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csto12 10 hours ago

In 2026 is SQL Server ever the answer?

Tostino 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It really is a good database. Give it lots of room. If you can distribute your workload on multiple machines though, you can't beat Postgres' licencing terms vs SQL Server.

tormeh 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Why is it a good database? Integration with Entra? I've heard arguments in favor of Oracle DB, but I've never heard anything good about MSSQL besides integration with the MS ecosystem.

Tostino an hour ago | parent [-]

The SQL Server query planner is head and shoulders above what Postgres offers in the types of optimizations it will apply to your queries. It also properly caches query plans.

It offers heap tables, as well as index organized tables depending on what you need.

The protocol supports running multiple queries and getting multiple resultsets back at once saving some round-trips and resources.

Also supports things like global temp tables, and in memory tables, which are helpful for some use cases.

The parallelism story for a single query is still stronger with SQL Server.

I'm sure I could think of more, but it's been a few years since I've used it myself and I've forgotten a bit.

It is a good database. I just wouldn't use it for my startup. I could never justify that license cost, and how it restricts how you design your infrastructure due to the cost and license terms.

beoberha 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That’s kind of my point. They’re not really in competition. I bet they’d have an easier time with this scale if they were on SQL Server, but obviously that migration isn’t happening and startups don’t reach for it for many reasons.

everfrustrated 3 hours ago | parent [-]

The software licencing of 50 read replicas alone would make sqlserver a non-starter