# Best Enterprise Relational Databases - Page 2

*By [Shalaka Joshi](https://research.g2.com/insights/author/shalaka-joshi)*


Products classified in the overall Relational Databases category are similar in many regards and help companies of all sizes solve their business problems. However, enterprise business features, pricing, setup, and installation differ from businesses of other sizes, which is why we match buyers to the right Enterprise Business Relational Databases to fit their needs. Compare product ratings based on reviews from enterprise users or connect with one of G2's buying advisors to find the right solutions within the Enterprise Business Relational Databases category.

In addition to qualifying for inclusion in the Relational Databases category, to qualify for inclusion in the Enterprise Business Relational Databases category, a product must have at least 10 reviews left by a reviewer from an enterprise business.





## Top Relational Databases at a Glance
| # | Product | Rating | Best For | What Users Say |
|---|---------|--------|----------|----------------|
| 1 | [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (2,128 reviews) | Windows-native transactional databases with Microsoft stack integration | "[Reliable, Easy-to-Use Database Tool with Strong Reporting and Management Features](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/microsoft-sql-server-review-12930873)" |
| 2 | [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews) | 4.3/5.0 (930 reviews) | Mission-critical OLTP with enterprise-grade availability | "[Enterprise-Grade Reliability, Security, and Scalability with Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/oracle-database-review-13070547)" |
| 3 | [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) | 4.5/5.0 (865 reviews) | AWS-native relational databases with automated operations | "[Streamlined Database Management with Amazon RDS](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/amazon-relational-database-service-rds-review-12793938)" |
| 4 | [SAP HANA Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01/reviews) | 4.3/5.0 (521 reviews) | Real-time analytics on SAP transactional data | "[Blazing-Fast In-Memory Performance with Seamless SAP Integration](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-hana-cloud-review-12419032)" |
| 5 | [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) | 4.5/5.0 (354 reviews) | Fully managed MySQL and PostgreSQL on GCP | "[Secure, Highly Available, and Scalable Cloud SQL for Diverse Workloads](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/google-cloud-sql-review-12804608)" |
| 6 | [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (1,580 reviews) | Web application backends with PHP integration | "[Efficient, Accurate Reporting with MySQL We Couldn’t Live Without](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mysql-review-11688170)" |
| 7 | [Amazon Aurora](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-aurora/reviews) | 4.5/5.0 (436 reviews) | MySQL-compatible cloud databases with automated failover | "[Scalable and Efficient, But Costly](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/amazon-aurora-review-12520046)" |
| 8 | [EDB for PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/edb-for-postgresql/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (130 reviews) | Oracle-to-PostgreSQL migration with enterprise support | "[Stable, Secure Enterprise PostgreSQL with Strong Integration Support](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/edb-for-postgresql-review-12760345)" |
| 9 | [Azure SQL Database](https://www.g2.com/products/azure-sql-database/reviews) | 4.5/5.0 (232 reviews) | Microsoft-native relational workloads with automated infrastructure | "[Hands-Off Scaling and Seamless Azure Integration with Azure SQL Database](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/azure-sql-database-review-12828652)" |
| 10 | [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) | 4.4/5.0 (650 reviews) | — | "[PostgreSQL: Flexible, Reliable, and Easy to Scale](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/postgresql-review-12926786)" |

---
## What Are the Most Common Questions About Relational Databases?
*AI-generated · Last updated: May 26, 2026*
### What are the best Relational Databases platforms for 51-200 employees looking for quick implementation and proven ROI?
Based on G2 reviews, buyers looking for quick implementation and clear operational value in Relational Databases most often mention fast setup, low maintenance, and smoother integrations. According to verified users, Microsoft SQL Server is frequently praised for easy installation, dependable administration, and strong integration with Microsoft tools. G2 reviewers mention Google Cloud SQL for reducing infrastructure work through managed backups, scaling, and maintenance, while Amazon RDS is often cited for automating patching, failover, and database operations. Across recent reviews, these products are associated with less manual effort, faster deployment, and quicker access to reporting, analytics, or application data without requiring teams to build everything from scratch.

**Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:**

- [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) – often used for fast deployment, reporting, and centralized data management with familiar admin tools
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) – suited for teams that want managed backups, scaling, and easier database administration
- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) – helpful for organizations that want to reduce maintenance overhead with managed database operations


### What Relational Databases platforms with the best user reviews from businesses in Computer Software / Information Technology and Services?
Based on G2 reviews from software and IT-focused users, the strongest recurring themes are reliability, scalability, and ease of integrating databases into development workflows. According to verified users, Microsoft SQL Server is often highlighted for administration, reporting, and Microsoft ecosystem fit, while PostgreSQL is praised for flexibility, strong SQL capabilities, and support for both structured and JSON-heavy workloads. G2 reviewers mention MySQL for dependable performance, ease of use, and broad adoption in application development. Across these reviews, buyers in technical teams tend to value products that support production stability, efficient querying, and lower operational friction when connecting databases to analytics, APIs, or application stacks.


### What highest rated Relational Databases for managing enterprise data while ensuring reliability and performance?
Based on G2 reviews, enterprise buyers consistently prioritize stability, security, and performance under large or complex workloads. According to verified users, Microsoft SQL Server is repeatedly described as reliable for transactional systems, reporting, and business-critical data management, with strong backup and high-availability capabilities. G2 reviewers also highlight Oracle Database for handling large-scale operations, demanding workloads, and security-sensitive environments. PostgreSQL appears often in reviews that emphasize reliability, data integrity, and support for complex queries across growing applications. Overall, recent feedback points to platforms that can centralize critical data, support analytics and operational workloads, and maintain consistent performance as usage scales across teams and systems.


### What Relational Databases most trusted by Software Engineer for reliable implementation based on user reviews?
Based on G2 reviews, software engineers most often trust Relational Databases that are easy to integrate into development workflows and remain stable in production. According to verified users, PostgreSQL is frequently praised for reliability, rich SQL features, JSON support, and extensibility, making it a strong fit for modern application teams. G2 reviewers mention MySQL as a dependable option for web applications, structured data management, and fast onboarding. Microsoft SQL Server also stands out in reviews for straightforward setup, dependable administration, and support for backend systems that need strong reporting and integration. Across recent feedback, trust is tied to predictable performance, strong data integrity, and manageable day-to-day operations.


### What identifying Relational Databases with exceptional ease of use and minimal implementation time for non-technical teams?
Based on G2 reviews, non-technical or less database-focused teams tend to value products that reduce setup complexity and ongoing administration. According to verified users, Amazon RDS is often recognized for handling backups, patching, failover, and routine maintenance automatically, which lowers the burden on internal teams. G2 reviewers mention Google Cloud SQL for straightforward setup, managed scaling, and simpler day-to-day operations. Azure SQL Database is also frequently described as low-maintenance, with built-in automation for backups, patching, and availability. In recent reviews, the clearest ease-of-use signals come from managed platforms that let teams focus on applications, reporting, or workflows instead of database infrastructure and manual operational tasks.


### Which Relational Databases platforms avoid complex setups that typically cause project delays and scope creep?
Based on G2 reviews, [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) stands out as the single strongest option for buyers trying to avoid setup complexity. According to verified users, it is often described as easy to install, straightforward to administer, and practical for teams that need to get databases running quickly. G2 reviewers mention smooth setup for backend systems, reporting environments, and everyday database operations, especially when teams already use Microsoft tools. Reviews also note that managed platforms like Amazon RDS and Azure SQL Database reduce infrastructure burden, but Microsoft SQL Server appears most consistently in recent feedback around simple implementation, familiar tooling, and fewer barriers to getting projects into production.


### What best Relational Databases vendors trusted by companies in Computer Software / Information Technology and Services for efficiency?
Based on G2 reviews, efficiency for software and IT teams usually means fewer manual steps, reliable performance, and easier integration into existing engineering workflows. According to verified users, Microsoft SQL Server is commonly trusted for reporting, administration, and stable backend operations. G2 reviewers also point to PostgreSQL for handling complex queries, mixed relational and JSON workloads, and scalable application data needs. MySQL appears often in feedback focused on fast reads, dependable structured data storage, and straightforward implementation. Across recent reviews from technical organizations, trusted vendors tend to be those that help teams ship faster, reduce operational friction, and support both production workloads and day-to-day development needs with consistent performance.

**Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:**

- [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) – often chosen for efficient administration, reporting, and integration with Microsoft business tools
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews) – well suited for teams needing efficient handling of complex queries and mixed data workloads
- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews) – frequently used for efficient structured data management in web and application environments


### What top Relational Databases solutions delivering measurable ROI within the first six months of deployment?
Based on G2 reviews, early ROI in Relational Databases is usually described through saved administration time, reduced manual work, and faster access to reporting or analytics. According to verified users, Amazon RDS often delivers value by automating backups, patching, scaling, and failover, which reduces operational effort. G2 reviewers mention Google Cloud SQL for cutting infrastructure management and helping teams focus on applications rather than database upkeep. Microsoft SQL Server is also associated with early value through reliable performance, easier reporting, and strong integration with analytics and business systems. In recent reviews, measurable benefit is most often tied to quicker deployment, centralized data, and fewer hours spent on maintenance and troubleshooting.

**Here are some of the top-rated products on G2:**

- [Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS)](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews) – helps reduce maintenance effort with managed backups, scaling, and failover
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews) – supports faster operational efficiency through managed administration and simple scaling
- [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) – commonly used to centralize reporting and analytics workflows with dependable performance


### What finding Relational Databases solutions that simplify workflows and reduce manual work without extensive training requirements?
Based on G2 reviews, products that simplify workflows usually combine approachable setup with automation and familiar interfaces. According to verified users, Google Cloud SQL reduces manual work by automating backups, updates, and scaling, while Amazon RDS is frequently praised for removing much of the routine maintenance involved in database operations. G2 reviewers mention Microsoft SQL Server for an interface and toolset that make querying, administration, debugging, and reporting easier for regular use. Across recent feedback, the products that best reduce training burden are those that centralize data, automate repetitive tasks, and provide straightforward ways to manage databases without requiring teams to become deep infrastructure specialists before seeing value.


### Which Relational Databases platforms integrate seamlessly with existing systems and provide excellent vendor support?
Based on G2 reviews, [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews) is the strongest fit for buyers prioritizing broad integrations and dependable support. According to verified users, it connects well with tools such as Azure, Power BI, Excel, .NET environments, and other Microsoft services, which makes it easier to fit into established business and reporting workflows. G2 reviewers mention that the platform supports integrations across backend systems while also offering helpful support experiences and mature administration tooling. While Oracle Database and InterSystems IRIS also receive positive support mentions, Microsoft SQL Server appears most consistently in recent reviews for combining ecosystem fit, familiar implementation paths, and responsive support for ongoing operations.




## G2 Grid® for Relational Databases
![G2 Grid® for Relational Databases plotting products by satisfaction and market presence](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/grids.png?focus%5B%5D=967&focus%5B%5D=630&focus%5B%5D=1251&focus%5B%5D=40540&focus%5B%5D=585&focus%5B%5D=40868&focus%5B%5D=986&focus%5B%5D=1254)
Highlighted products: Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, SAP HANA Cloud, Google Cloud SQL, Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon Aurora, MySQL, and IBM Db2.
Underlying data: [Grid® JSON](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/grids.json?focus%5B%5D=oracle-database&focus%5B%5D=microsoft-sql-server&focus%5B%5D=sap-hana-cloud-2025-10-01&focus%5B%5D=google-cloud-sql&focus%5B%5D=amazon-relational-database-service-rds&focus%5B%5D=amazon-aurora&focus%5B%5D=mysql&focus%5B%5D=ibm-db2&segment=enterprise)


## How Many Relational Databases Products Does G2 Track?
**Total Products under this Category:** 182

### Category Stats (Jul 2026)
- **Average Rating**: 4.27/5 The average rating of products in this category, based on all submitted ratings
- **Top Trending Product**: Apache Calcite (+1.1%) - Among all products in this category, Apache Calcite recorded the largest rating increase compared to last month
*Last updated: July 13, 2026*


## How Does G2 Rank Relational Databases Products?

**Why You Can Trust G2's Software Rankings:**

- 30 Analysts and Data Experts
- 12,200+ Authentic Reviews
- 182+ Products
- Unbiased Rankings

G2's software rankings are built on verified user reviews, rigorous moderation, and a consistent research methodology maintained by a team of analysts and data experts. Each product is measured using the same transparent criteria, with no paid placement or vendor influence. While reviews reflect real user experiences, which can be subjective, they offer valuable insight into how software performs in the hands of professionals. Together, these inputs power the G2 Score, a standardized way to compare tools within every category.



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---

## What Are the Top-Rated Relational Databases Products in 2026?
### 1. [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews)
MariaDB frees companies from the costs, constraints and complexity of proprietary databases, enabling them to reinvest in what matters most – rapidly developing innovative, customer-facing applications. MariaDB uses pluggable, purpose-built storage engines to support workloads that previously required a variety of specialized databases. With complexity and constraints eliminated, enterprises can now depend on a single complete database for all their needs, whether on commodity hardware or their cloud of choice. Deployed in minutes for transactional or analytical use cases, MariaDB delivers unmatched operational agility without sacrificing key enterprise features including real ACID compliance and full SQL. Trusted by organizations such as Deutsche Bank, DBS Bank, Nasdaq, Red Hat, ServiceNow, Verizon and Walgreens – MariaDB meets the same core requirements as proprietary databases at a fraction of the cost. No wonder it’s the fastest growing open source database. Real business relies on MariaDB™.


**Average Rating:** 4.4/5.0
**Total Reviews:** 219
**How Do G2 Users Rate MariaDB?**

- **Ease of Use:** 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.4/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.2/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind MariaDB?**

- **Seller:** [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/sellers/mariadb)
- **Year Founded:** 2014
- **HQ Location:** Espoo, Finland
- **Twitter:** @mariadb (452,246 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/1214250/ (375 employees on LinkedIn®)
- **Ownership:** NYSE: MRDB

**Who Uses This Product?**
- **Who Uses This:** Software Engineer, Senior Software Engineer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 43% Small-Business, 33% Mid-Market


#### What Are MariaDB's Pros and Cons?

**Pros:**

- Ease of Use (2 reviews)
- Easy Integrations (2 reviews)
- Backup Services (1 reviews)
- Connectivity (1 reviews)
- Cost Efficiency (1 reviews)

**Cons:**

- Beginner Unfriendliness (1 reviews)
- Connectivity Issues (1 reviews)
- Difficult Learning (1 reviews)
- Error Handling (1 reviews)
- Feature Limitations (1 reviews)


### What Do G2 Reviewers Say About MariaDB?
*AI-generated summary from verified user reviews*

**Pros:**

- Users highlight the **ease of use** of MariaDB, simplifying integration and enhancing daily operations effortlessly.
- Users value the **easy integrations** with MariaDB, streamlining their workflows across various platforms effortlessly.
- Users value the **easy backup services** in MariaDB, enhancing data management and system reliability effortlessly.
- Users highlight the **superior query execution speed** of MariaDB compared to MySQL, enhancing their overall performance experience.
- Users appreciate the **cost efficiency** of MariaDB, benefiting from its free, open-source nature without compromising performance.

**Cons:**

- Users find **beginner unfriendliness** in MariaDB, especially with CLI, making initial use uncomfortable but improving with experience.
- Users report **connectivity issues** with MariaDB, often facing integration failures without clear identification of bugs.
- Users find MariaDB's **difficult learning curve** challenging initially, but it improves with regular usage.
- Users often experience **integration failures** in MariaDB that complicate troubleshooting and hinder performance.
- Users find **feature limitations** challenging initially, especially due to the CLI interface, though it improves with daily use.

#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of MariaDB?

**"[MariaDB: Reliable database for handling large data](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-12770219)"**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars
*— Suhail C.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-12770219)

---

**"[Mariadb: The database I can count on](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-11710084)"**

**Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars
*— Ayush S.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/mariadb-review-11710084)

---


#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About MariaDB?

- [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/mariadb-what-is-mariadb-used-for) - 1 comment
- [Is MariaDB compatible with MySQL?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-mariadb-compatible-with-mysql) - 1 comment
- [What is MariaDB server?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-server) - 1 comment
- [What is difference between MySQL and MariaDB?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-difference-between-mysql-and-mariadb)
- [What is MariaDB used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-mariadb-used-for) - 1 comment

### 2. [SAP IQ](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-iq/reviews)
SAP® IQ software delivers speed and power for extreme-scale enterprise data warehousing and analytics. Its column-oriented, grid-based massively parallel processing (MPP) architecture and patented data compression and indexing technologies enable companies to exploit the value of huge amounts of data at the speed of business.


**Average Rating:** 4.2/5.0
**Total Reviews:** 29
**How Do G2 Users Rate SAP IQ?**

- **Ease of Use:** 7.9/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 7.6/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 7.9/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 8.5/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind SAP IQ?**

- **Seller:** [SAP](https://www.g2.com/sellers/sap)
- **Year Founded:** 1972
- **HQ Location:** Walldorf
- **Twitter:** @SAP (297,052 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sap/ (141,955 employees on LinkedIn®)
- **Ownership:** NYSE:SAP

**Who Uses This Product?**
- **Company Size:** 56% Enterprise, 31% Mid-Market



#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SAP IQ?

**"[Informative and very insightful](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-iq-review-8739289)"**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars
*— Tanay M.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-iq-review-8739289)

---

**"[column-based RDBMS, main function to analyze the data.](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-iq-review-8663491)"**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars
*— Aayush V.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/sap-iq-review-8663491)

---


#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SAP IQ?

- [What is SAP IQ used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sap-iq-used-for)

### 3. [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/products/singlestore/reviews)
SingleStore enables organizations to scale from one to one million customers, handling SQL, JSON, full text and vector workloads — all in one unified platform.


**Average Rating:** 4.5/5.0
**Total Reviews:** 114
**How Do G2 Users Rate SingleStore?**

- **Ease of Use:** 8.7/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)
- **Workload Management:** 8.8/10 (Category avg: 8.3/10)
- **Data Schema:** 9.3/10 (Category avg: 8.6/10)
- **Query Language:** 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.5/10)

**Who Is the Company Behind SingleStore?**

- **Seller:** [SingleStore](https://www.g2.com/sellers/singlestore)
- **Year Founded:** 2011
- **HQ Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Twitter:** @SingleStoreDB (15,447 Twitter followers)
- **LinkedIn® Page:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/singlestore/ (549 employees on LinkedIn®)

**Who Uses This Product?**
- **Who Uses This:** Data Engineer, Software Developer
- **Top Industries:** Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
- **Company Size:** 39% Enterprise, 37% Small-Business



#### What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SingleStore?

**"[Singlestore is best in market compared to Google's Bigquery](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-10241332)"**

**Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars
*— Satwik L.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-10241332)

---

**"[Great near real-time analytics database](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-9379490)"**

**Rating:** 4.5/5.0 stars
*— Matt N.*

[Read full review](https://www.g2.com/survey_responses/singlestore-review-9379490)

---


#### What Are G2 Users Discussing About SingleStore?

- [What are the benefits and drawbacks of using SingleStore for database management?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-benefits-and-drawbacks-of-using-singlestore-for-database-management)
- [What is SingleStore used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-singlestore-used-for)


## What Is Relational Databases?

[Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-software)

## What Software Categories Are Similar to Relational Databases?

- [Data Warehouse Solutions](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-warehouse)
- [Database Management Systems (DBMS)](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-management-systems-dbms)
- [Database as a Service (DBaaS) Providers](https://www.g2.com/categories/database-as-a-service-dbaas)
- [Big Data Processing And Distribution Systems](https://www.g2.com/categories/big-data-processing-and-distribution)
- [Time Series Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/time-series-databases)
- [Columnar Databases](https://www.g2.com/categories/columnar-databases)
- [Vector Database Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/vector-database)


---

## How Do You Choose the Right Relational Databases?

### What You Should Know About Relational Databases Software

### What is Relational Databases Software?

Relational databases organize and maintain data in the form of tables that are by rows and columns, where columns represent a single type of data (e.g., an order date), and rows relate to multiple data types to a single, unique identifier. Each row’s unique identifier is called a primary key. In relational databases, multiple tables can be connected using foreign keys. This allows users to search for a range of interconnected data with ease. Relational databases software facilitates the creation, maintenance, and usage of these tables. These solutions store large volumes of data and allow access to structured data sets efficiently and flexibly. 

Relational databases can also be called relational database management systems (RDBMS) or structured query language (SQL) databases. An RDBMS is based on SQL that allows users to update, query, and administer a relational database. SQL is typically the standard programming language used to access a relational database. Relational databases software can read SQL and use SQL syntax or similar. SQL’s syntax is very simplistic, and as such, it is one of the easiest programming languages to access and query relational databases. 

#### What Types of Relational Databases Software Exist?

From a licensing point of view, relational databases can be categorized under two important types:

**Open-source databases**

Open-source software make their source code available for anybody to access. The code is open and free for download and modification.

**Commercially supported databases**

Commercial or proprietary software is solely owned by the entity that developed it. It is made available only under license.

Relational databases can be deployed on both cloud and on-premises as far as the buyer complies with the license: 

**Cloud**

A relational database deployed on the cloud provides an improved infrastructure that lets companies focus more on their strategic work rather than managing a full house of servers on-premises. These solutions provide cost control as organizations pay for what they use.

**On-premises or license **

An on-premises data warehouse software lets organizations buy one time, deploy in-house and enable control over their hardware and software infrastructure. This deployment solution requires a consultant to help with installation and ongoing support. One advantage of on-premises relational solutions is that it gives complete control and access over the data within an organization, helping minimize security risks.

### What's the best relational database tool for app development?

For those looking to find the best relational database tool for app development, these are some top G2 recommended solutions:

- [MySQL](https://www.g2.com/products/mysql/reviews)
- [PostgreSQL](https://www.g2.com/products/postgresql/reviews)
- [Microsoft SQL Server](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-sql-server/reviews)
- [Oracle Database](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-database/reviews)

These relational database tools offer advanced features, open-source options, and scalability for app developers.

### What is an ideal relational database for fast-growing businesses?

Depending on your or the company's specific needs, G2 offers a variety of options for your ideal relational database software for fast-growing businesses. Some of these top contenders are:

- [Amazon RDS](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-relational-database-service-rds/reviews): Offers ease of setup, management, and automatic scaling, making it perfect for businesses with fluctuating demands.
- [MariaDB](https://www.g2.com/products/mariadb/reviews): Open-sourced, flexible option that's widely supported, easy to use, and ideal for their scalability and cost efficiency.
- [Google Cloud SQL](https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-sql/reviews): A fully managed database service that provides scalability, reliability, and secure access in the cloud.

These options are particularly well-suited for businesses anticipating rapid growth.

### What are the Common Features of Relational Databases?

The following are some core features within relational databases that can help users store, organize and maintain large data sets at the same time query data using a structured query language:

**Data storage:** Allows data to be stored in the form of tables (i.e., rows and columns). It also facilitates a primary key, which helps in the unique identification of the rows.

**Data modification:** Allows data update and access to multiple data elements simultaneously. Users can also retrieve data from large volumes of datasets stored in the database using a structured query language.

**Database creation and maintenance:** Quickly create brand-new relational databases and modify them with ease.

**Indexing:** This feature helps build relationships between data elements via keys and indexes which enables users with ease to access and search the databases.

**Scalability:** Relational database solutions grow with data, so the only capacity that’s concerning is physical or cloud storage capacity.

**Data security:** Relational database solutions include data security features to protect the data a business stores in its databases. 

**Access control** : Relational databases grant administrators complete control over who can access them. Users can be granted access based on their work and requirements. 

**OS compatibility:** Relational database solutions are compatible with numerous operating systems, so the user won’t have to worry about the OS when creating databases.

**Recovery** : Whether a database needs to be rolled back or outright recovered, some relational database solutions offer recovery features.

**Multi-user access:** RDBMS solutions allow multiple users to access databases at a single time. This functionality prevents multiple users from colliding with each other when making updates and also blocks access to partial data entries.

Other Features of Relational Databases: [Open source](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/f/open-source), [Proprietary](https://www.g2.com/categories/relational-databases/f/proprietary)

### What are the Benefits of Relational Databases?

RDBMS solutions are built on a specific relational data model which makes it easy for users to access, update and retrieve data from various data sets within the database. This software can help organizations manage large volumes of data sets at the same time and give them the ability to manipulate and maintain them.

**Data association:** Relational databases are extremely powerful for storing and retrieving associative data. Be it e-commerce order details, patient information, stock tracking, or something more, relational databases excel in creating meaningful connections between a primary key and the related description. Since they can be uniquely generated, primary key values are typically numbers, and values (e.g., full name, quantity, order date) are associated with that value by being stored in the same row on the table. This massively improves data organization for companies.

**Targeted query results:** By using relational database software, businesses can build vast, interconnected databases that quickly return important information, exactly as needed. Relational databases have massive strength in being able to produce query results that span over numerous tables. By using join operations and table aliases, users can query across several tables at once to build an output of the exact data they require. This eliminates the need to store huge quantities of data on a single table. Instead, database administrators can build out as many tables as needed to better organize data, and those tables can be connected by foreign keys if any of the data needs to be associated.

**Ease of use:** Relational databases are designed to be easy to build and even easier to use. At a fairly low learning curve, anyone that could make use of relational databases tools would be able to do so with basic training on the software.

**Data consistency:** RDBMS is based on the ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) model which facilitates structured and consistent data sets.

**Speed:** The tabular format of relational databases allows quick data retrieval. The standard SQL language used to pull data from databases enables faster data pull.

**Better decision-making:** Relational databases facilitate the provision of well-organized data which is up to date as well. This helps organizations make accurate and timely decisions. 

### Who Uses Relational Databases?

**Database administrator:** DBAs work towards maintaining the performance and managing the database and the applications connected to them. They are also responsible for the security and integrity of the database as well as any related troubleshoot issues.

**Developers:** Developers write codes in various programming languages to interact with databases. They are also responsible for designing and developing new databases.

**End users:** They are individuals who perform data manipulation tasks on the databases like update, delete, and more.

#### Software Related to Relational Databases

Related solutions that can be used together with relational databases include:

[NoSQL databases software](https://www.g2.com/categories/nosql-databases) **:** As noted previously, while relational databases solutions excel with structured data, NoSQL databases like object-oriented, document, graph, etc., more effectively store loosely structured and unstructured data. NoSQL database solutions pair well with relational databases software if a company deals with diverse data that can be collected by both structured and unstructured means.

[Data warehouse software](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-warehouse) **:** Data warehouse software acts as a single central repository of integrated data from multiple disparate sources that provides business insights with the help of BI Tools. Data warehouses also store data similar to relational databases but the end purpose involves the collection and storing of historical data to perform reporting and data analysis.

[Data quality software](https://www.g2.com/categories/data-quality) **:** Relational databases struggle with handling unstructured data, and duplicate or incorrect data can throw off the accuracy of results once data becomes structured. Data quality solutions help clean and structure data, which makes it easier to turn around and create a formal relational database for that data.

### Challenges with Relational Databases

Software solutions can come with their own set of challenges. 

**Unstructured data:** As noted above, there is a point where relational databases can struggle: handling unstructured data. Relational databases hinge on data being structured to properly create relationships between data points and data tables. If a company uses mostly unstructured data, they should consider perhaps a NoSQL database solution or a data quality software to clean and structure unstructured data.

**Query lag**** :** Relational databases can store massive quantities of data, but they run queries a little more slowly on larger data sets. This is mainly due to the sheer volume of data being queried. In situations where queries might traverse significant quantities of data, users can try to query based on specific values whenever possible. Also, querying strings takes significantly longer than querying numerics, so focusing on numerics whenever possible may help improve search times.

### Which Companies Should Buy Relational Databases?

What makes relational databases software particularly beneficial is that it’s highly flexible and can be used by many teams throughout a company. Below are some examples:

**Finance and accounting:** Relational databases can be used to track payments and dues by associating a vendor ID, customer ID, or other unique identifiers to payment dates, payment amounts, check or order numbers, and more. All of this can be easily queried through relational database tools, and a complete transactional record can be created in a matter of minutes or even seconds. The ability to organize or isolate this data by, say, transaction date or personnel can greatly improve efficiency.

**E-commerce:** Internet prevalence and ease of use has made online ordering, from food to clothes or machinery, not only simple but very widely used. Relational databases can store vast transactional data, including order date/time, customer name, payment method used, customer location, and more. Verifying an order’s correctness is a query away. Additional benefits for e-commerce come in that relational databases can store incredible volumes of information. Individual tables can store millions upon millions of entries at once without harming workflow.

**Healthcare:** Relational database tools offer immense value in health care because of the ability to relate so many data points to a single unique identifier. In health care, patients have a number of data points to describe their condition, including age, weight, blood pressure, and others. By being able to associate all of those data points to a single unique identifier (e.g., a person’s patient ID), health care professionals—doctors, nurses, lab techs, database admins, and more—can have quick access to any relevant data.

### How to Buy Relational Databases

#### Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Relational Databases

If a company is just starting and looking to purchase their first relational database solution, or maybe an organization needs to update a legacy system--wherever a business is in its buying process, G2.com can help select the best relational database software for the business.

The particular business pain points might be related to storing and managing large volumes of data sets within an organization. If the company has amassed a lot of data, the need is to look for a solution that can help organize and structure that data to manage it. Users should think about the pain points and jot them down; these should be used to help create a checklist of criteria. Additionally, the buyer must determine the number of employees who will need to use this software, as this drives the number of licenses they are likely to buy.

Taking a holistic overview of the business and identifying pain points can help the team springboard into creating a checklist of criteria. The checklist serves as a detailed guide that includes both necessary and nice-to-have features including a budget, features, number of users, integrations, security requirements, cloud or on-premises solutions, and more.

Depending on the scope of the deployment, it might be helpful to produce an RFI, a one-page list with a few bullet points describing what is needed from a data warehouse software.

#### Compare Relational Databases Products

**Create a long list**

From meeting the business functionality needs to implementation, vendor evaluations are an essential part of the software buying process. For ease of comparison after all demos are complete, it helps to prepare a consistent list of questions regarding specific needs and concerns to ask each vendor.

**Create a shortlist**

From the long list of vendors, it is helpful to narrow down the list of vendors and come up with a shorter list of contenders, preferably no more than three to five. With this list in hand, businesses can produce a matrix to compare the features and pricing of the various solutions.

**Conduct demos**

To ensure the comparison is thoroughgoing, the user should demo each solution on the shortlist with the same use case and datasets. This will allow the business to evaluate like for like and see how each vendor stacks up against the competition. 

#### Selection of Relational Databases

**Choose a selection team**

Before getting started, it's crucial to create a winning team that will work together throughout the entire process, from identifying pain points to implementation. The software selection team should consist of members of the organization who have the right interest, skills, and time to participate in this process. A good starting point is to aim for three to five people who fill roles such as the main decision maker, project manager, process owner, system owner, or staffing subject matter expert, as well as a technical lead, IT administrator, or security administrator. In smaller companies, the vendor selection team may be smaller, with fewer participants multitasking and taking on more responsibilities.

**Negotiation**

Just because something is written on a company’s pricing page, does not mean it is final (although some companies will not budge). It is imperative to open up a conversation regarding pricing and licensing. For example, the vendor may be willing to give a discount for multi-year contracts or for recommending the product to others.

**Final decision**

After this stage, and before going all in, it is recommended to roll out a test run or pilot program to test adoption with a small sample size of users. If the tool is well used and well-received, the buyer can be confident that the selection was correct. If not, it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

### What Does Relational Databases Cost?

There are a couple of robust relational databases that are available for free in the market. There are typically two pricing models, one where users pay only for what they use, and in the other one, users pay a one-time license fee. 

### Relational Databases Trends

**Databases and data aggregation**

The debate continues on the use of relational databases solutions versus NoSQL databases as the better business solution, as data aggregation continues to rise in the business world. Data-driven products and services require immense data backing now, and the debate is on the best way to store that data. In reality, the two database types should be used together. While relational databases excel in structured data storage, NoSQL databases—non-relational databases—shine when there’s no real structure to how data should be collected and stored. Both relational and non-relational databases can scale quite easily, given the right software supporting them. This shouldn’t be a debate, but a collaboration. Thus, bridging the gap between SQL/NoSQL to let them work together.

**Big data**

Data has become the backbone of conducting business in the information age. As data drives business decisions and trends, the data must be digestible, easy to follow, and easy to reference. That’s why big data software mostly falls back on relational database solutions. Designed with strict organization, referencing, and referral in mind, relational databases can absorb and store massive amounts of data to be later digested in the decision-making process.