# ClickHouse, KX vs Microsoft SQL Server Comparison

| | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.6 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 23 | 51 | 2,275 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (54.5% of reviews) | Enterprise (58.0% of reviews) | Enterprise (45.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $1.00 Per Month | $0.00 | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### ClickHouse

Pros:
- Easy Integrations (2 reviews)
- Integrations (2 reviews)

Cons:
- Beginner Unfriendliness (1 reviews)
- Complex Usage (1 reviews)

### KX

Pros:
- Speed (11 reviews)
- Performance (9 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (12 reviews)
- Difficult Learning (7 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 | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.2 (14 reviews) | 8.9 (35 reviews) | 9.0 (1864 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.8 (14 reviews) | 6.7 (38 reviews) | 8.6 (1882 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | 8.5 (24 reviews) | 8.1 (1004 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 7.5 (6 reviews) | 8.9 (14 reviews) | 8.3 (952 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.3 (12 reviews) | 8.7 (33 reviews) | 8.3 (1658 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | Not enough data | 9.0 (12 reviews) | 8.4 (901 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 10.0 (13 reviews) | 8.6 (42 reviews) | 8.4 (1834 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### ClickHouse

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: ClickHouse Pricing

Price: Starting at $1.00 Per Month

Description: Options for every user, organization, and use case.

Key Features:
- Up to 1 TB storage
- 16 GiB total memory
- Burstable CPU

[Learn more about ClickHouse](https://www.g2.com/products/clickhouse/reviews)

#### Free Trial

No

### KX

#### Entry-Level Pricing

Plan: Free

Price: $0.00

Description: Rate-limited plan for quickly and easily getting started with kdb+.

Key Features:
- Fastest query speed ​
- In-memory compute engine​
- Extreme scalability ​

[Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/kx-kx/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 |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | 8.9/10 | 7 |
| **KX** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 173 |

#### Management

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data dictionary** | 9.4 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.8 (153 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 9.3 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (161 reviews) | 
| **Data Modeling** | 9.4 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Performance Analysis** | 10.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (159 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Migration** | 8.8 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (157 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | 7.8 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (162 reviews) | 
| **Multi-User Environment** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | 9.0/10 | 6 |
| **KX** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1460 |

#### Management 

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.1 (151 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 9.3 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.2 (155 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 8.8 (140 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.4 (153 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | 8.8 (148 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (148 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (145 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (147 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.7 (148 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.6 (145 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (147 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (1294 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.3 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.0 (1295 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.9 (1307 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 8.7 (1273 reviews) | 
| **Security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (1272 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.8 (1276 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.7 (5 reviews) | Not enough data | 9.1 (1297 reviews) | 

### Columnar Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | 8.5/10 | 9 |
| **KX** | 8.4/10 | 22 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Storage

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data Model** | 9.2 (6 reviews) | 8.8 (20 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Types** | 9.0 (7 reviews) | 9.5 (22 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Availability

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Auto Sharding** | Feature Not Available | 7.9 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Auto Recovery** | 7.8 (6 reviews) | 7.6 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Replication** | 8.3 (6 reviews) | 9.0 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Performance

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Integrated Cache** | 8.1 (6 reviews) | 9.1 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Role-Based Authorization** | 9.0 (5 reviews) | 8.0 (15 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication** | Not enough data | 7.9 (18 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Audit Logs** | Not enough data | 7.7 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Encryption** | 8.3 (5 reviews) | 8.2 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Support

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Multi-Model** | Not enough data | 7.7 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Operating Systems** | Not enough data | 9.1 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Vector Database

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | N/A | N/A |
| **KX** | 8.7/10 | 10 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Data Indexing

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Semantic Search** | Not enough data | 8.0 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing Data** | Not enough data | 9.3 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Filters

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Accurate Search** | Not enough data | 8.5 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Single Stage Filtering - Vector Database** | Not enough data | 9.1 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Real-time Analytic Database

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | N/A | N/A |
| **KX** | 8.3/10 | 10 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Query latency

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Lower query latency** | Not enough data | 8.8 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Continuous queries** | Not enough data | 8.3 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Data latency

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Lower data latency** | Not enough data | 8.9 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data pipeline performance** | Not enough data | 8.0 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Connectors

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Faster ingestion** | Not enough data | 8.0 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Built-in connectors** | Not enough data | 7.0 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Scale

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Linearly scalable database** | Not enough data | 8.9 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Storage management** | Not enough data | 8.3 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Architecture

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Data security** | Not enough data | 8.1 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Lockless architecture** | Not enough data | 8.3 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | N/A | N/A |
| **KX** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.4/10 | 61 |

#### Database

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Real-Time Data Collection** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 8.5 (57 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 | ClickHouse | KX | 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 | ClickHouse | KX | 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 | ClickHouse | KX | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| **ClickHouse** | N/A | N/A |
| **KX** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Building Reports

| Feature | ClickHouse | KX | 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 | ClickHouse | KX | 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

**Unique to ClickHouse (4):** [Real-time Analytic Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/real-time-analytic-database), [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms), [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases), [Columnar Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/columnar-databases)

**Unique to KX (6):** [Columnar Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/columnar-databases), [Time Series Intelligence Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/time-series-intelligence), [Time Series Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/time-series-databases), [Stream Analytics Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/stream-analytics), [Real-time Analytic Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/real-time-analytic-database), [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database)

**Unique to Microsoft SQL Server (4):** [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases), [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 | ClickHouse | KX | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 54.5% | 24.0% | 18.3% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 36.4% | 18.0% | 36.4% | 
| **Enterprise** | 9.1% | 58.0% | 45.3% | 

### By Industry

#### ClickHouse

- **Information Technology and Services:** 31.8%
- **Computer Software:** 22.7%
- **Wholesale:** 4.5%
- **Telecommunications:** 4.5%
- **Marketing and Advertising:** 4.5%
- **Leisure, Travel & Tourism:** 4.5%
- **Information Services:** 4.5%
- **Hospitality:** 4.5%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 4.5%
- **Financial Services:** 4.5%
- **Other:** 9.1%

#### KX

- **Financial Services:** 46.0%
- **Banking:** 12.0%
- **Capital Markets:** 10.0%
- **Investment Banking:** 6.0%
- **Investment Management:** 4.0%
- **Computer Software:** 4.0%
- **Professional Training & Coaching:** 2.0%
- **Online Media:** 2.0%
- **Management Consulting:** 2.0%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 2.0%
- **Other:** 10.0%

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.0%
- **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:** 37.4%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to ClickHouse

- [Google Cloud BigQuery](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1235 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1675 reviews)
- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (744 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)
- [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (226 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1010 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (678 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [Amazon Redshift](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-redshift/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (401 reviews)

### Alternatives to KX

- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (744 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (621 reviews)
- [InfluxDB](https://www.g2.com/products/influxdata-influxdb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (101 reviews)
- [Amazon Redshift](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-redshift/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (401 reviews)
- [Google Cloud BigQuery](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1235 reviews)
- [HubSpot Data Hub](https://www.g2.com/products/hubspot-data-hub/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (576 reviews)
- [Spotfire Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/spotfire-analytics/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (362 reviews)
- [Tealium Customer Data Hub](https://www.g2.com/products/tealium-customer-data-hub/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (474 reviews)
- [Elasticsearch](https://www.g2.com/products/elastic-elasticsearch/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (292 reviews)
- [Epsilon3](https://www.g2.com/products/epsilon3/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (260 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 (744 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 (678 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### ClickHouse

No discussions available for this product.

### KX

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/clickhouse-vs-kx-kx-vs-microsoft-sql-server)