Snowflake vs Microsoft SQL Server

by Gralio Feb 27, 2025

Snowflake and Microsoft SQL Server are powerful database solutions catering to different needs. Snowflake shines in cloud-based data warehousing and analytics for large datasets, while SQL Server provides a reliable and versatile solution, particularly beneficial for businesses heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

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 4645 reviews and 50 websites, saving 1 day, 2 hours, 13 minutes of reading.

Snowflake

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Microsoft SQL Server

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About

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.

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

Snowflake excels in handling large datasets with scalability and speed, ideal for cloud-based data warehousing and analytics. Microsoft SQL Server offers a robust and reliable on-premise or cloud solution, deeply integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, suitable for diverse data management needs.

Relative strengths of Snowflake (compared to Microsoft SQL Server)

Superior scalability and performance for large datasets.
Cloud-native architecture with flexible pricing.
Strong data sharing and collaboration capabilities.

Relative weaknesses of Snowflake (compared to Microsoft SQL Server)

Can be more expensive than SQL Server for smaller workloads.
Steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with cloud data platforms.
Less extensive integration with Microsoft-centric environments.

Who should use Snowflake VS. Microsoft SQL Server

Snowflake is a scalable, cloud-based data platform ideal for data-driven businesses of all sizes. Users praise its easy scaling and seamless integration with various data tools. However, some find the new UI confusing and desire better unstructured data support. It's suitable for industries like finance, technology, and healthcare, offering efficient data storage, management, and analytics for improved decision-making.

Microsoft SQL Server is a reliable database management system praised for its robust data storage, powerful querying, and seamless integration with other Microsoft products. However, some users find the licensing costs high and the interface resource-intensive. Ideal for businesses needing to analyze diverse data, from small firms to large enterprises.

Ideal for small businesses, medium businesses, and large enterprises.
A good fit for Software, IT & Telecommunications, suitable for various other industries.

Ideal for businesses of all sizes needing robust data analysis.
Strong fit for software, IT, and telecommunications; suitable for various other industries.

Snowflake 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

SQL support

Supported

Snowflake fully supports querying data via SQL.

Supported

SQL Server supports querying data using SQL.
SQL Support

Supported

Snowflake supports SQL queries for data management and analysis.

Supported

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

Not supported

Snowflake does not support T-SQL, but it can connect to SQL Server via data pipelines.

Supported

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

Supported

Snowflake supports data transformation using SQL queries, including filtering, aggregating, joining, and manipulating data. It also supports views, stored procedures, and UDFs for this purpose.

Supported

SQL Server supports data transformations using SQL queries within Integration Services.
Standard SQL support

Supported

Snowflake supports standard SQL syntax for writing queries.

Supported

Microsoft SQL Server supports queries written in standard SQL syntax.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

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Customer Service

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Ease of Use

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Reliability and Performance

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Ease of Implementation

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Scalability

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Snowflake and Microsoft SQL Server Pricing

No data

See full Pricing page

No data

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

Snowflake and Microsoft SQL Server review insights

Users love

The ability to easily scale warehouses based on requirements
Query profile is a very useful feature
The user interface is easy to implement and navigate
Seamless integration with various data tools

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

Limited machine learning features
Data migration efforts are large to transfer everything from on premises to cloud
The new UI is too confusing
Unstructured data support is lacking

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.

Snowflake and Microsoft SQL Server Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(538)
Capterra

4.6/5

(78)
Glassdoor

4.0/5

(749)

G2

4.4/5

(2187)
Capterra

4.6/5

(1852)

Company health

Employee growth

20% increase in the last year

3% increase in the last year

Web traffic

1% increase in the last quarter

11% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

March 2022 - $2B

No data

How does Snowflake's cloud-native architecture compare to SQL Server's on-premise and cloud options?

Snowflake's cloud-native architecture contrasts sharply with SQL Server's traditional on-premise focus, although SQL Server now offers cloud options (Azure SQL Database, SQL Server on Azure VMs). Snowflake's architecture allows for independent scaling of compute and storage, enabling greater flexibility and potentially lower costs compared to SQL Server's more tightly coupled approach. While SQL Server excels in traditional relational database workloads and integrations within the Microsoft ecosystem, Snowflake is designed for handling large-scale data warehousing, analytics, and data sharing in the cloud. Choosing between them depends on factors like existing infrastructure, data volume, performance requirements, and cloud strategy.

Which product better supports diverse data formats for my specific data warehouse needs?

Snowflake is better suited for diverse data formats for data warehousing. Snowflake's features explicitly mention support for semi-structured data and integration with NoSQL databases, along with traditional relational databases and cloud platforms. While SQL Server is a robust relational database, its focus is primarily on structured data. Therefore, for a data warehouse needing to handle diverse formats, Snowflake offers more flexibility and broader integration capabilities.

What are the advantages of Snowflake?

Snowflake's advantages include its cloud-based architecture, scalability, and ability to handle large datasets efficiently. Its columnar storage, SQL support, and robust data transformation capabilities make it well-suited for data warehousing and analytics. Snowflake's seamless integration with various data sources, including NoSQL databases, further enhances its versatility for diverse data management needs.

What are the disadvantages of Snowflake?

Snowflake's disadvantages include limited machine learning capabilities compared to some competitors, potentially extensive data migration efforts when transitioning from on-premise solutions, a user interface that some users find confusing, and a perceived lack of robust support for unstructured data. Additionally, while Snowflake's pricing model allows for scaling, it can be complex and potentially expensive depending on usage.

Alternatives to Snowflake and Microsoft SQL Server

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform

Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is a cloud-based platform designed to help mid-size to large businesses manage and analyze data. It offers a range of tools for data warehousing, data engineering, data science, and machine learning, all in one place. Databricks aims to simplify data processes, reduce costs, and enable companies to build and deploy AI solutions. They are well-known for their work with open-source technologies, making them a popular choice for businesses invested in those ecosystems.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a reliable, open-source database system businesses use to store and manage their data. Known for its reliability and performance, it's suitable for a wide range of needs, from single computers to large-scale data storage for multiple users. PostgreSQL is free to use and is backed by a large community of developers.

ClickHouse

ClickHouse is a database management system specifically designed for analyzing very large amounts of data quickly. It achieves its speed by storing data in columns rather than rows. This makes it especially good for generating reports from data like business transactions, website activity, or application performance logs. ClickHouse is open-source and can be used for free, or as a paid cloud service with additional features.

Couchbase

Couchbase is a versatile database designed for modern, data-intensive applications. Its strength lies in handling various data types efficiently, making it suitable for applications requiring speed and scalability. This adaptability simplifies data management and allows developers to use their preferred tools. While Couchbase serves diverse industries, it's particularly beneficial for companies with high-performance needs like real-time analytics and personalized user experiences. Its flexible deployment model accommodates both cloud-based and on-premise preferences.

Google Cloud BigQuery

Google BigQuery is a fully managed data warehouse service that helps businesses analyze massive datasets to gain insights. It's serverless, so you don't need to manage any infrastructure, and it can handle data from various sources. BigQuery is designed for fast query processing, allowing you to quickly explore and analyze your data. It's a powerful tool for data-driven decision-making in any industry, regardless of company size.

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.

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.

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