlessly into existing infrastructures, reducing integration costs.
Scalability: Grows with business needs without requiring substantial reinvestment.
Reliability: Offers high performance even in offline settings, ensuring continuous access.

Industries such as retail, healthcare, and manufacturing use SAP SQL Anywhere to support mobile field operations, enabling data access and updates in remote locations. This adaptability enhances operational efficiency, providing crucial support in environments where real-time data handling is critical.

SAP

SQL Server is a comprehensive database management system known for ease of use, robust performance, and seamless Microsoft integration, making it a preferred choice for data management and analysis needs.

SQL Server offers high availability with Always On availability groups and dynamic memory configuration. It integrates effortlessly with Microsoft products via tools like SSMS and Visual Studio. Supporting advanced features such as replication, clustering, and in-memory OLTP, it provides a versatile platform for managing and analyzing significant data volumes securely and efficiently. While it shines in integration with .NET applications and business intelligence, there are opportunities to improve its scalability and integration with open-source platforms. Its licensing costs can be a barrier, and enhancements to management tools for non-technical users, along with better setup processes, would increase its appeal.

What are SQL Server's most important features?

User-Friendly GUI: Simplifies interaction with a visually intuitive interface.
High Availability: Always On availability groups ensure data redundancy.
Dynamic Memory Configuration: Efficient resource allocation for optimal performance.
Strong Transaction Management: Reliable processing of concurrent transactions.
Advanced Features: Includes replication, clustering, and in-memory OLTP.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Efficiency: Streamlined processes for faster data management and analysis.
Compatibility: Smooth integration with Microsoft products enhances productivity.
Security: Robust features protect against data breaches.
Adaptability: Supports various enterprise needs, from small to large scale.

SQL Server is implemented across industries for database management, data warehousing, and business intelligence. Companies in finance, ERP, and cloud deployments leverage its capabilities for transactional processing, .NET program integration, and reporting. Enterprises particularly benefit from its scalability and cost-efficiency when integrated with Azure for small and medium-sized operations.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

AOK Bundesverband, Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, Molson Coors Brewing Company, City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International, Wªrth Group, Takisada-Osaka Co. Ltd., Coelba, RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association, TALLY WEiJL

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.

Buyer's Guide

SAP SQL Anywhere vs. SQL Server

June 2026

Free Report: SAP SQL Anywhere vs. SQL Server

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