How to Decide on SQL Server over MariaDB in PostgreSQL

Should I use SQL Server instead of MariaDB?

Explains when and why Microsoft SQL Server can be a better choice than MariaDB for specific workloads.

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Description

Why might a team choose SQL Server instead of MariaDB?

SQL Server excels when your stack needs advanced analytics, built-in ETL, and tight integration with Microsoft tools (Power BI, Azure). Its columnstore indexes, Query Store, and automatic tuning help large OLTP and analytics workloads run faster with less manual tuning.

How do licensing and total cost differ?

MariaDB is open source and free, but enterprise features often require MaxScale or ColumnStore Enterprise licenses.SQL Server charges per-core, yet bundles Always On availability groups, powerful compression, and best-in-class security features—often reducing third-party spend.

What SQL features are only in SQL Server?

CROSS APPLY, sophisticated MERGE logic, temporal tables, native JSON functions, CLR integration, and built-in machine learning services are not fully matched in MariaDB. These features speed development of complex applications without external services.

When does SQL Server outperform MariaDB?

Workloads with heavy reporting queries benefit from columnstore indexes.OLTP systems with many concurrent writes see gains from SQL Server’s lock escalation and row versioning. Query Store plus automatic plan correction reduces production firefights.

Where does MariaDB still win?

Small deployments needing simple replication and low memory footprints remain cheaper on MariaDB.Linux-only shops with no need for enterprise BI tooling can keep cost and complexity down by staying on MariaDB.

Best practice: plan migration phases

Start by porting read-only reporting queries, validate performance on SQL Server, then migrate write paths. Use SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) to convert schema and data incrementally.

Why How to Decide on SQL Server over MariaDB in PostgreSQL is important

How to Decide on SQL Server over MariaDB in PostgreSQL Example Usage


-- SQL Server: retrieve each customer’s latest order with CROSS APPLY
SELECT c.id, c.name, o.id AS last_order_id, o.total_amount
FROM Customers c
CROSS APPLY (
    SELECT TOP 1 *
    FROM Orders o
    WHERE o.customer_id = c.id
    ORDER BY o.order_date DESC
) o;

How to Decide on SQL Server over MariaDB in PostgreSQL Syntax


-- SQL Server MERGE example joining Products and OrderItems
MERGE INTO Products AS p
USING (
    SELECT product_id, SUM(quantity) AS sold
    FROM OrderItems
    GROUP BY product_id
) AS s ON p.id = s.product_id
WHEN MATCHED THEN
    UPDATE SET p.stock = p.stock - s.sold;

-- Equivalent MariaDB (no MERGE):
UPDATE Products p
JOIN (
    SELECT product_id, SUM(quantity) AS sold
    FROM OrderItems
    GROUP BY product_id
) s ON p.id = s.product_id
SET p.stock = p.stock - s.sold;

Common Mistakes

Assuming SQL Server is always more expensive. SQL Server’s bundled HA, BI, and security features often replace multiple paid add-ons required in MariaDB ecosystems.
Migrating schemas without addressing T-SQL differences. Use SQL Server Migration Assistant to translate data types, reserved words, and functions before cut-over.