SingleStore vs Microsoft SQL Server

by Gralio Feb 09, 2025

SingleStore excels in speed and real-time analytics, catering to businesses needing immediate data insights. SQL Server offers a wider range of features and established ecosystem, making it suitable for diverse database needs. Choose SingleStore if speed and real-time analytics are paramount. Choose SQL Server if you need a versatile and mature RDBMS with broad functionalities.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 4187 reviews and 60 websites, saving 23 hours, 45 minutes of reading.

SingleStore

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Microsoft SQL Server

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

SingleStore is a database platform designed for speed and handling large amounts of data, making it suitable for applications requiring real-time analytics. It allows businesses to manage various data formats in one place, simplifying data infrastructure. SingleStore is used by companies of all sizes across various industries, notably in finance and technology.

Microsoft SQL Server is a database management system for businesses of all sizes. It helps you analyze various types of data and can be used in multiple environments, including on your servers and in the cloud. SQL Server offers high performance and strong security features. It allows developers to build applications using different programming languages and provides mobile business intelligence tools.

Summary

Main difference

SingleStore is a cloud-native database platform specializing in high-speed, real-time analytics and transactional workloads, ideal for applications requiring immediate data insights. Microsoft SQL Server is a versatile relational database management system (RDBMS) suitable for various on-premise and cloud deployments, offering a broader range of general-purpose database functionalities.

Relative strengths of SingleStore (compared to Microsoft SQL Server)

Superior performance for real-time analytics and mixed workloads.
Simplified data infrastructure with multi-model capabilities.
Flexible scaling options in the cloud.

Relative weaknesses of SingleStore (compared to Microsoft SQL Server)

Less mature ecosystem and community support compared to SQL Server.
Debugging can be challenging, requiring more interaction with support.
Limited feature parity with SQL Server in areas like replication and pipeline error handling.

What companies are using SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server?

No data

Who should use SingleStore VS. Microsoft SQL Server

SingleStore is a powerful real-time database platform ideal for businesses needing rapid analytics on large datasets. Its speed and scalability make it a good fit for companies of all sizes, particularly in finance and technology. SingleStore simplifies data infrastructure by unifying various data formats.

Microsoft SQL Server is a robust and reliable database management system suitable for businesses of all sizes. Users praise its powerful querying capabilities and integration with other Microsoft products. However, some users note the high licensing costs and resource-intensive management studio. It's ideal for data storage, management, analysis, and reporting.

Ideal for small to enterprise-level businesses.
Strong fit for Finance, Tech, and E-commerce.

Ideal for small, medium, and large enterprises, especially in IT.
Strong fit for software, IT, and telecommunications, plus many other industries.

SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Hybrid vector and full-text search

Supported

SingleStore supports hybrid vector and full-text search using SQL.

Partially supported

SQL Server does not directly support hybrid search but can integrate with external tools for similar results.
Cloud database service for real-time workloads

Supported

SingleStoreDB is a cloud database service designed for real-time workloads, combining transactions and analytics.

Partially supported

SQL Server itself does not have this capability, but Azure Synapse Link integration enables it.
Faster JSON analytics

Supported

SingleStoreDB supports faster JSON analytics for real-time insights.

Supported

SQL Server offers significantly faster JSON analytics compared to traditional methods, especially XML.
SQL support

Supported

SingleStore supports SQL for querying data, including ANSI SQL.

Supported

SQL Server supports querying data using SQL.
SQL Support

Supported

SingleStore supports standard SQL queries, making it suitable for applications requiring SQL.

Supported

Microsoft SQL Server supports executing SQL queries.
T-SQL support

Not supported

SingleStore does not support T-SQL for querying SQL Server databases.

Supported

Microsoft SQL Server fully supports T-SQL for database queries.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

No data

-0.33

Rather negative sentiment
Customer Service

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment

+0.76

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.43

Rather positive sentiment

+0.68

Rather positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.71

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.6

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0

Neutral sentiment

+0.29

Neutral sentiment
Scalability

+1

Strongly positive sentiment

+0.27

Neutral sentiment

SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server Pricing

No data

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Rather negative

-0.33

We couldn't find a pricing page for Microsoft SQL Server.

SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server review insights

4187 reviews analysed from and

Users love

No data

Robust and reliable for data storage and management.
Powerful querying capabilities.
Easy integration with other Microsoft products and services (e.g., Azure, Power BI).
User-friendly interface with SQL Server Management Studio.
Large and supportive community.

Users dislike

No data

High licensing costs for enterprise edition.
SQL Server Management Studio can be slow and resource intensive.
Limited JSON support in older versions.
Complex installation and configuration process.
Limited compatibility with non-Microsoft platforms.

SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(119)
Capterra

4.5/5

(39)
Glassdoor

4.0/5

(379)

G2

4.4/5

(2187)
Capterra

4.6/5

(1852)

Company health

Employee growth

10% increase in the last year

3% increase in the last year

Web traffic

9% decrease in the last quarter

11% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

June 2022 - $464M

No data

How does SingleStore's real-time analytics compare to SQL Server's business intelligence tools?

SingleStore focuses on real-time analytics, excelling at high-speed ingestion and querying of large datasets, making it ideal for applications requiring immediate insights. SQL Server offers business intelligence tools through services like SSIS and integration with Power BI, focusing on data warehousing, ETL processes, and robust reporting, which is better suited for generating reports and dashboards based on historical data rather than real-time analysis. While SQL Server can handle large datasets, its architecture is not optimized for the same velocity of real-time data as SingleStore.

Which product better integrates with existing cloud data warehousing solutions?

Microsoft SQL Server (Product B) integrates better with existing cloud data warehousing solutions. Its tight integration with Azure Synapse Analytics and other Azure data services makes it a strong choice for organizations already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. While SingleStore (Product A) offers cloud connectivity, Microsoft SQL Server's mature integrations within the Azure environment provide a more seamless experience for data warehousing tasks.

What are the advantages of SingleStore?

SingleStore excels in speed and handling large datasets, making it ideal for real-time analytics, particularly in finance and technology. It simplifies data infrastructure by managing various data formats in one place and offers faster JSON analytics and hybrid search capabilities.

What are the disadvantages of SingleStore?

SingleStore, while powerful for real-time analytics, can be complex to implement and manage, potentially requiring specialized skills. Its ease of use scores lower than alternatives like Microsoft SQL Server, suggesting a steeper learning curve. Pricing details are not readily transparent, making cost comparisons difficult. While suitable for large datasets, its focus on real-time analytics might not be ideal for all use cases, particularly those with simpler data management needs.

Alternatives to SingleStore and Microsoft SQL Server

Snowflake

Snowflake is a cloud-based data platform designed for businesses to store, manage, and analyze large amounts of data. It works like a giant, virtual warehouse for all your data, accessible from anywhere. Snowflake adapts to your needs, scaling its power and cost up or down on demand. This makes it suitable for tasks like analyzing customer trends, building data-driven applications, or sharing data securely with partners. Its strength lies in handling massive datasets with high speed and efficiency.

LeanXcale

LeanXcale is a database solution designed for speed and scalability. It handles both massive data sets and real-time information, making it suitable for various uses like operational reporting, analysis, and machine learning. LeanXcale aims to process transactions quickly and efficiently, particularly for financial services, through its unique technology. While supporting standard data management features, LeanXcale emphasizes its ability to handle large volumes of information quickly and efficiently.

SQL Server 2019

SQL Server 2019 is a database management system developed by Microsoft. It lets you store and manage data, analyze information, and perform business reporting. SQL Server 2019 is designed for businesses of all sizes, and offers high performance and scalability for even the most demanding workloads. Its strengths include data analytics and business intelligence features, making it a good choice for companies wanting to make data-driven decisions.

MongoDB Atlas

MongoDB Atlas is a cloud-based database service that's easy for developers to use. It allows you to store information in flexible formats that are like digital filing cabinets. It's designed for businesses of all sizes and can handle various data needs. MongoDB Atlas is reliable, adapts to changes easily, and can grow with your company's needs by spreading information across multiple servers.

Amazon Redshift

Amazon Redshift is a cloud-based data warehouse service designed to help businesses analyze large volumes of data. It offers a cost-effective solution for storing and querying data, with the ability to handle petabytes of information. Redshift integrates with existing business intelligence tools, allowing for seamless data analysis. Its speed and scalability make it suitable for companies of all sizes looking to gain insights from their data.

InfluxDB

InfluxDB is a database platform specifically designed to handle large amounts of data changing over time, like information from sensors, applications, or user activity. Its strength is efficiently managing and quickly analyzing this data, making it suitable for tracking website traffic, monitoring equipment performance, or powering real-time dashboards. InfluxDB offers easy data importing, storage, visualization, and analysis tools, and can be used in various deployment scenarios, including cloud, on-premise servers, or edge devices.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

How are we doing?

Is this information helpful to you? Is there anything we are missing?

Did this help you select your product?

Other issues? Vote & Let us know