# CockroachDB vs Microsoft SQL Server Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Microsoft SQL Server excels in overall user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher G2 Score compared to CockroachDB. Users appreciate its **'Always On'** feature, which enhances database durability and application performance by effectively managing read and write operations.
- **Users say** that Microsoft SQL Server is particularly user-friendly, with a straightforward implementation process. Reviewers highlight the intuitive interface in SSMS, making it accessible even for beginners, and they value the robust features like views and stored procedures that aid in data management.
- **According to verified reviews** , CockroachDB shines in its ability to scale automatically, which alleviates concerns about server downtime and data handling. Users find it powerful yet simple, allowing them to focus on their applications without the complexity of managing replication or failover.
- **Reviewers mention** that while CockroachDB is designed for high availability and data safety across multiple locations, it has a smaller user base and fewer reviews, which may impact the reliability of user feedback compared to the well-established Microsoft SQL Server.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that Microsoft SQL Server integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft tools, enhancing its appeal for organizations already using the Microsoft ecosystem. This integration is a significant advantage for users looking for a cohesive experience across their software stack.
- **Users note** that CockroachDB's distributed SQL capabilities are beneficial for applications with a global user base, as it ensures data availability and resilience. However, some users feel that it lacks the depth of features found in Microsoft SQL Server, particularly in advanced data management functionalities.



| | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.3 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 29 | 2,284 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Small-Business (55.6% of reviews) | Enterprise (45.3% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### CockroachDB

Pros:
- Database Management (4 reviews)
- Ease of Use (4 reviews)

Cons:
- Learning Curve (4 reviews)
- Complexity (2 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 | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 8.7 (23 reviews) | 9.0 (1872 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.9 (24 reviews) | 8.6 (1890 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 9.0 (14 reviews) | 8.1 (1013 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 9.1 (9 reviews) | 8.3 (954 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 9.0 (21 reviews) | 8.3 (1666 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 9.2 (8 reviews) | 8.4 (903 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.9 (21 reviews) | 8.4 (1841 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### CockroachDB

#### 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 |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 176 |

#### Management

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data dictionary** | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | Not enough data | 8.8 (153 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | Not enough data | 9.2 (161 reviews) | 
| **Data Modeling** | Not enough data | 8.9 (155 reviews) | 
| **Performance Analysis** | Not enough data | 8.9 (160 reviews) | 

#### Maintenance

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Migration** | Not enough data | 8.9 (158 reviews) | 
| **Backup and Recovery** | Not enough data | 9.0 (163 reviews) | 
| **Multi-User Environment** | Not enough data | 9.1 (155 reviews) | 

#### Security

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

### Relational Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | 8.2/10 | 15 |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1469 |

#### Management 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | 9.1 (152 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | 9.2 (157 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | 8.8 (7 reviews) | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | 6.7 (8 reviews) | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | 7.8 (10 reviews) | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | 7.3 (10 reviews) | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | 8.3 (154 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | 8.5 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (149 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | 8.9 (9 reviews) | 9.0 (151 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | 7.6 (7 reviews) | 8.8 (147 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | 8.3 (9 reviews) | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | 8.7 (149 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | 7.9 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (142 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | 8.1 (8 reviews) | 8.7 (152 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | 8.6 (147 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | 7.3 (8 reviews) | 8.8 (150 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 8.9 (1299 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.1 (15 reviews) | 9.0 (1302 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 8.7 (15 reviews) | 8.9 (1314 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 9.2 (13 reviews) | 8.7 (1281 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 8.0 (14 reviews) | 8.8 (1278 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | 8.1 (14 reviews) | 8.8 (1281 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 8.5 (14 reviews) | 9.1 (1301 reviews) | 

### Vector Database

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Data Indexing

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Semantic Search** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing Data** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Filters

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

### Database as a Service (DBaaS)

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

#### Configuration

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Application Performance** | 8.5 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Orchestration** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Database Monitoring** | 8.8 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Anomaly Detection** | 7.2 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Network Security** | 8.2 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Database Administration

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Provisioning** | 8.3 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Governance** | 8.3 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Auditing** | 8.1 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Availability

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Scalability** | 8.7 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Backup** | 9.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Archiving** | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Indexing** | 8.3 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Security

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Masking** | 6.7 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Authentication And Single Sign-On** | 8.1 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Data Anonymization** | 6.5 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

#### Data Management

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Replication** | 9.4 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | 
| **Advanced Data Analytics** | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.4/10 | 62 |

#### Database

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

#### Integrations

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

#### Platform

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

#### Processing

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

### Big Data

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **CockroachDB** | N/A | N/A |
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | N/A | N/A |

#### Building Reports

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | 
| **Integration APIs** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Platform

| Feature | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | 

---
## Categories
**Shared Categories (2):** [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms), [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases)

**Unique to CockroachDB (2):** [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas), [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database)

**Unique to Microsoft SQL Server (2):** [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 | CockroachDB | Microsoft SQL Server | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 55.6% | 18.2% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 37.0% | 36.5% | 
| **Enterprise** | 7.4% | 45.3% | 

### By Industry

#### CockroachDB

- **Computer Software:** 29.6%
- **Information Technology and Services:** 18.5%
- **Financial Services:** 14.8%
- **Telecommunications:** 3.7%
- **Retail:** 3.7%
- **Internet:** 3.7%
- **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.7%
- **Higher Education:** 3.7%
- **Government Administration:** 3.7%
- **Computer Games:** 3.7%
- **Other:** 11.1%

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.1%
- **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:** 37.5%

---
## Alternatives

### Alternatives to CockroachDB

- [YugabyteDB](https://www.g2.com/products/yugabytedb/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (65 reviews)
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (366 reviews)
- [MongoDB Atlas](https://www.g2.com/products/mongodb-atlas/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (899 reviews)
- [Amazon DynamoDB](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-web-services-aws-amazon-dynamodb/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (529 reviews)
- [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/products/singlestore/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (118 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [Snowflake](https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1680 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)

### Alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server

- [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (375 reviews)
- [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (620 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) — 4.5/5 stars (756 reviews)
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1680 reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1012 reviews)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (908 reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [IBM Db2](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-db2/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (682 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### CockroachDB

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/cockroachdb-vs-microsoft-sql-server)