# Apache Derby, MariaDB vs Microsoft SQL Server Comparison

| | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 3.8 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 23 | 226 | 2,274 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (39.1% of reviews) | Small-Business (41.3% of reviews) | Enterprise (45.4% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Apache Derby

**Not enough data**

### MariaDB

Pros:
- Ease of Use (2 reviews)
- Easy Integrations (2 reviews)

Cons:
- Beginner Unfriendliness (1 reviews)
- Connectivity Issues (1 reviews)

### Microsoft SQL Server

Pros:
- Ease of Use (32 reviews)
- Database Management (29 reviews)

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

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.2 (22 reviews) | 8.9 (183 reviews) | 9.0 (1862 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.6 (23 reviews) | 8.9 (185 reviews) | 8.6 (1880 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | 8.7 (115 reviews) | 8.1 (1002 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.2 (10 reviews) | 8.4 (110 reviews) | 8.3 (952 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.1 (19 reviews) | 7.9 (142 reviews) | 8.3 (1656 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.0 (9 reviews) | 8.1 (88 reviews) | 8.4 (901 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 6.4 (23 reviews) | 8.9 (176 reviews) | 8.4 (1832 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Apache Derby

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### MariaDB

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### 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 |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | N/A | N/A |
| **MariaDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 172 |

#### Management

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data dictionary** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (154 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (153 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.2 (161 reviews) | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (154 reviews) | 
| **Performance Analysis** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (159 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (156 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (162 reviews) | 
| **Multi-User Environment** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.9 (153 reviews) | 
| **User Access Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

### Relational Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | 7.4/10 | 20 |
| **MariaDB** | 8.7/10 | 175 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1457 |

#### Management 

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | Not enough data | 9.2 (28 reviews) | 9.1 (150 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | Not enough data | 9.2 (29 reviews) | 9.2 (155 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | Not enough data | 8.5 (25 reviews) | 8.8 (140 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | 8.5 (23 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | Not enough data | 8.6 (26 reviews) | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | Not enough data | 8.9 (28 reviews) | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | Not enough data | 8.5 (23 reviews) | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | Not enough data | 8.9 (22 reviews) | 8.4 (153 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | Not enough data | 8.7 (27 reviews) | 8.8 (148 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | Not enough data | 8.8 (28 reviews) | 9.0 (148 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 8.8 (22 reviews) | 8.8 (145 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | 8.7 (23 reviews) | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | Not enough data | 8.3 (21 reviews) | 8.7 (146 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | Not enough data | 8.6 (22 reviews) | 8.8 (140 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | Not enough data | 8.4 (24 reviews) | 8.7 (147 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | Not enough data | 8.4 (20 reviews) | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | Not enough data | 8.5 (27 reviews) | 8.8 (146 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 7.3 (20 reviews) | 9.0 (153 reviews) | 8.9 (1292 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 8.0 (20 reviews) | 9.1 (156 reviews) | 9.0 (1294 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 7.9 (20 reviews) | 9.2 (156 reviews) | 8.9 (1306 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 6.7 (20 reviews) | 8.6 (148 reviews) | 8.7 (1272 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 7.0 (19 reviews) | 8.6 (150 reviews) | 8.8 (1271 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | 7.3 (20 reviews) | 8.7 (150 reviews) | 8.8 (1274 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 7.3 (20 reviews) | 9.0 (154 reviews) | 9.1 (1296 reviews) | 

### Columnar Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | N/A | N/A |
| **MariaDB** | 9.0/10 | 10 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Storage

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Model** | Not enough data | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Types** | Not enough data | 8.9 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Availability

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Auto Sharding** | Not enough data | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Auto Recovery** | Not enough data | 8.8 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | 8.6 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Performance

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Integrated Cache** | Not enough data | 9.0 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Role-Based Authorization** | Not enough data | 9.4 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | 9.5 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Logs** | Not enough data | 8.6 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | 9.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Support

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Model** | Not enough data | 9.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Operating Systems** | Not enough data | 8.8 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### AWS Marketplace

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | N/A | N/A |
| **MariaDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Agentic AI - AWS Marketplace

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Autonomous Task Execution** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Multi-step Planning** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Cross-system Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | N/A | N/A |
| **MariaDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.4/10 | 59 |

#### Database

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Real-Time Data Collection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (56 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 | Apache Derby | MariaDB | 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 | Apache Derby | MariaDB | 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 (53 reviews) | 
| **Spark Integration** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.2 (46 reviews) | 

#### Processing

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Cloud Processing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (52 reviews) | 
| **Workload Processing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (56 reviews) | 

### Big Data

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Apache Derby** | N/A | N/A |
| **MariaDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Building Reports

| Feature | Apache Derby | MariaDB | 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 | Apache Derby | MariaDB | 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 MariaDB (2):** [Columnar Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/columnar-databases), [AWS Marketplace Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/aws-marketplace)

**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 | Apache Derby | MariaDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 39.1% | 41.3% | 18.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 30.4% | 31.7% | 36.3% | 
| **Enterprise** | 30.4% | 27.1% | 45.4% | 

### By Industry

#### Apache Derby

- **Computer Software:** 39.1%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 13.0%
- **Government Administration:** 13.0%
- **Education Management:** 8.7%
- **Medical Practice:** 4.3%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 4.3%
- **Higher Education:** 4.3%
- **E-Learning:** 4.3%
- **Banking:** 4.3%
- **Airlines/Aviation:** 4.3%

#### MariaDB

- **Information Technology and Services:** 26.1%
- **Computer Software:** 20.2%
- **Internet:** 5.0%
- **Telecommunications:** 5.0%
- **Computer & Network Security:** 3.7%
- **Education Management:** 3.7%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 2.8%
- **Computer Networking:** 2.3%
- **Higher Education:** 2.3%
- **Retail:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 27.1%

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.1%
- **Computer Software:** 13.8%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 5.4%
- **Financial Services:** 4.4%
- **Higher Education:** 2.9%
- **Education Management:** 2.7%
- **Banking:** 2.5%
- **Government Administration:** 2.4%
- **Insurance:** 2.4%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.2%
- **Other:** 37.3%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to Apache Derby

- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1675 reviews)
- [SQLite](https://www.g2.com/products/sqlite/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (260 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (677 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1010 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (906 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [Teradata Vantage](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-teradata-vantage/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (373 reviews)

### Alternatives to MariaDB

- [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 (906 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 (677 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [SQLite](https://www.g2.com/products/sqlite/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (260 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [OpenText Vertica](https://www.g2.com/products/opentext-vertica/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (216 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 (741 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 (906 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 (677 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### Apache Derby

No discussions available for this product.

### MariaDB

- Title: [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/mariadb-what-is-mariadb-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is a fork of MySQL used for data warehouse, e-com services and usage for similar kind of data manipulation tasks. "
- Title: [Is MariaDB compatible with MySQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-mariadb-compatible-with-mysql) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "Yes"
- Title: [What is MariaDB server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-server) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "MariaDB server is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS) that is compatible with MySQL. I'm pretty sure it was a fork of MySQLs..."
- Title: [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-used-for) — 1 comment
  > **Top comment:** "It is a relational database that stores data in form of row and column coming as input from a source like application softwares"
- Title: [Improvements in the mechanism of replication](https://www.g2.com/discussions/12584-improvements-in-the-mechanism-of-replication) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "MarieDB Galera cluster is the way to go https://mariadb.com/kb/en/what-is-mariadb-galera-cluster/"

### 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/apache-derby-vs-mariadb-vs-microsoft-sql-server)