# Best Relational Databases for Small Business - Page 2

## How Many Relational Databases Products Does G2 Track?

**Total Products under this Category:** 182

### Category Stats (Aug 2026)

- **Average Rating:** 4.26/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings
- **Top Trending Product:** Apache Calcite (+1.1%) - Among all products in this category, Apache Calcite recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month

_Last updated: August 01, 2026_

## How Does G2 Rank Relational Databases Products?

**Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:**

- 30 Analysts and Data Experts
- 12,300+ Authentic Reviews
- 182+ Products
- Unbiased Rankings

G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category.

## G2 Grid® for Relational Databases
 ![G2 Grid® for Relational Databases plotting products by satisfaction and market presence](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/grids.png?focus%5B%5D=630&focus%5B%5D=135981&focus%5B%5D=986&focus%5B%5D=40540&focus%5B%5D=585&focus%5B%5D=967&focus%5B%5D=52196&focus%5B%5D=40868)

Highlighted products: Microsoft SQL Server, Supabase, MySQL, Google Cloud SQL, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Oracle Database, Azure SQL Database, and Amazon Aurora.

Underlying data: [Grid® JSON](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/grids.json?focus%5B%5D=microsoft-sql-server&focus%5B%5D=supabase-supabase&focus%5B%5D=mysql&focus%5B%5D=google-cloud-sql&focus%5B%5D=amazon-relational-database-service-rds&focus%5B%5D=oracle-database&focus%5B%5D=azure-sql-database&focus%5B%5D=amazon-aurora&segment=small-business)

**Sponsored**

### Google Cloud SQL

Cloud SQL is a fully-managed managed relational database service for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server with rich extension collections, configuration flags, and developer ecosystems.

[Visit website](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bad_program%5D=ppc&secure%5Bad_slot%5D=category_product_list_llm&secure%5Bcategory_id%5D=301&secure%5Bchosen_at%5D=2026-08-03T07%3A20%3A36Z&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_id%5D=301&secure%5Bdisplayable_resource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bmedium%5D=sponsored&secure%5Bplacement_reason%5D=page_category&secure%5Bplacement_resource_ids%5D%5B%5D=301&secure%5Bprioritized%5D=false&secure%5Bproduct_id%5D=40540&secure%5Bresource_id%5D=301&secure%5Bresource_type%5D=Category&secure%5Bsource_type%5D=category_page&secure%5Bsource_url%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.g2.com%2Fcategories%2Frelational-databases%2Fsmall-business%3Fpage%3D2%26segment%3Dsmall-business&secure%5Btoken%5D=ca3ec371887033eddbfcc7a3e728fd2e563b12b5722fba30304c03915ad30fd2&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fcloud.google.com%2Fsql%3Futm_source%3DG2%26utm_medium%3Ddisplay%26utm_campaign%3DCloud-SS-DR-GCP-1713658-GCP-DR-NA-US-en-G2-Display-Banner-All-%2525epid%21-%2525ecid%21-sql%26utm_content%3D%257Bdevice%257D-%257Badgroupid%257D-%257Bnetwork%257D-%257Btargetid%257D-%257Bloc_physical_ms%257D-%257Bcampaignid%257D&secure%5Burl_type%5D=custom_url)

### [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform/reviews)

Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform activates enterprise intelligence by unifying data, knowledge and business context to achieve tangible outcomes. With Teradata, organizations can provide agents with full context for impact when it matters. Our solution lets businesses connect and scale on premises, in the cloud, or through a hybrid approach. Teradata delivers real business value with AI. Learn more at Teradata.com.

**Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 356

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform?

- **Seller:** [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/sellers/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform)
- **Year Founded:** 1979
- **HQ Location:** San Diego, CA
- **Twitter:** @Teradata  
93,113 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=06895b9a8db4fa478ba7da480ccd214a14ef698abd028e4642e62f189e82b650&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F1466%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
9,901 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** NYSE:TDC

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Data Engineer, Software Engineer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Financial Services
- **Company Size:** 69% Large, 22% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users highlight the **extreme performance** of the Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform, especially for processing large data volumes efficiently.
- Users value the **high performance query execution** in Teradata, enhancing their business analytics capabilities significantly.
- Users value the **scalability** of Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform, enhancing data integration and operational efficiency significantly.
- Users commend the **high performance and speed** of Teradata, efficiently processing large datasets without issues.
- Users value the **fast processing of large datasets** with Teradata, praising its performance and stability during operations.

##### Cons

- Users find the **steep learning curve** of Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform challenging, impacting adoption and productivity temporarily.
- Users find the **steep learning curve** of Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform challenging, particularly for those lacking technical expertise.
- Users find the **complexity** of Teradata's platform challenging, particularly for non-technical users and new adopters.
- Users express concerns over the **cost management requirements** needed to avoid potential misusage and performance issues.
- Users feel the **high cost** of Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform is a significant drawback affecting accessibility.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform?

**["Teradata Vantage Fast Query Performance and Strong Analytics for Big Data"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform-review-12821668)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Muzammil M._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform-review-12821668)

**["Teradata Vantage Excels at Big Data Processing and Advanced Analytics"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform-review-12739181)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Nijat I._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform-review-12739181)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform?

- [What does Teradata Data Lab do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-does-teradata-data-lab-do)
- [Is Teradata a premiership?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-teradata-a-premiership)
- [What is Teradata Vantage?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-teradata-vantage)
- [How much does Teradata cost?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-much-does-teradata-cost)
- [What is Sandbox in Teradata?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sandbox-in-teradata)

### [Knack](https://www.g2.com/products/knack/reviews)

Knack is an AI-powered no-code platform for building custom, database-driven applications, internal tools, and portals. Businesses use Knack to create systems that manage data, automate workflows, and support day-to-day operations, all in one place. The platform combines a built-in relational database, AI app builder, customizable forms, and workflow automation. Users can define their data model, create user roles, and control access with granular permissions. Applications can be deployed as internal tools or external portals, and embedded into existing websites. Knack supports a wide range of use cases, including customer and vendor portals, custom CRMs, project and task management systems, inventory tracking, logistics and supply chain tools, membership and volunteer management, and government operations. Teams can start from scratch, from a template, or use AI to build fully custom applications tailored to their processes. Knack's healthcare-specific offering, Knack Health, allows organizations to build secure, HIPAA-compliant applications for patient intake, scheduling, care coordination, and operational workflows. The platform supports role-based permissions, record history logs, and secure data handling for protected health information (PHI), with a signed business associate agreement (BAA) available for covered entities. For more advanced use cases, developers can extend applications using a REST API, custom CSS, and JavaScript. Knack also supports integrations with 500+ third-party tools to fit into existing workflows. Knack is designed for flexibility and scale, making it a fit for SMBs, nonprofits, and enterprise teams that need systems tailored to how their business actually operates.

**Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 111

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Knack?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 7.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Knack?

- **Seller:** [Knack](https://www.g2.com/sellers/knack)
- **Year Founded:** 2010
- **HQ Location:** New York, NY
- **Twitter:** @knackhq  
1,923 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=3188c90e33477765cfffca4e114e8f31c974b24d49198d3f2cac822bc76b2f6f&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fknackhq&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
89 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Top Industries:** Construction, Information Technology and Services
- **Company Size:** 57% Small, 31% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Knack?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users value Knack's **ease of use** , finding it user-friendly for basic tasks and powerful in functionality.
- Users find Knack to be **very intuitive** , allowing for quick app building and easy configuration even for beginners.
- Users value the **quick response of customer support** in assisting them effectively with their Knack experience.
- Users find Knack's platform **easy to learn** , aided by intuitive design and helpful onboarding support.
- Users value Knack's **simplicity** , finding it easy to configure and perfect for managing complex tasks efficiently.

##### Cons

- Users find the **missing features** in Knack, like search options and testing tools, significantly limit app development efficiency.
- Users find **limited customization** in Knack, facing challenges with page organization and filtering in large apps.
- Users face significant **feature limitations** , like absence of duplicate removal and poor page management in Knack applications.
- Users find Knack has **limited features** such as inadequate tools and restricted filtering options in Builder.
- Users encounter **feature issues** with Knack, such as limited developer tools and inadequate filtering for page management.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Knack?

**["Knack Streamlines Workflows with Reliable Performance and Solid ROI"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/knack-review-13076676)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Vineet S._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/knack-review-13076676)

**["Ten Year Knack user"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/knack-review-9968994)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Non-Profit Organization Management_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/knack-review-9968994)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Knack?

- [Is knack Hipaa compliant?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-knack-hipaa-compliant)
- [What is knack help?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-knack-help)
- [What is knack database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-knack-database)
- [What is knack software?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-knack-software)

### [TiDB](https://www.g2.com/products/tidb/reviews)

TiDB is an advanced open-source, distributed SQL database solution designed to help data-intensive businesses manage and scale their data operations seamlessly. Developed by PingCAP, TiDB combines the scalability of NoSQL databases with the full functionality of traditional relational database management systems (RDBMS). This unique architecture allows organizations to build petabyte-scale clusters while efficiently handling millions of tables, numerous concurrent connections, and frequent schema changes without experiencing downtime. The target audience for TiDB includes large enterprises, software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers, and digital-native companies that require robust data management capabilities. These organizations often face challenges related to data scalability, operational complexity, and the need for high availability. TiDB addresses these challenges by offering a solution that supports a wide range of workloads, including transactional, analytical, operational, and artificial intelligence (AI) tasks. Its multi-tenant architecture further enhances operational agility, allowing businesses to adapt to changing demands quickly. Key features of TiDB include seamless scalability, which enables organizations to expand their database infrastructure effortlessly as their data needs grow. The platform's MySQL compatibility ensures that developers can easily integrate TiDB into existing workflows and leverage familiar tools and platforms. Additionally, TiDB supports online DDL (Data Definition Language) operations, allowing for worry-free schema changes that do not disrupt ongoing processes. This operational flexibility is critical for businesses that require constant uptime and reliability. TiDB also prioritizes data security and availability, boasting built-in ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliance and a remarkable 99.99% availability rate. The database adheres to various regulatory standards, including GDPR, SOC, HIPAA, and PCI, ensuring that organizations can trust their data management practices. Notable companies such as Databricks, Pinterest, and Plaid have adopted TiDB, allowing them to concentrate on growth and innovation rather than the complexities of data infrastructure management. With its AI-driven innovations and multi-cloud capabilities, TiDB stands out as a powerful solution for businesses looking to enhance their data management strategies. By providing unmatched agility, resilience, and security, TiDB empowers organizations to unlock their full potential in an increasingly data-driven world. For more information, please visit TiDB.io.

**Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 67

#### How Do G2 Users Rate TiDB?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind TiDB?

- **Seller:** [PingCAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/pingcap)
- **Company Website:** tidb.io
- **Year Founded:** 2015
- **HQ Location:** Sunnyvale 
- **Twitter:** @PingCAP  
7,268 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=97feeff0f3bb4906e69c91330a88caf7e60daa531a2894ebf5640640b4467879&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fpingcap&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
501 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Senior Software Engineer, DBA
- **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services
- **Company Size:** 31% Large, 27% Small

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About TiDB?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users praise TiDB's **seamless scalability** , allowing efficient data handling and growth without manual intervention.
- Users appreciate the **ease of use** of TiDB, enjoying seamless integration and simple deployment across various platforms.
- Users appreciate the **horizontal scalability and strong consistency** of TiDB, enhancing their database management experience.
- Users value the **MySQL compatibility** of TiDB, facilitating smooth adoption and seamless scaling as data grows.
- Users commend TiDB for its **exceptional performance** , handling large data efficiently and supporting real-time analytics seamlessly.

##### Cons

- Users find the **steep learning curve** of TiDB particularly challenging when adapting to its distributed architecture and performance tuning.
- Users report **performance issues** with TiDB, particularly in TiFlash and overall resource requirements, affecting their development experience.
- Users experience **slow performance** with TiDB, especially in smaller environments, impacting overall efficiency and resource utilization.
- Users face a **difficult learning** curve with TiDB's distributed architecture, especially regarding performance tuning and compatibility.
- Users find TiDB's **poor documentation** complicates understanding complex setups and optimizing features, particularly for beginners.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of TiDB?

**["TiDB Delivers NoSQL-Scale with SQL Simplicity and MySQL Compatibility"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/tidb-review-12342698)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— yugesh K._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/tidb-review-12342698)

**["Seamless Integration, Reliable and Scalable"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/tidb-review-12354194)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Abhishek ._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/tidb-review-12354194)

### [SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud)](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud/reviews)

SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud is the only end-to-end solution of its kind, delivering comprehensive cloud infrastructure and managed services for our in-memory applications, database, and platform.

**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 88

#### How Do G2 Users Rate SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud)?

- **Ease of Use:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.7/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud)?

- **Seller:** [SAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sap)
- **Year Founded:** 1972
- **HQ Location:** Walldorf
- **Twitter:** @SAP  
297,052 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=8fd712dbd816fadfc039a60dcf8c1a3d6a48469756075586fa0be3da7e4b74d7&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fsap%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
141,955 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** NYSE:SAP

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** SAP Consultant
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Logistics and Supply Chain
- **Company Size:** 42% Large, 30% Medium

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud)?

**["SAP HEC allows you to have a reliable, secure and powerful database."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-review-7968142)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Stephen E. C._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-review-7968142)

**["SAP HEC is trusted for database management."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-review-8004758)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Pablo D._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-review-8004758)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud)?

- [What is your experience with SAP HEC in managing enterprise cloud applications, and what challenges have you faced?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-your-experience-with-sap-hec-in-managing-enterprise-cloud-applications-and-what-challenges-have-you-faced)
- [What is SAP HEC (HANA Enterprise Cloud) used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-used-for) - 1 upvote
- [What are some features of SAP HANA?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/sap-hec-hana-enterprise-cloud-what-are-some-features-of-sap-hana)
- [Is SAP HEC IaaS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-sap-hec-iaas) - 1 comment
- [What is SAP in cloud computing?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-in-cloud-computing) - 1 comment

### [IBM Informix](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-informix/reviews)

• Harness data with broad functionality and unlimited scalability. IBM Informix is a secure embeddable database, optimized for OLTP and Internet of Things (IoT) data. Informix has the unique ability to seamlessly integrate SQL, NoSQL/JSON, time series and spatial data. Everyone from developers to global enterprises can benefit from its reliability, flexibility, ease of use and low total cost of ownership. • Optimize business decisions Perform analytics close to data sources to enhance local decision making. Access business intelligence faster with enhanced integration with various tools and applications. • Eliminate downtime Ensure always-on operations across your grid environment. Upgrade, maintain and configure the grid with no downtime. Successfully meet service-level agreements. • Improve development agility Support both structured and unstructured data with a hybrid database system for enhanced flexibility and easier development. • IBM Informix is available on-premise and on the IBM Cloud. IBM Informix on Cloud offers the complete feature set of on-premises Informix deployments. Run your OLTP queries and workloads on an optimized instance and use the Informix warehouse accelerator to configure in-memory query acceleration for predictive analytics. Get the benefits of Informix without the cost, complexity and risk of managing your own infrastructure. IBM Informix V14.10 enhances all editions, bringing improvements to performance, security, administration, and core database capabilities including support for online transaction processing (OLTP) and replication workloads, timeseries and spatial data. Discover why many of the world’s most innovative companies depend on IBM Informix.

**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 92

#### How Do G2 Users Rate IBM Informix?

- **Ease of Use:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind IBM Informix?

- **Seller:** [IBM](https://www.g2.com/sellers/ibm)
- **Year Founded:** 1911
- **HQ Location:** Armonk, New York, United States
- **Twitter:** @IBMSecurity  
74,660 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=14b544adaece4fdbc987f1d7f7028048c22259946811200cc751263825586af9&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F1009%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
328,202 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** SWX:IBM

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 45% Large, 32% Medium

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of IBM Informix?

**["IBM Informix: High-Performance, Cost-Effective Database with “Set and Forget” Admin"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ibm-informix-review-12594445)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Insurance_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ibm-informix-review-12594445)

**["Informix- An unbeatable beast"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ibm-informix-review-8097039)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Telecommunications_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/ibm-informix-review-8097039)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About IBM Informix?

- [How has IBM Informix impacted your database management, and what improvements would you suggest?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-has-ibm-informix-impacted-your-database-management-and-what-improvements-would-you-suggest)
- [What is IBM Informix used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-ibm-informix-used-for)

### [Aiven for PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/aiven-for-postgresql/reviews)

Aiven for PostgreSQL is a fully managed, scalable PostgreSQL service. It is full-featured, and backed by a 99.99% SLA. You can launch a fully operational PostgreSQL cluster in the cloud and region of your choice in minutes - using the Aiven web console or programmatically via Aiven’s API, CLI, Terraform provider or Kubernetes operator. You'll have access to premium features, such as Point in Time Restore, database forking, connection pooling, and more. And you can use over 70 PostgreSQL extensions. With Aiven for PostgreSQL, you don’t need to worry about taking backups or applying maintenance updates. All this is done automatically - with no downtime. You can upgrade to a new version, increase the storage of your cluster, expand to new regions or migrate to a different cloud, with a click of a mouse. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and clusters are always run on dedicated virtual machines. The service is ISO27001, SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA and PCI/DSS compliant.

**Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 77

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Aiven for PostgreSQL?

- **Ease of Use:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Aiven for PostgreSQL?

- **Seller:** [Aiven](https://www.g2.com/sellers/aiven)
- **Year Founded:** 2016
- **HQ Location:** Helsinki, Southern Finland
- **Twitter:** @aiven\_io  
4,104 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=2600bcf6bdf58eae650bc907b1150b3e36bf6d0a8220194444a9a9fe49270dee&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F10294984%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
464 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** CTO
- **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Financial Services
- **Company Size:** 67% Small, 27% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Aiven for PostgreSQL?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users find Aiven for PostgreSQL's **ease of use** exceptional, enabling quick setup and seamless integration with existing tools.
- Users commend Aiven's **exceptional customer support** , facilitating smooth migrations and prompt assistance throughout their experience.
- Users find **setup ease** with Aiven for PostgreSQL unmatched, enabling quick deployment for efficient project prototyping.
- Users highlight the **seamless application development** with Aiven for PostgreSQL, enabling quick prototypes without database management worries.
- Users find **deployment incredibly easy** with Aiven for PostgreSQL, streamlining migrations and integrations effectively.

##### Cons

- Users feel that Aiven for PostgreSQL can be **expensive** , especially compared to other available options.
- Users note the **high costs** of Aiven for PostgreSQL, which can escalate quickly compared to other options.
- Users report **poor customer support** , with pushy upgrade tactics and lack of effective ticketing systems.
- Users note significant **service limitations** regarding customization and compatibility, impacting functionality and ease of use.
- Users find the Aiven for PostgreSQL's pricing to be **notably high** , especially with the significant management layer premium.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Aiven for PostgreSQL?

**["Trustworthy cloud data infrastructure"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/aiven-for-postgresql-review-10710226)**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Information Technology and Services_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/aiven-for-postgresql-review-10710226)

**["Best Free Tier and low-cost benefits"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/aiven-for-postgresql-review-9823381)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Maksuel N._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/aiven-for-postgresql-review-9823381)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Aiven for PostgreSQL?

- [What applications use PostgreSQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-applications-use-postgresql)
- [What is special about Postgres?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-special-about-postgres)
- [What are the advantages of PostgreSQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-advantages-of-postgresql) - 1 comment
- [What are the features of PostgreSQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/aiven-for-postgresql-what-are-the-features-of-postgresql) - 1 comment

### [Cloudera](https://www.g2.com/products/cloudera/reviews)

Cloudera is the only hybrid data and AI platform company that large organizations trust to bring AI to their data anywhere it lives. Unlike other providers, Cloudera delivers a consistent cloud experience that converges public clouds, on-prem data centers, and the edge, leveraging a proven open-source foundation. As the pioneer in big data, Cloudera empowers businesses to apply AI and assert control over 100% of their data, in all forms, improving security, governance, and real-time and predictive insights. The world’s largest brands across all industries rely on Cloudera to transform decision-making and ultimately boost bottom lines, safeguard against threats, and save lives. The Cloudera data and AI platform includes: Cloudera AI: Deploy and scale any AI model, anywhere. Cloudera brings compute to governed data where it lives for Private AI anywhere by design. Complete control, security, and governance of mission-critical data, models, agents, and inference ensure faster sovereign AI deployments. Cloudera Data-in-Motion: Make fast decisions from real-time data anywhere. Move data with any structure from any source to any destination seamlessly across hybrid environments, enabling in-the-moment business-critical decisions by processing and analyzing real-time data anywhere, from the edge to AI, as business happens. Cloudera Open Data Lakehouse: Process any data, anywhere, for actionable insights. Make smart decisions with an open data lakehouse powered by Apache Iceberg that delivers trusted, reliable, and unified data to fuel agents, AI applications, and analytics, improving collaboration, breaking silos, and simplifying sharing. Cloudera Unified Data Fabric: Unify security and governance across the entire data estate. Move beyond fragmented data management: Break down silos and connect disparate data sources intelligently and securely to provide a unified view of all organizational data and centralized end-to-end control across complex hybrid data environments.

**Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 131

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Cloudera?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.3/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Cloudera?

- **Seller:** [Cloudera](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cloudera)
- **Company Website:** www.cloudera.com
- **Year Founded:** 2008
- **HQ Location:** Santa Clara, CA
- **Twitter:** @cloudera  
106,442 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=4b6b5c58818dc39001f93594864d8d88fc876550d3da9306b76f69639a789f14&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F229433%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
3,446 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Data Engineer, Software Engineer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 42% Large, 32% Small

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Cloudera?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users appreciate the **brilliant and easy-to-use interface** of Cloudera, enhancing their data analysis experience.
- Users value the **seamless scalability** of Cloudera, effectively handling vast amounts of data with ease.
- Users appreciate the **strong security features** of Cloudera, ensuring reliable data management and protection.
- Users value Cloudera for its **comprehensive big data management tools** , enhancing their data handling and scalability experience.
- Users appreciate the **scalability and ease of use** of Cloudera, making data management and reporting effortless.

##### Cons

- Users note that Cloudera's platform can be **expensive** to maintain and challenging to set up, especially for beginners.
- Users find the **complexity** of Cloudera challenging, especially when managing SQL queries and customization.
- Users find the **learning curve steep** with Cloudera, making setup and navigation challenging for beginners.
- Users find Cloudera's **poor documentation** makes navigating complex data configurations challenging and complicates error resolution.
- Users face significant **access issues** with Cloudera, including authorization errors and limited documentation support.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Cloudera?

**["Reliable Platform for Managing Large-Scale Data Pipelines"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cloudera-review-11455117)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Paritosh C._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cloudera-review-11455117)

**["Easy to Use, Reliable, and Great for Team Collaboration"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cloudera-review-12695378)**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Computer Software_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cloudera-review-12695378)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Cloudera?

- [What is Cloudera used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cloudera-used-for) - 1 comment
- [What is Hortonworks Data Platform used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-hortonworks-data-platform-used-for)
- [What is Cloudera Data Flow used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cloudera-data-flow-used-for)
- [What is Cloudera Navigator used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cloudera-navigator-used-for)
- [What is Cloudera Data Engineering used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cloudera-data-engineering-used-for)

### [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews)

MariaDB frees companies from the costs, constraints and complexity of proprietary databases, enabling them to reinvest in what matters most – rapidly developing innovative, customer-facing applications. MariaDB uses pluggable, purpose-built storage engines to support workloads that previously required a variety of specialized databases. With complexity and constraints eliminated, enterprises can now depend on a single complete database for all their needs, whether on commodity hardware or their cloud of choice. Deployed in minutes for transactional or analytical use cases, MariaDB delivers unmatched operational agility without sacrificing key enterprise features including real ACID compliance and full SQL. Trusted by organizations such as Deutsche Bank, DBS Bank, Nasdaq, Red Hat, ServiceNow, Verizon and Walgreens – MariaDB meets the same core requirements as proprietary databases at a fraction of the cost. No wonder it’s the fastest growing open source database. Real business relies on MariaDB™.

**Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 219

#### How Do G2 Users Rate MariaDB?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.4/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind MariaDB?

- **Seller:** [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/sellers/mariadb)
- **Year Founded:** 2014
- **HQ Location:** Espoo, Finland
- **Twitter:** @mariadb  
452,246 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=e297f804322576c8bee4fcfe5c4398eef9ae177ac64cbd78a30e7be54024449a&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F1214250%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
375 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** NYSE: MRDB

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 43% Small, 33% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About MariaDB?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users appreciate the **ease of use** of MariaDB, finding it straightforward to integrate with various platforms.
- Users value the **easy integrations** with various platforms, enhancing collaboration and workflow efficiency.
- Users commend the **easy backup process** in MariaDB, enhancing data safety and management effortlessly.
- Users appreciate the **superior connectivity** of MariaDB, noting its faster query execution compared to MySQL.
- Users value the **cost efficiency** of MariaDB, appreciating its free, high-performance open-source model.

##### Cons

- Users find MariaDB **beginner unfriendliness** due to its CLI interface, making initial usage challenging but improving over time.
- Users report **connectivity issues** with MariaDB, often facing integration failures without clear identification of the underlying bugs.
- Users find **difficult learning** curve initially challenging due to the CLI nature, though it improves with daily use.
- Users face challenges with **integration failures** , often struggling to identify the underlying bugs causing issues.
- Users note **feature limitations** and initial CLI challenges, but find improvement with daily use.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of MariaDB?

**["Mariadb: The database I can count on"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-11710084)**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

_— Ayush S._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-11710084)

**["MariaDB: Reliable database for handling large data"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-12770219)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Suhail C._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-12770219)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About MariaDB?

- [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/mariadb-what-is-mariadb-used-for) - 1 comment
- [Is MariaDB compatible with MySQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-mariadb-compatible-with-mysql) - 1 comment
- [What is MariaDB server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-server) - 1 comment
- [What is difference between MySQL and MariaDB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-difference-between-mysql-and-mariadb)
- [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-used-for) - 1 comment

### [CockroachDB](https://www.g2.com/products/cockroachdb/reviews)

Overview Cockroach Labs is the creator of CockroachDB, the cloud-native, resilient, distributed SQL database enterprises worldwide trust to run mission-critical AI and other applications that scale fast, avert and survive disaster, and thrive everywhere. It runs on the Big 3 clouds, on prem, and in hybrid configurations powering Fortune 500, Forbes Global 2000, and Inc. 5000 brands, and game-changing innovators, including OpenAI, CoreWeave, Adobe, NETFLIX, Booking.com, DoorDash, FANDUEL, Cisco Systems, P&G, UiPath, FORTINET, Roblox, EA, BestBuy, SpaceX, NVIDIA, The VA, Squarespace, The Home Depot, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Cockroach Labs has customers in 40+ countries across all world regions, 25+ verticals, and 50+ Use Cases. Cockroach Labs operates its own ISV Partner Ecosystem powering Payments, Identity Management (IDM/IAM), Banking & Wallet, Trading, and other high-demand use cases. Cockroach Labs is an AWS Partner of the Year finalist and has achieved AWS Competency Partner certifications in Data & Analytics and Financial Services (FSI). CockroachDB pricing is available at https://www.cockroachlabs.com/pricing/ Vector, RAG, and GenAI Workloads CockroachDB includes native support for the VECTOR data type and pgvector API compatibility, enabling storage and retrieval of high-dimensional embeddings. These vector capabilities are critical for Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines and GenAI workloads that rely on similarity search and contextual embeddings. By supporting distributed vector indexing within the database itself, CockroachDB removes the need for external vector stores and allows AI applications to operate against a single, consistent data layer. C-SPANN Distributed Indexing At the core of CockroachDB’s vector search capabilities is the C-SPANN indexing engine. C-SPANN provides scalable approximate nearest neighbor (ANN) search across billions of vectors while supporting incremental updates, real-time writes, and partitioned indexing. This ensures low-latency retrieval in the tens of milliseconds, even under high query throughput. The algorithm eliminates central coordinators, avoids large in-memory structures, and leverages CockroachDB’s sharding and replication to deliver scale, resilience, and global consistency. Machine Learning and Apache Spark Integration CockroachDB integrates with modern ML workflows by supporting embeddings generated through frameworks such as AWS Bedrock and Google Vertex AI. Its compatibility with the PostgreSQL JDBC driver allows seamless integration with Apache Spark, enabling distributed processing and advanced analytics on CockroachDB data. PostgreSQL Compatibility and JSON Support CockroachDB speaks the PostgreSQL wire protocol, so applications, drivers, and tools designed to work with Postgres can connect to CockroachDB without modification, enabling seamless use of familiar SQL features and integration with the wider Postgres ecosystem. This includes support for advanced data types such as JSON and JSONB, which allow developers to store and query semi-structured data natively. Geospatial and Graph Capabilities CockroachDB also provides first-class geospatial data support, allowing developers to store, query, and analyze spatial data directly in SQL. For graph workloads, CockroachDB employs JSON flexibility to represent relationships and delivers query capabilities for graph-like traversals. This combination enables hybrid applications that merge relational, geospatial, document, and graph data within a single platform. Analytics, BI, and Integration To support high-performance analytics and BI, CockroachDB supports core analytical use cases and functions including Enterprise Data Warehouse, Lakehouse, and Event Analytics, and offers materialized views for precomputing complex joins and aggregations. Its PostgreSQL wire compatibility ensures direct connectivity with all relevant BI and analytics apps and tools including Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, Kafka, Google BigQuery, Salesforce Tableau, Databricks, Cognos, Looker, Grafana, Power BI, Qlik Sense, SAP, SAS, Sisense, and TIBCO Spotfire. Data scientists can interact with CockroachDB through Jupyter Notebooks, querying structured and semi-structured data and loading results for analysis. Change data capture (CDC) streams provide real-time updates to analytics pipelines and feature stores, keeping downstream systems fresh and reliable. Columnar vectorized execution accelerates query processing, optimizes transactional throughput, and minimizes latency for demanding distributed workloads. MOLT AI-Powered Migration Organizations often know their data infrastructure is not supporting the business, but find it too painful to change. CockroachDB’s MOLT (Migrate Off Legacy Technology) is designed to enable safe, minimal-downtime database migrations from legacy systems to CockroachDB. MOLT Fetch supports data migration from PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, and Oracle, with SQL Server and DB2 coming soon. CockroachDB also has a portfolio of data replication platform integrations including Precisely, Striim, Qlik, Confluent, IBM, etc. Together, these capabilities ensure that CockroachDB supports both operational and analytical workloads, bridging traditional SQL applications with emerging Gen AI and ML use cases.

**Average Rating:** 4.3/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 27

#### How Do G2 Users Rate CockroachDB?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind CockroachDB?

- **Seller:** [Cockroach Labs](https://www.g2.com/sellers/cockroach-labs)
- **Year Founded:** 2015
- **HQ Location:** New York, NY
- **Twitter:** @CockroachDB  
13,571 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=b903904cca3e83245ec2fa35874c1a2869989c050742911c8f1e5d44fc3484b1&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fcockroach-labs%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
716 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services
- **Company Size:** 55% Small, 34% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About CockroachDB?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users value the **ease of managing a distributed SQL database** with CockroachDB, enhancing productivity without operational hassles.
- Users value the **ease of use** of CockroachDB, appreciating its simplicity and seamless scaling capabilities.
- Users appreciate the **performance and reliability** of CockroachDB, enjoying seamless scalability and low operational headaches.
- Users appreciate the **scalability** of CockroachDB, finding it easy to manage large datasets across multiple locations.
- Users appreciate the **seamless big data handling** of CockroachDB, enjoying its reliability and ease of use.

##### Cons

- Users find the **steep learning curve** challenging, especially when adapting to CockroachDB's unique operational model.
- Users find CockroachDB's setup **complex** , presenting challenges for beginners and requiring time to master optimization.
- Users find that **difficult learning** curves hinder their experience, particularly for beginners configuring CockroachDB effectively.
- Users find **feature limitations** in CockroachDB, especially regarding complexity and advanced feature maturity compared to traditional databases.
- Users find CockroachDB's **complex configuration and steep learning curve** challenging, particularly for beginners navigating its advanced features.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of CockroachDB?

**["Reliable, Scalable, and Developer-Friendly Database"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cockroachdb-review-11676754)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Ranit D._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cockroachdb-review-11676754)

**["Reliable, distributed database that just works at scale"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cockroachdb-review-11673819)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Verified User in Computer Software_

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/cockroachdb-review-11673819)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About CockroachDB?

- [Why is it called CockroachDB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/why-is-it-called-cockroachdb)
- [What is cockroach software?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-cockroach-software)
- [What's special about CockroachDB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-s-special-about-cockroachdb)
- [Which of the following are features of CockroachDB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/which-of-the-following-are-features-of-cockroachdb)

### [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/products/singlestore/reviews)

SingleStore enables organizations to scale from one to one million customers, handling SQL, JSON, full text and vector workloads — all in one unified platform.

**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 114

#### How Do G2 Users Rate SingleStore?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind SingleStore?

- **Seller:** [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/sellers/singlestore)
- **Year Founded:** 2011
- **HQ Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Twitter:** @SingleStoreDB  
15,447 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=68da530597901fc5ca326dcf43701994deeb0888ea3e7ec107126345d0fd8c81&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fsinglestore%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
549 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Data Engineer, Software Developer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 39% Large, 37% Small

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SingleStore?

**["Singlestore is best in market compared to Google's Bigquery"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-10241332)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Satwik L._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-10241332)

**["Great near real-time analytics database"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-9379490)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Matt N._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-9379490)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SingleStore?

- [What are the benefits and drawbacks of using SingleStore for database management?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-using-singlestore-for-database-management)
- [What is SingleStore used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-singlestore-used-for)

### [Stackby](https://www.g2.com/products/stackby/reviews)

Stackby is a no-code work management platform that brings the best of spreadsheets and databases to enable anyone to create their own collaborative workflows for their teams. No-coding or training needed. Stackby merges spreadsheet functionalities with the capabilities of a relational database, offering search, filtering, grouping and sorting options, as well as the ability to generate custom forms and views. It is designed for teams of any size from one to over 1000, making it scalable for fast growing startups. It also has 500+ templates across Marketing, Sales, HR, Project Management, Startups and more. Over 50,000 companies globally use Stackby to manage their data and automate their processes, in amazing ways.

**Average Rating:** 4.6/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 82

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Stackby?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 10.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Stackby?

- **Seller:** [Relytree Inc.](https://www.g2.com/sellers/relytree-inc)
- **Year Founded:** 2018
- **HQ Location:** San Francisco (and vicinity), California
- **Twitter:** @StackbyHQ  
1,050 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=602fb3f43608f53af97394d573b0cda97a67a05ebd90150ecf2d7646356f6f65&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F13753752%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
24 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** CEO
- **Top Industries:** Marketing and Advertising, Management Consulting
- **Company Size:** 90% Small, 6% Medium

#### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About Stackby?

_AI-generated summary from verified user reviews_

##### Pros

- Users value the **ease of use** of Stackby, allowing for seamless workflow customization without technical skills.
- Users love the **customization options** in Stackby, allowing for seamless workflow building without technical expertise.
- Users value the **flexibility** of Stackby, seamlessly integrating spreadsheets, databases, and APIs for customized workflows.
- Users admire the **automation capabilities** of Stackby for enabling seamless workflows and enhancing operational efficiency.
- Users value the **customizability** of Stackby, enabling tailored workflows and efficient operation without technical skills.

##### Cons

- Users feel Stackby has **limited advanced features** compared to competitors like Airtable and Notion, affecting productivity.
- Users note **missing advanced features** in Stackby compared to competitors like Airtable and Notion, limiting complex workflows.
- Users find **feature limitations** in Stackby, noting glitches and a lack of advanced functionalities compared to competitors.
- Users often face **integration issues** with Stackby, preferring more robust options available in competitor tools.
- Users find **limited customization** in Stackby, especially when comparing advanced features to Airtable or Notion.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Stackby?

**["Flexible Workflow Management with Room for Improvement"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/stackby-review-12553387)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Rishi S._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/stackby-review-12553387)

**["Incredible Visibility, Limited Connectivity"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/stackby-review-12706129)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Guilherme Patrick O._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/stackby-review-12706129)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Stackby?

- [What is Stackby used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-stackby-used-for)

### [SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-adaptive-server-enterprise-ase/reviews)

With SAP® Adaptive Server® Enterprise (SAP ASE), you can handle massive volumes of data and thousands of concurrent users to accelerate the growth of new data-driven business applications. Drive value with a faster, more efficient transactional system that is designed to meet the demands of the digital economy.

**Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 36

#### How Do G2 Users Rate SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)?

- **Ease of Use:** 7.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)?

- **Seller:** [SAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sap)
- **Year Founded:** 1972
- **HQ Location:** Walldorf
- **Twitter:** @SAP  
297,052 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=8fd712dbd816fadfc039a60dcf8c1a3d6a48469756075586fa0be3da7e4b74d7&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fsap%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
141,955 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** NYSE:SAP

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services
- **Company Size:** 41% Large, 32% Medium

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)?

**["ASE"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-adaptive-server-enterprise-ase-review-9227636)**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

_— Vishwas D._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-adaptive-server-enterprise-ase-review-9227636)

**["Amazing SAP Technology"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-adaptive-server-enterprise-ase-review-9131382)**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars

_— Tanish B._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-adaptive-server-enterprise-ase-review-9131382)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE)?

- [What is SAP Adaptive Server Platform?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-adaptive-server-platform)
- [What is SAP ASE Backup Server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-ase-backup-server) - 1 comment, 1 upvote
- [Is SAP ASE same as Sybase?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-sap-ase-same-as-sybase) - 1 comment
- [What is Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sybase-adaptive-server-enterprise) - 1 comment

### [Spark SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/spark-sql/reviews)

Spark SQL lets you query structured data inside Spark programs, using either SQL or a familiar DataFrame API. Usable in Java, Scala, Python and R.

**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 45

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Spark SQL?

- **Ease of Use:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Spark SQL?

- **Seller:** [The Apache Software Foundation](https://www.g2.com/sellers/the-apache-software-foundation)
- **Year Founded:** 1999
- **HQ Location:** Wakefield, MA
- **Twitter:** @TheASF  
66,168 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=b8484c4bb31e87bc0ba9e683d86f2af14309539343a063507c88bcdcff98434d&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2F215982%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
2,470 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Data Engineer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 53% Large, 27% Small

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Spark SQL?

**["Spark SQL revolutionized data processing with seamless SQL for efficient, scalable analytics."](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/spark-sql-review-8894443)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Kumar A._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/spark-sql-review-8894443)

**["When the data is huge, sparksql is the answer"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/spark-sql-review-9486008)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Manjunath K._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/spark-sql-review-9486008)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Spark SQL?

- [What is the difference between SQL and Spark SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-difference-between-sql-and-spark-sql) - 1 comment
- [What type of SQL does Spark use?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-type-of-sql-does-spark-use) - 2 comments, 1 upvote
- [What is the functionality of Spark SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-functionality-of-spark-sql) - 1 comment
- [What is Spark SQL and explain the features of Spark SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-spark-sql-and-explain-the-features-of-spark-sql)

### [SAP SQL Anywhere](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-sql-anywhere/reviews)

SAP® SQL Anywhere® solutions deliver enterprise-level data management and synchronization capabilities. The solutions are designed to run in remote and mobile environments on a wide range of small-footprint devices and in real-world conditions.

**Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 80

#### How Do G2 Users Rate SAP SQL Anywhere?

- **Ease of Use:** 8.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.0/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 7.8/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.6/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind SAP SQL Anywhere?

- **Seller:** [SAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sap)
- **Year Founded:** 1972
- **HQ Location:** Walldorf
- **Twitter:** @SAP  
297,052 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=8fd712dbd816fadfc039a60dcf8c1a3d6a48469756075586fa0be3da7e4b74d7&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Fsap%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
141,955 employees on LinkedIn®
- **Ownership:** NYSE:SAP

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Who Uses This:** Data Scientist
- **Top Industries:** Computer Software, Information Technology and Services
- **Company Size:** 42% Large, 36% Medium

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SAP SQL Anywhere?

**["Enterprise-Grade Database Power in Lightweight, Remote Environments"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-sql-anywhere-review-12927039)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Asma B._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-sql-anywhere-review-12927039)

**["Reviewing one of the best Enterprise level database management system"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-sql-anywhere-review-9069315)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Arun N._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-sql-anywhere-review-9069315)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SAP SQL Anywhere?

- [What is SAP SQL Anywhere used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-sql-anywhere-used-for)
- [What is SQL Anywhere 17?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sql-anywhere-17)
- [Is SQL Anywhere free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-sql-anywhere-free)
- [Is SAP an SQL database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-sap-an-sql-database)
- [What is SAP SQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-sql)

### [Firebird](https://www.g2.com/products/firebird/reviews)

Firebird is a relational database offering many ANSI SQL standard features that runs on Linux, Windows, and a variety of Unix platforms.

**Average Rating:** 4.1/5.0

**Total Reviews:** 22

#### How Do G2 Users Rate Firebird?

- **Ease of Use:** 9.1/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 7.7/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.0/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

#### Who Is the Company Behind Firebird?

- **Seller:** [Firebird Foundation](https://www.g2.com/sellers/firebird-foundation)
- **HQ Location:** N/A
- **Twitter:** @firebirdsql  
3,027 Twitter followers
- **LinkedIn® Page:** [www.linkedin.com](https://www.g2.com/external_clickthroughs/record?secure%5Bsource_type%5D=product_profile&secure%5Btoken%5D=ad2babe626bfc50e5178cd66774b9a3c7b01a8096c60df95732801046bf392c4&secure%5Burl%5D=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fcompany%2Ffirebird-foundation%2F&secure%5Burl_type%5D=linkedin_company_website)  
6 employees on LinkedIn®

#### Who Uses This Product?

- **Company Size:** 71% Small, 29% Medium

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of Firebird?

**["Fast, compact and feature rich DB"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/firebird-review-4556925)**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars

_— Jaakko S._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/firebird-review-4556925)

**["I hope I could help You :)"](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/firebird-review-4549814)**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars

_— Wojciech Z._

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/firebird-review-4549814)

#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About Firebird?

- [Is Firebird free?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-firebird-free)
- [What is Firebird EXE?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-firebird-exe)
- [Is Firebird a good database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-firebird-a-good-database)
- [What is Firebird used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-firebird-used-for)

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Similar Categories

- [NoSQL Databases](/categories/nosql-databases)
- [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](/categories/database-management-systems-dbms)
- [Big Data](/categories/big-data)
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- [Database Comparison](/categories/database-comparison)
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[Browse Relational Databases Themes](/categories/relational-databases/themes)

 ![Shalaka Joshi](/assets/transparent-ad5be28fbcd25b7b08d2cebe1d957125437fb5407d75ee717965ad22c8808791.gif "Shalaka Joshi")
SJ

Researched and written by [Shalaka Joshi](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/shalaka-joshi)

Updated 

Products classified in the overall Relational Databases category are similar in many regards and help companies of all sizes solve their business problems. However, small business features, pricing, setup, and installation differ from businesses of other sizes, which is why we match buyers to the right Small Business Relational Databases to fit their needs. Compare product ratings based on reviews from enterprise users or connect with one of G2's buying advisors to find the right solutions within the Small Business Relational Databases category.

In addition to qualifying for inclusion in the Relational Databases category, to qualify for inclusion in the Small Business Relational Databases category, a product must have at least 10 reviews left by a reviewer from a small business.

Show More

* * *

## How Do You Choose the Right Relational Databases?

### What You Should Know About Relational Databases Software

### What is Relational Databases Software?

Relational databases organize and maintain data in the form of tables that are by rows and columns, where columns represent a single type of data (e.g., an order date), and rows relate to multiple data types to a single, unique identifier. Each row’s unique identifier is called a primary key. In relational databases, multiple tables can be connected using foreign keys. This allows users to search for a range of interconnected data with ease. Relational databases software facilitates the creation, maintenance, and usage of these tables. These solutions store large volumes of data and allow access to structured data sets efficiently and flexibly. 

Relational databases can also be called relational database management systems (RDBMS) or structured query language (SQL) databases. An RDBMS is based on SQL that allows users to update, query, and administer a relational database. SQL is typically the standard programming language used to access a relational database. Relational databases software can read SQL and use SQL syntax or similar. SQL’s syntax is very simplistic, and as such, it is one of the easiest programming languages to access and query relational databases. 

#### What Types of Relational Databases Software Exist?

From a licensing point of view, relational databases can be categorized under two important types:

**Open-source databases**

Open-source software make their source code available for anybody to access. The code is open and free for download and modification.

**Commercially supported databases**

Commercial or proprietary software is solely owned by the entity that developed it. It is made available only under license.

Relational databases can be deployed on both cloud and on-premises as far as the buyer complies with the license: 

**Cloud**

A relational database deployed on the cloud provides an improved infrastructure that lets companies focus more on their strategic work rather than managing a full house of servers on-premises. These solutions provide cost control as organizations pay for what they use.

**On-premises or license **

An on-premises data warehouse software lets organizations buy one time, deploy in-house and enable control over their hardware and software infrastructure. This deployment solution requires a consultant to help with installation and ongoing support. One advantage of on-premises relational solutions is that it gives complete control and access over the data within an organization, helping minimize security risks.

### What's the best relational database tool for app development?

For those looking to find the best relational database tool for app development, these are some top G2 recommended solutions:

- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews)
- [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews)

These relational database tools offer advanced features, open-source options, and scalability for app developers.

### What is an ideal relational database for fast-growing businesses?

Depending on your or the company's specific needs, G2 offers a variety of options for your ideal relational database software for fast-growing businesses. Some of these top contenders are:

- [Amazon RDS](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews): Offers ease of setup, management, and automatic scaling, making it perfect for businesses with fluctuating demands.
- [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews): Open-sourced, flexible option that's widely supported, easy to use, and ideal for their scalability and cost efficiency.
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews): A fully managed database service that provides scalability, reliability, and secure access in the cloud.

These options are particularly well-suited for businesses anticipating rapid growth.

### What are the Common Features of Relational Databases?

The following are some core features within relational databases that can help users store, organize and maintain large data sets at the same time query data using a structured query language:

**Data storage:** Allows data to be stored in the form of tables (i.e., rows and columns). It also facilitates a primary key, which helps in the unique identification of the rows.

**Data modification:** Allows data update and access to multiple data elements simultaneously. Users can also retrieve data from large volumes of datasets stored in the database using a structured query language.

**Database creation and maintenance:** Quickly create brand-new relational databases and modify them with ease.

**Indexing:** This feature helps build relationships between data elements via keys and indexes which enables users with ease to access and search the databases.

**Scalability:** Relational database solutions grow with data, so the only capacity that’s concerning is physical or cloud storage capacity.

**Data security:** Relational database solutions include data security features to protect the data a business stores in its databases. 

**Access control** : Relational databases grant administrators complete control over who can access them. Users can be granted access based on their work and requirements. 

**OS compatibility:** Relational database solutions are compatible with numerous operating systems, so the user won’t have to worry about the OS when creating databases.

**Recovery** : Whether a database needs to be rolled back or outright recovered, some relational database solutions offer recovery features.

**Multi-user access:** RDBMS solutions allow multiple users to access databases at a single time. This functionality prevents multiple users from colliding with each other when making updates and also blocks access to partial data entries.

Other Features of Relational Databases: [Open source](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/f/open-source), [Proprietary](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/f/proprietary)

### What are the Benefits of Relational Databases?

RDBMS solutions are built on a specific relational data model which makes it easy for users to access, update and retrieve data from various data sets within the database. This software can help organizations manage large volumes of data sets at the same time and give them the ability to manipulate and maintain them.

**Data association:** Relational databases are extremely powerful for storing and retrieving associative data. Be it e-commerce order details, patient information, stock tracking, or something more, relational databases excel in creating meaningful connections between a primary key and the related description. Since they can be uniquely generated, primary key values are typically numbers, and values (e.g., full name, quantity, order date) are associated with that value by being stored in the same row on the table. This massively improves data organization for companies.

**Targeted query results:** By using relational database software, businesses can build vast, interconnected databases that quickly return important information, exactly as needed. Relational databases have massive strength in being able to produce query results that span over numerous tables. By using join operations and table aliases, users can query across several tables at once to build an output of the exact data they require. This eliminates the need to store huge quantities of data on a single table. Instead, database administrators can build out as many tables as needed to better organize data, and those tables can be connected by foreign keys if any of the data needs to be associated.

**Ease of use:** Relational databases are designed to be easy to build and even easier to use. At a fairly low learning curve, anyone that could make use of relational databases tools would be able to do so with basic training on the software.

**Data consistency:** RDBMS is based on the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) model which facilitates structured and consistent data sets.

**Speed:** The tabular format of relational databases allows quick data retrieval. The standard SQL language used to pull data from databases enables faster data pull.

**Better decision-making:** Relational databases facilitate the provision of well-organized data which is up to date as well. This helps organizations make accurate and timely decisions. 

### Who Uses Relational Databases?

**Database administrator:** DBAs work towards maintaining the performance and managing the database and the applications connected to them. They are also responsible for the security and integrity of the database as well as any related troubleshoot issues.

**Developers:** Developers write codes in various programming languages to interact with databases. They are also responsible for designing and developing new databases.

**End users:** They are individuals who perform data manipulation tasks on the databases like update, delete, and more.

#### Software Related to Relational Databases

Related solutions that can be used together with relational databases include:

[NoSQL databases software](https://www.g2.com/categories/nosql-databases) **:** As noted previously, while relational databases solutions excel with structured data, NoSQL databases like object-oriented, document, graph, etc., more effectively store loosely structured and unstructured data. NoSQL database solutions pair well with relational databases software if a company deals with diverse data that can be collected by both structured and unstructured means.

[Data warehouse software](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-warehouse) **:** Data warehouse software acts as a single central repository of integrated data from multiple disparate sources that provides business insights with the help of BI Tools. Data warehouses also store data similar to relational databases but the end purpose involves the collection and storing of historical data to perform reporting and data analysis.

[Data quality software](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-quality) **:** Relational databases struggle with handling unstructured data, and duplicate or incorrect data can throw off the accuracy of results once data becomes structured. Data quality solutions help clean and structure data, which makes it easier to turn around and create a formal relational database for that data.

### Challenges with Relational Databases

Software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. 

**Unstructured data:** As noted above, there is a point where relational databases can struggle: handling unstructured data. Relational databases hinge on data being structured to properly create relationships between data points and data tables. If a company uses mostly unstructured data, they should consider perhaps a NoSQL database solution or a data quality software to clean and structure unstructured data.

**Query lag**** :** Relational databases can store massive quantities of data, but they run queries a little more slowly on larger data sets. This is mainly due to the sheer volume of data being queried. In situations where queries might traverse significant quantities of data, users can try to query based on specific values whenever possible. Also, querying strings takes significantly longer than querying numerics, so focusing on numerics whenever possible may help improve search times.

### Which Companies Should Buy Relational Databases?

What makes relational databases software particularly beneficial is that it’s highly flexible and can be used by many teams throughout a company. Below are some examples:

**Finance and accounting:** Relational databases can be used to track payments and dues by associating a vendor ID, customer ID, or other unique identifiers to payment dates, payment amounts, check or order numbers, and more. All of this can be easily queried through relational database tools, and a complete transactional record can be created in a matter of minutes or even seconds. The ability to organize or isolate this data by, say, transaction date or personnel can greatly improve efficiency.

**E-commerce:** Internet prevalence and ease of use has made online ordering, from food to clothes or machinery, not only simple but very widely used. Relational databases can store vast transactional data, including order date/time, customer name, payment method used, customer location, and more. Verifying an order’s correctness is a query away. Additional benefits for e-commerce come in that relational databases can store incredible volumes of information. Individual tables can store millions upon millions of entries at once without harming workflow.

**Healthcare:** Relational database tools offer immense value in health care because of the ability to relate so many data points to a single unique identifier. In health care, patients have a number of data points to describe their condition, including age, weight, blood pressure, and others. By being able to associate all of those data points to a single unique identifier (e.g., a person’s patient ID), health care professionals—doctors, nurses, lab techs, database admins, and more—can have quick access to any relevant data.

### How to Buy Relational Databases

#### Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Relational Databases

If a company is just starting and looking to purchase their first relational database solution, or maybe an organization needs to update a legacy system--wherever a business is in its buying process, G2.com can help select the best relational database software for the business.

The particular business pain points might be related to storing and managing large volumes of data sets within an organization. If the company has amassed a lot of data, the need is to look for a solution that can help organize and structure that data to manage it. Users should think about the pain points and jot them down; these should be used to help create a checklist of criteria. Additionally, the buyer must determine the number of employees who will need to use this software, as this drives the number of licenses they are likely to buy.

Taking a holistic overview of the business and identifying pain points can help the team springboard into creating a checklist of criteria. The checklist serves as a detailed guide that includes both necessary and nice-to-have features including a budget, features, number of users, integrations, security requirements, cloud or on-premises solutions, and more.

Depending on the scope of the deployment, it might be helpful to produce an RFI, a one-page list with a few bullet points describing what is needed from a data warehouse software.

#### Compare Relational Databases Products

**Create a long list**

From meeting the business functionality needs to implementation, vendor evaluations are an essential part of the software buying process. For ease of comparison after all demos are complete, it helps to prepare a consistent list of questions regarding specific needs and concerns to ask each vendor.

**Create a shortlist**

From the long list of vendors, it is helpful to narrow down the list of vendors and come up with a shorter list of contenders, preferably no more than three to five. With this list in hand, businesses can produce a matrix to compare the features and pricing of the various solutions.

**Conduct demos**

To ensure the comparison is thoroughgoing, the user should demo each solution on the shortlist with the same use case and datasets. This will allow the business to evaluate like for like and see how each vendor stacks up against the competition. 

#### Selection of Relational Databases

**Choose a selection team**

Before getting started, it's crucial to create a winning team that will work together throughout the entire process, from identifying pain points to implementation. The software selection team should consist of members of the organization who have the right interest, skills, and time to participate in this process. A good starting point is to aim for three to five people who fill roles such as the main decision maker, project manager, process owner, system owner, or staffing subject matter expert, as well as a technical lead, IT administrator, or security administrator. In smaller companies, the vendor selection team may be smaller, with fewer participants multitasking and taking on more responsibilities.

**Negotiation**

Just because something is written on a company’s pricing page, does not mean it is final (although some companies will not budge). It is imperative to open up a conversation regarding pricing and licensing. For example, the vendor may be willing to give a discount for multi-year contracts or for recommending the product to others.

**Final decision**

After this stage, and before going all in, it is recommended to roll out a test run or pilot program to test adoption with a small sample size of users. If the tool is well used and well-received, the buyer can be confident that the selection was correct. If not, it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

### What Does Relational Databases Cost?

There are a couple of robust relational databases that are available for free in the market. There are typically two pricing models, one where users pay only for what they use, and in the other one, users pay a one-time license fee. 

### Relational Databases Trends

**Databases and data aggregation**

The debate continues on the use of relational databases solutions versus NoSQL databases as the better business solution, as data aggregation continues to rise in the business world. Data-driven products and services require immense data backing now, and the debate is on the best way to store that data. In reality, the two database types should be used together. While relational databases excel in structured data storage, NoSQL databases—non-relational databases—shine when there’s no real structure to how data should be collected and stored. Both relational and non-relational databases can scale quite easily, given the right software supporting them. This shouldn’t be a debate, but a collaboration. Thus, bridging the gap between SQL/NoSQL to let them work together.

**Big data**

Data has become the backbone of conducting business in the information age. As data drives business decisions and trends, the data must be digestible, easy to follow, and easy to reference. That’s why big data software mostly falls back on relational database solutions. Designed with strict organization, referencing, and referral in mind, relational databases can absorb and store massive amounts of data to be later digested in the decision-making process.