# Amazon Aurora, TiDB vs Microsoft SQL Server Comparison

| | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 457 | 67 | 2,279 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (38.3% of reviews) | Enterprise (40.4% of reviews) | Enterprise (45.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | Free Trial Per Month | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Amazon Aurora

Pros:
- Scalability (14 reviews)
- Availability (12 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (20 reviews)
- AWS Dependency (7 reviews)

### TiDB

Pros:
- Scalability (52 reviews)
- Ease of Use (32 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (22 reviews)
- Performance Issues (15 reviews)

### Microsoft SQL Server

Pros:
- Ease of Use (29 reviews)
- Database Management (24 reviews)

Cons:
- Expensive (21 reviews)
- High Licensing Cost (12 reviews)

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (409 reviews) | 9.0 (51 reviews) | 9.0 (1866 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.7 (411 reviews) | 8.3 (52 reviews) | 8.6 (1884 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.6 (259 reviews) | 8.2 (52 reviews) | 8.1 (1006 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.7 (180 reviews) | 8.5 (26 reviews) | 8.3 (953 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.7 (395 reviews) | 8.7 (47 reviews) | 8.3 (1660 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.7 (177 reviews) | 9.2 (26 reviews) | 8.4 (902 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.5 (395 reviews) | 9.5 (51 reviews) | 8.4 (1836 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Amazon Aurora

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### TiDB

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: TiDB Cloud Serverless

Price: Free Trial Per Month

Description: Fully-managed cloud DBaaS for applications with variable workloads, available on AWS.

Key Features:
- 25 GB of row storage, 25 GB of column storage, and 250M Request Units (RUs) for free per month for each organization
- $0.20 per additional GB of storage
- $0.10 per additional 1M RUs

[Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/tidb/pricing)

#### Free Trial

Yes

### Microsoft SQL Server

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Database Management Systems (DBMS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | N/A | N/A |
| **TiDB** | 8.8/10 | 29 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 174 |

#### Management

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data dictionary** | Not enough data | 8.5 (27 reviews) | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | 8.8 (28 reviews) | 8.8 (153 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | Not enough data | 9.3 (27 reviews) | 9.2 (161 reviews) | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | 8.9 (25 reviews) | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Performance Analysis** | Not enough data | 8.9 (28 reviews) | 8.9 (159 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | 9.1 (28 reviews) | 8.9 (158 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | 9.0 (28 reviews) | 9.0 (162 reviews) | 
| **Multi-User Environment** | Not enough data | 8.4 (25 reviews) | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.7 (26 reviews) | 8.9 (153 reviews) | 
| **User Access Control** | Not enough data | 8.8 (26 reviews) | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

### Relational Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | 8.8/10 | 313 |
| **TiDB** | 8.9/10 | 40 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1462 |

#### Management 

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | 8.7 (209 reviews) | 9.2 (33 reviews) | 9.1 (151 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.6 (210 reviews) | 9.3 (35 reviews) | 9.2 (156 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | 8.8 (208 reviews) | 9.5 (35 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | 8.9 (212 reviews) | 9.3 (34 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | 8.3 (207 reviews) | 8.2 (30 reviews) | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | 8.6 (214 reviews) | 8.7 (34 reviews) | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | 8.4 (206 reviews) | 8.6 (33 reviews) | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | 8.6 (204 reviews) | 8.7 (33 reviews) | 8.4 (153 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | 8.7 (203 reviews) | 8.8 (32 reviews) | 8.8 (149 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | 8.7 (206 reviews) | 8.8 (35 reviews) | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | 8.9 (207 reviews) | 8.7 (29 reviews) | 8.8 (145 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | 8.8 (204 reviews) | 8.6 (32 reviews) | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | 8.9 (209 reviews) | 9.2 (34 reviews) | 8.7 (148 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | 8.7 (205 reviews) | 9.4 (34 reviews) | 8.8 (142 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | 8.8 (203 reviews) | 9.0 (33 reviews) | 8.7 (149 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | 8.6 (202 reviews) | 8.9 (32 reviews) | 8.6 (146 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | 8.5 (202 reviews) | 8.6 (34 reviews) | 8.8 (148 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 9.1 (296 reviews) | 9.1 (37 reviews) | 8.9 (1295 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.2 (295 reviews) | 9.4 (39 reviews) | 9.0 (1297 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 9.0 (291 reviews) | 8.3 (37 reviews) | 8.9 (1309 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 9.2 (288 reviews) | 9.5 (39 reviews) | 8.7 (1275 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 9.0 (287 reviews) | 8.4 (34 reviews) | 8.8 (1274 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | 8.5 (283 reviews) | 8.7 (36 reviews) | 8.8 (1277 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.6 (291 reviews) | 9.3 (39 reviews) | 9.1 (1298 reviews) | 

### Vector Database

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | N/A | N/A |
| **TiDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Data Indexing

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Semantic Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing Data** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Filters

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Accurate Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Single Stage Filtering - Vector Database** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Database as a Service (DBaaS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | 8.7/10 | 220 |
| **TiDB** | 8.5/10 | 8 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Configuration

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Application Performance** | 8.9 (205 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Orchestration** | 8.6 (191 reviews) | 8.1 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Database Monitoring** | 8.6 (203 reviews) | 9.4 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly Detection** | 8.3 (182 reviews) | 7.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Network Security** | 8.8 (198 reviews) | 7.9 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Database Administration

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Provisioning** | 8.7 (197 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Governance** | 8.6 (181 reviews) | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Auditing** | 8.5 (181 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Availability

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 9.1 (197 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Backup** | 9.1 (195 reviews) | 9.0 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Archiving** | 8.8 (188 reviews) | 8.3 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing** | 8.7 (188 reviews) | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Masking** | 8.7 (133 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication And Single Sign-On** | 8.6 (133 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Anonymization** | 8.5 (126 reviews) | 8.3 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Data Management

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Replication** | 8.9 (135 reviews) | 8.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Advanced Data Analytics** | 8.5 (125 reviews) | 8.6 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | N/A | N/A |
| **TiDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.4/10 | 62 |

#### Database

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Real-Time Data Collection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (58 reviews) | 
| **Data Distribution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (57 reviews) | 
| **Data Lake** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (54 reviews) | 

#### Integrations

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Hadoop Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 7.8 (45 reviews) | 
| **Spark Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (46 reviews) | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Machine Scaling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (50 reviews) | 
| **Data Preparation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (54 reviews) | 
| **Spark Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (46 reviews) | 

#### Processing

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Processing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (53 reviews) | 
| **Workload Processing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (56 reviews) | 

### Big Data

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Amazon Aurora** | N/A | N/A |
| **TiDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Building Reports

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Transformation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **WYSIWYG Report Design** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Integration APIs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Mobile User Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Customization ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Internationalization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Sandbox / Test Environments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Performance and Reliability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Breadth of Partner Applications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (1):** [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases)

**Unique to Amazon Aurora (1):** [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas)

**Unique to TiDB (3):** [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms), [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database), [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas)

**Unique to Microsoft SQL Server (3):** [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms), [Big Data Processing And Distribution Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/big-data-processing-and-distribution), [On-Premise Data Integration Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/on-premise-data-integration)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Amazon Aurora | TiDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 38.3% | 34.6% | 18.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 33.3% | 25.0% | 36.4% | 
| **Enterprise** | 28.4% | 40.4% | 45.3% | 

### By Industry

#### Amazon Aurora

- **Information Technology and Services:** 22.9%
- **Computer Software:** 21.3%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 4.9%
- **Financial Services:** 4.2%
- **Education Management:** 3.7%
- **Retail:** 3.5%
- **Banking:** 3.0%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.3%
- **Consulting:** 2.1%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.1%
- **Other:** 30.1%

#### TiDB

- **Computer Software:** 26.9%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 17.3%
- **Financial Services:** 11.5%
- **Logistics and Supply Chain:** 5.8%
- **Internet:** 5.8%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.8%
- **Retail:** 3.8%
- **E-Learning:** 3.8%
- **Accounting:** 1.9%
- **Computer Games:** 1.9%
- **Other:** 17.3%

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.0%
- **Computer Software:** 13.8%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.4%
- **Financial Services:** 4.3%
- **Higher Education:** 2.9%
- **Education Management:** 2.6%
- **Banking:** 2.5%
- **Government Administration:** 2.4%
- **Insurance:** 2.4%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 37.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Amazon Aurora

- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1010 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [Azure SQL Database](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-sql-database/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (241 reviews)
- [Google Cloud Spanner](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-spanner/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (36 reviews)
- [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (370 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (226 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1675 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (678 reviews)

### Alternatives to TiDB

- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (753 reviews)
- [Teradata Vantage](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-teradata-vantage/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (373 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (370 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1675 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1010 reviews)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (907 reviews)
- [Databricks](https://www.g2.com/products/databricks/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (778 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)

### Alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server

- [Teradata Vantage](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-teradata-vantage/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (373 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (753 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1675 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1010 reviews)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (907 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (678 reviews)
- [Google Cloud BigQuery](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1227 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Amazon Aurora

- Title: [What is Amazon Aurora used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-amazon-aurora-used-for) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database engine designed for the cloud, compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL. It's used for providing high..."
- Title: [What is Amazon Aurora vs RDS?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-amazon-aurora-vs-rds) — 2 comments
  > **Top comment:** "AWS (Amazon Web Services) offers both Amazon Aurora and Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) as database services, however, they have slightly different..."

### TiDB

No discussions available for this product.

### Microsoft SQL Server

- Title: [How can I work on the same query if the connection is lost (timeout) and then I reconnect?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/15675-how-can-i-work-on-the-same-query-if-the-connection-is-lost-timeout-and-then-i-reconnect) — 4 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "You can change the timeout for the query:

In the object explorer, right click a server and select properties. 
Go to Remote server connections, look for ..."
- Title: [How could I make much easier the experience with the order of my database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/13520-how-could-i-make-much-easier-the-experience-with-the-order-of-my-database) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "If you have SQL knowledge you can generate queries to obtain the specific data you're looking for based on selected criteria."
- Title: [What is the best way to save your queries?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12127-what-is-the-best-way-to-save-your-queries) — 4 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "I recommend that you use the saved querys in plain text or .sql or txt format you can use the same sql server query creator or a notepad +++ tool, they are..."
- Title: [Is there a free version of Microsoft SQL Server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-a-free-version-of-microsoft-sql-server) — 3 comments
  > **Top comment:** "yes, SQL Server Express offers it as a free edition. It provides service, albeit in a limited framework."
- Title: [how did you import a MySQL database?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-did-you-import-a-mysql-database) — 3 comments, 2 upvotes
  > **Top comment:** "You can use the LinkedServer feature to mySQL database using the provider.
Check here for further..."

---
**Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/amazon-aurora-vs-tidb-vs-microsoft-sql-server)