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# Azure Synapse Analytics vs Microsoft SQL Server Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Azure Synapse AnalyticsMS SQL[+ Add Product](#)

Pricing

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
No pricing available

**Microsoft SQL Server**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Microsoft SQL Server**
3 months

Based on 39 responses

Return on Investment

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Microsoft SQL Server**
17 months

Based on 30 responses

Perceived Cost

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
$$$$$

**Microsoft SQL Server**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
Not enough reviews yet

**Microsoft SQL Server**
14%

**Pros & Cons**
from reviews

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
[
Analytics (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2489137&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Automation (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2488936&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost Estimation (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2488860&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Cost Management (1)
](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=2489035&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Microsoft SQL Server**
[
Ease of Use (32)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1422587&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Database Management (29)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1422948&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Expensive (21)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1421552&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
High Licensing Cost (12)
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1422329&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
Not enough data

**Microsoft SQL Server**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-data-factory.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure Data Factory

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-data-factory/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_13aba37ae908d9cf29a2452925257ccc/azure-databricks.jpeg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure Databricks

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-databricks/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_f176b4154a751d10150daa67a57b7dc5/azure-sql-database.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Azure SQL Database

](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-sql-database/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_a6c205d533dba77b318af96d91beb2ac/databricks.jpeg "Product Avatar Image")

Databricks

](https://www.g2.com/products/databricks/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/integrations)

Screenshots

**Azure Synapse Analytics**
No screenshot available

**Microsoft SQL Server**
 ![Microsoft SQL Server screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/79420/screenshot.png)

**Ratings**
from reviews

Meets Requirements

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.9

8.928

**Microsoft SQL Server**

9.0

9.01,877

Ease of Use

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.8

8.829

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.6

8.61,895

Ease of Setup

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.6

8.611

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.2

8.21,018

Ease of Admin

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.9

8.99

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.3

8.3955

Quality of Support

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.7

8.724

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.3

8.31,669

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.3

8.39

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.4

8.4904

Product Direction (% positive)

**Azure Synapse Analytics**

8.4

8.429

**Microsoft SQL Server**

8.4

8.41,846

**Features**
ratings from reviews

Big Data Processing and Distribution[Hide 10 FeaturesShow 10 Features](javascript:void(0);)

8.5

6

8.4

62

Database

Real-Time Data Collection

7.8

6

8.6(won by 0.8)

58

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Data Distribution

8.3

6

8.8(won by 0.5)

57

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

Data Lake

8.6(won by 0.2)

6

8.4

54

Integrations

Spark Integration

8.9(won by 0.7)

6

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

8.2

46

Hadoop Integration

Not enough data

7.8(won by default)

45

Platform

Machine Scaling

8.1

6

8.2(won by 0.1)

50

Data Preparation

8.3

6

8.5(won by 0.2)

54

Spark Integration

8.9(won by 0.7)

6

 (There is a greater than 0.5 difference between this product's rating and its competitors)

8.2

46

Processing

Cloud Processing

8.6(tied score)

6

8.6(tied score)

53

Workload Processing

8.6(won by 0.1)

6

8.5

56

Database Management Systems (DBMS)[Hide 48 FeaturesShow 48 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

9.0

180

Management

Data dictionary

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

156

Data Replication

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

154

Query Language

Not enough data

9.2(won by default)

162

Data Modeling

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

156

Performance Analysis

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

161

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Storage Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Maintenance

Data Migration

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

159

Backup and Recovery

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

165

Multi-User Environment

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

156

Automatic Backup

Not enough data

Not enough data

Database Conversion

Not enough data

Not enough data

Security

Data Encryption

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

154

User Access Control

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

157

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Workflow Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Extraction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Relational Database Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Connectors

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting & Statistics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Full Text Search

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Virtualization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Import/Export

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Fields

Not enough data

Not enough data

Authentication

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Visualization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Secure Data Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Mapping

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multiple Programming Languages Supported

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Capture and Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

NOSQL Database Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Calendar Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Monitoring

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Storage

Not enough data

Not enough data

Audit Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Charting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Relational Databases[Hide 24 FeaturesShow 24 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.8

1,472

Management 

Data Schema

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

154

Query Language

Not enough data

9.2(won by default)

158

ACID - Complaint

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

142

Data Replication

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

143

Support 

Text Search

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

145

Data Types

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

152

Languages

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

145

Operating Systems

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

155

Security

Database Locking

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

151

Access Control

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

152

Encryption

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

148

Authentication

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

150

Performance 

Disaster Recovery

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

151

Data Concurrency

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

143

Workload Management

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

155

Advanced Indexing

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

150

Query Optimizer

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

152

Database Features

Storage

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

1300

Availability

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

1303

Stability

Not enough data

8.9(won by default)

1317

Scalability

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

1283

Security

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

1281

Data Manipulation

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

1283

Query Language

Not enough data

9.1(won by default)

1302

Big Data Analytics[Hide 49 FeaturesShow 49 Features](javascript:void(0);)

8.9

12

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Real-Time Analytics

8.9(won by default)

9

Not enough data

Data Querying

8.8(won by default)

12

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Predictive Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Visual Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Connectivity

Hadoop Integration

8.8(won by default)

8

Not enough data

Spark Integration

9.5(won by default)

10

Not enough data

Multi-Source Analysis

8.9(won by default)

11

Not enough data

Data Lake

9.4(won by default)

9

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Capture and Transfer

Not enough data

Not enough data

Trend Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

What-if Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Statistical Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Blending

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Analysis

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Operations

Data Visualization

8.7(won by default)

9

Not enough data

Data Workflow

8.6(won by default)

11

Not enough data

Governed Discovery

8.5(won by default)

8

Not enough data

Embedded Analytics

8.8(won by default)

8

Not enough data

Notebooks

8.5(won by default)

11

Not enough data

Data Discovery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Additional Functionality

Data Warehousing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Connectors

Not enough data

Not enough data

Ad hoc Reporting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Reports

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Escalation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Forecasting

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Migration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Cleansing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Synchronization

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Dashboard Creation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Extraction

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

SSL Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

No-Code

Not enough data

Not enough data

High Volume Processing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Database Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Search/Filter

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

Show 1 feature category with incomplete data

Big Data[Hide 17 FeaturesShow 17 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

Not enough data

Building Reports

Integration APIs

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Transformation

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Modeling

Not enough data

Not enough data

WYSIWYG Report Design

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Real-Time Data

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Platform

Mobile User Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customization 

Not enough data

Not enough data

User, Role, and Access Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Internationalization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Sandbox / Test Environments

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance and Reliability

Not enough data

Not enough data

Breadth of Partner Applications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Metadata Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Azure Synapse Analytics](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8a99a96fda235658139f710592f8a53/azure-synapse-analytics.svg "Azure Synapse Analytics")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews)

Azure Synapse Analytics

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

25.0%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

44.4%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

30.6%

[![Microsoft SQL Server](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8a99a96fda235658139f710592f8a53/microsoft-sql-server.svg "Microsoft SQL Server")](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews)

Microsoft SQL Server

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

18.3%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

36.6%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

45.2%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

25.0%

18.3%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

44.4%

36.6%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

30.6%

45.2%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Azure Synapse Analytics](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8a99a96fda235658139f710592f8a53/azure-synapse-analytics.svg "Azure Synapse Analytics")](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-synapse-analytics/reviews)
Azure Synapse Analytics

Information Technology and Services

48.6%

Hospital & Health Care

11.4%

Computer Software

11.4%

Computer & Network Security

8.6%

Retail

5.7%

Other

14.3%

[![Microsoft SQL Server](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a8a99a96fda235658139f710592f8a53/microsoft-sql-server.svg "Microsoft SQL Server")](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews)
Microsoft SQL Server

Information Technology and Services

24.1%

Computer Software

13.7%

Hospital & Health Care

5.4%

Financial Services

4.3%

Higher Education

2.9%

Other

49.7%

Alternatives

**Azure Synapse Analytics Alternatives**

 ![Google Cloud BigQuery](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/875b8a68eca98ce3458f26e9dd34cdf9/google-cloud-bigquery.svg "Google Cloud BigQuery")

[
BigQuery
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 ![Snowflake](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1544409170/snowflake.svg "Snowflake")

[
Snowflake
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 ![Databricks](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/135d1c9e39e19ef56dc8d0bf90fce20f/databricks.svg "Databricks")

[
Databricks
](/products/databricks/reviews)

 ![Cloudera](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/dcfb9e6879febb34cef773ddde921835/cloudera.svg "Cloudera")

[
Cloudera
](/products/cloudera/reviews)

**Microsoft SQL Server Alternatives**

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Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform
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 ![SAP HANA Cloud](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/b5f8f986beca96ab0027c693ee762fb9/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01.svg "SAP HANA Cloud")

[
SAP HANA Cloud
](/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews)

 ![Google Cloud SQL](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/a4f97d6f742e657968c8830b1a97c42e/google-cloud-sql.svg "Google Cloud SQL")

[
Cloud SQL
](/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews)

 ![Snowflake](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1544409170/snowflake.svg "Snowflake")

[
Snowflake
](/products/snowflake/reviews)