# Microsoft SQL Server vs SingleStore Comparison
---
## AI Generated Summary
- **G2 reviewers report** that Microsoft SQL Server excels in overall user satisfaction, boasting a significantly higher G2 Score compared to SingleStore. Users appreciate its reliability and strong performance, particularly highlighting features like the &#39;Always On&#39; capability that enhances database durability.
- **Users say** that Microsoft SQL Server&#39;s implementation process is straightforward, with many finding the interface in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) easy to navigate. This contrasts with SingleStore, which, while praised for its speed and scalability, lacks the same level of user-friendly onboarding experience.
- **Reviewers mention** that Microsoft SQL Server integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft tools, making it a preferred choice for organizations already using Microsoft products. In comparison, SingleStore is noted for its versatility in handling large datasets and heterogeneous databases, but it may not offer the same level of integration with existing systems.
- **According to verified reviews** , users of SingleStore appreciate its scalability and speed, particularly for large dataset analysis. However, Microsoft SQL Server&#39;s robust feature set, including views and stored procedures, is often seen as more comprehensive for enterprise-level needs.
- **G2 reviewers highlight** that SingleStore&#39;s documentation is thorough and its support responsive, which is a significant advantage for users needing assistance. In contrast, while Microsoft SQL Server has a solid support reputation, some users feel that its extensive feature set can lead to a steeper learning curve.
- **Users report** that both products perform well in terms of data management capabilities, but Microsoft SQL Server tends to receive higher marks for its advanced security features and data manipulation tools. SingleStore, while competitive, is often viewed as more suited for specific use cases rather than a broad enterprise solution.



| | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Star Rating** | 4.4 out of 5 | 4.5 out of 5 | 
| **Total Reviews** | 2,284 | 118 | 
| **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (45.3% of reviews) | Small-Business (37.7% of reviews) | 
| **Entry Level Price** | No pricing available | No pricing available | 

---
## Top Pros & Cons

### Microsoft SQL Server

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

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

### SingleStore

**Not enough data**

---
## Ratings Comparison
| Rating | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
  | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (1872 reviews) | 8.9 (99 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Use** | 8.6 (1890 reviews) | 8.7 (98 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Setup** | 8.1 (1013 reviews) | 8.4 (59 reviews) | 
  | **Ease of Admin** | 8.3 (954 reviews) | 8.1 (58 reviews) | 
  | **Quality of Support** | 8.3 (1666 reviews) | 8.7 (90 reviews) | 
  | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.4 (903 reviews) | 8.8 (52 reviews) | 
  | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 8.4 (1841 reviews) | 8.6 (89 reviews) | 

---
## Pricing

### Microsoft SQL Server

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

No information available

### SingleStore

#### Entry-Level Pricing

No pricing available

#### Free Trial

Yes

---
## Features Comparison By Category

### Database Management Systems (DBMS)

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 9.0/10 | 176 |
| **SingleStore** | N/A | N/A |

#### Management

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

#### Maintenance

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

#### Security

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

### Relational Databases

| Product | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| **Microsoft SQL Server** | 8.8/10 | 1469 |
| **SingleStore** | 9.0/10 | 81 |

#### Management 

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data Schema** | 9.1 (152 reviews) | 9.3 (28 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 9.2 (157 reviews) | 9.4 (29 reviews) | 
| **ACID - Complaint** | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 9.0 (23 reviews) | 
| **Data Replication** | 8.8 (141 reviews) | 8.8 (23 reviews) | 

#### Support 

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Text Search** | 8.5 (144 reviews) | 8.6 (23 reviews) | 
| **Data Types** | 9.0 (150 reviews) | 9.3 (25 reviews) | 
| **Languages** | 8.6 (144 reviews) | 8.7 (22 reviews) | 
| **Operating Systems** | 8.3 (154 reviews) | 8.8 (18 reviews) | 

#### Security

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Database Locking** | 8.8 (149 reviews) | 8.5 (19 reviews) | 
| **Access Control** | 9.0 (151 reviews) | 8.9 (19 reviews) | 
| **Encryption** | 8.8 (147 reviews) | 8.6 (19 reviews) | 
| **Authentication** | 9.0 (149 reviews) | 8.9 (20 reviews) | 

#### Performance 

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Disaster Recovery** | 8.7 (149 reviews) | 8.8 (20 reviews) | 
| **Data Concurrency** | 8.8 (142 reviews) | 9.0 (22 reviews) | 
| **Workload Management** | 8.7 (152 reviews) | 8.8 (23 reviews) | 
| **Advanced Indexing** | 8.6 (147 reviews) | 9.0 (23 reviews) | 
| **Query Optimizer** | 8.8 (150 reviews) | 9.1 (24 reviews) | 

#### Database Features

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Storage** | 8.9 (1299 reviews) | 9.0 (70 reviews) | 
| **Availability** | 9.0 (1302 reviews) | 9.2 (69 reviews) | 
| **Stability** | 8.9 (1314 reviews) | 8.9 (69 reviews) | 
| **Scalability** | 8.7 (1281 reviews) | 9.1 (68 reviews) | 
| **Security** | 8.8 (1278 reviews) | 8.9 (61 reviews) | 
| **Data Manipulation** | 8.8 (1281 reviews) | 8.8 (66 reviews) | 
| **Query Language** | 9.1 (1301 reviews) | 9.1 (70 reviews) | 

### Vector Database

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

#### Data Indexing

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

#### Filters

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

### Real-time Analytic Database

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

#### Query latency

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Lower query latency** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Continuous queries** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Data latency

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Lower data latency** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Data pipeline performance** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Connectors

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Faster ingestion** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Built-in connectors** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Scale

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Linearly scalable database** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Storage management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

#### Architecture

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Data security** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 
| **Lockless architecture** | Not enough data | Not enough data | 

### Big Data Processing and Distribution

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

#### Database

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

#### Integrations

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

#### Platform

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

#### Processing

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

### Big Data

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

#### Building Reports

| Feature | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **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 (1):** [Relational Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases)

**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)

**Unique to SingleStore (2):** [Real-time Analytic Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/real-time-analytic-database), [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database)


---
## Reviewer Demographics

### By Company Size

| Segment | Microsoft SQL Server | SingleStore | 
|---|---|---|
| **Small-Business** | 18.2% | 37.7% | 
| **Mid-Market** | 36.5% | 24.6% | 
| **Enterprise** | 45.3% | 37.7% | 

### By Industry

#### Microsoft SQL Server

- **Information Technology and Services:** 24.1%
- **Computer Software:** 13.8%
- **Hospital &amp; 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%

#### SingleStore

- **Information Technology and Services:** 21.9%
- **Computer Software:** 18.4%
- **Financial Services:** 12.3%
- **Internet:** 7.0%
- **Banking:** 6.1%
- **Telecommunications:** 2.6%
- **Consumer Services:** 2.6%
- **Computer &amp; Network Security:** 2.6%
- **Hospital &amp; Health Care:** 2.6%
- **Retail:** 1.8%
- **Other:** 21.9%

---
## Alternatives

### 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 (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) — 4.5/5 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)
- [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 (683 reviews)
- [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (457 reviews)

### Alternatives to SingleStore

- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (683 reviews)
- [CockroachDB](https://www.g2.com/products/cockroachdb/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (29 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 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)
- [Teradata Autonomous Knowledge Platform](https://www.g2.com/products/teradata-autonomous-knowledge-platform/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (375 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)
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (908 reviews)

---
## Top Discussions

### 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&#39;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..."

### SingleStore

- Title: [What is the relationship between MemSQL and MySQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/general-bbf6d738-7616-4865-809c-1fb011651a69) — 2 comments, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "MemSQL and MySQL are both ANSI SQL-compliant, so the same queries work on both - as is, or with minor changes. In addition, MemSQL directly supports the..."
- Title: [Is there provisin forthe software to be open source or will this be only following a Pay for Services model?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-there-provisin-forthe-software-to-be-open-source-or-will-this-be-only-following-a-pay-for-services-model) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Run the SingleStoreDB anywhere, free forever. Run it in production up to a capacity limit with no time limits. Available here:..."
- Title: [How the complex and internal architecture is different from native MySQL](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-the-complex-and-internal-architecture-is-different-from-native-mysql) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "SingleStoreDB and MySQL do not share any code. SingleStoreDB is a real-time, unified distributed SQL database built from the ground up for maximum..."
- Title: [When does it hang running memsql-ops --start sometimes](https://www.g2.com/discussions/when-does-it-hang-running-memsql-ops-start-sometimes) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "Comment deleted by user."
- Title: [Can we Use Amazon Kinesis to ingest data into memsql](https://www.g2.com/discussions/can-we-use-amazon-kinesis-to-ingest-data-into-memsql) — 1 comment, 1 upvote
  > **Top comment:** "The answer should certainly be yes, for most use cases. Kinesis is mentioned in this blog post: https://www.memsql.com/content/kafka/. For specifics, please..."

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

