Microsoft SQL Server vs. SQLite

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft SQL Server
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database.
$1,418
Per License
SQLite
Score 8.0 out of 10
N/A
SQLite is an in-process library that implements a self-contained, serverless, zero-configuration, transactional SQL database engine. The code for SQLite is in the public domain and is thus free for use for any purpose, commercial or private. SQLite is one of the most widely deployed databases in the world.N/A
Pricing
Microsoft SQL ServerSQLite
Editions & Modules
Subscription
$1,418.00
Per License
Enterprise
$13,748.00
Per License
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft SQL ServerSQLite
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft SQL ServerSQLite
Considered Both Products
Microsoft SQL Server
Chose Microsoft SQL Server

SQL Server is a full feature robust platform with relatively mature coding standards. Interactivity with other Microsoft products enhances my workflow with minimal installation headaches.

In contrast, easier licensing for MySQL and SQLite gives them a definite advantage, …

Chose Microsoft SQL Server
We used MySQL for some smaller projects because this RDBMS works better with a small amount of data and a lot of young workers, especially students, can handle MySQL very well because they learned it at the university. One important thing to keep in mind is that MySQL is …
Chose Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a DBMS that can be used in any situation, from small projects to big ones, and the latest versions now can be used in several OS platforms. It is a great product with many features over its competitors. It's a mature and robust product. It's easy and …
Chose Microsoft SQL Server
I've used many DBMS during my career including Oracle, DB2, SQLite and FoxPro. Since I'm more a technical guy, I personally prefer MS SQL Server more than others for its ease of use and development tools and features.
Chose Microsoft SQL Server
I have been a SQL Server focused professional for over 20 years, so SQL Server is my first choice. I have experience and comfort, and the ability to get up to speed quickly. Oracle has been too expensive, though I think it has performed similar to SQL Server in the applications …
SQLite
Chose SQLite
SQLite is faster and also Light weight as compared to Microsoft SQL Server. Also being open source it reduces the application development cost drastically
Chose SQLite
I also use other Database Systems, but for small apps with offline storage, SQLite is a good and easy to use Database.
Chose SQLite
SQLite has CRUD queries and manipulates external files. Cross-platform support includes iOS, Android, Mac OS X, and Windows. Compared to other databases, it is fast and straightforward to implement. Even if an application crashes, there is no effect on the database or the data …
Chose SQLite
We looked at other traditional RDBMS products, but found them to be cumbersome to deploy. They take up more space, and consume more computing resources than SQLite does. While the performance or direct integration to our primary applications may have been better or easier if we …
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User Ratings
Microsoft SQL ServerSQLite
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(102 ratings)
8.1
(14 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(6 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.6
(16 ratings)
8.0
(2 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
7.9
(25 ratings)
1.0
(1 ratings)
In-Person Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.0
(5 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Configurability
10.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(1 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft SQL ServerSQLite
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
Microsoft SQL is ubiquitous, while MySQL runs under the hood all over the place. Microsoft SQL is the platform taught in colleges and certification courses and is the one most likely to be used by businesses because it is backed by Microsoft. Its interface is friendly (well, as pleasant as SQL can be) and has been used by so many for so long that resources are freely available if you encounter any issues.
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Open Source
SQLite is a lightweight and efficient database management system. With SQLite, performance increases as memory are added. It's reliable and well-tested before release. SQLite handles memory allocation and I/O errors gracefully. SQLite provides bug lists and code-change chronologies. All bugs are disclosed, and it's compatible with iOS, Android, MAC, and Windows. SQLite is open-source, allowing developers to tailor it to their specific needs.
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Pros
Microsoft
  • Easy to configure and use with Visual Studio and Dot Net
  • Easy integration with MSBI to perform data analysis
  • Data Security
  • Easy to understand and use
  • Very easy to export database and tables in the form of SQL query or a script
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Open Source
  • Our products are using SQLite in embedded Linux and in Windows software.
  • It is truly a stable cross-platform database.
  • The fact that it is a zero-configuration database engine, it is particularly a nice advantage when you work in the embedded world.
  • Being a single database file, it provides ease for those who need to quickly transfer data to someone else, or quickly browse data.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise edition has a high cost but is the only edition which supports SQL Always On Availability Groups. It would be nice to include this feature in the Standard version.
  • Licensing of Microsoft SQL Server is a quite complex matter, it would be good to simplify licensing in the future. For example, per core vs per user CAL licensing, as well as complex licensing scenarios in the Cloud and on Edge locations.
  • It would be good to include native tools for converting Oracle, DB2, Postgresql and MySQL/MariaDB databases (schema and data) for import into Microsoft SQL Server.
Read full review
Open Source
  • Although it is excellent at what it does, you should be really careful and plan accordingly if you know that your database is going to scale at a huge level because it is not suitable of databases which are of Enterprise level and demands top-notch security and protection.
  • If your project involves multiple people working on the same database simultaneously, then that becomes a big problem, because it only allows single write at one time. You really need to be forward thinking in a manner to predict if this database will cater to all the needs of your project.
  • The most common difficulty with this is the lack of some of the basic functionality which is present in the other premier databases like Joints, Stored Procedure calls, Security and permission grants. If you do require all those things then you are better off not using this software.
  • Lastly, if you are using this in an Andriod App development cycle then also your options are limited because it does not integrate with PostgreSQL and MYSQL.
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Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
We understand that the Microsoft SQL Server will continue to advance, offering the same robust and reliable platform while adding new features that enable us, as a software center, to create a superior product. That provides excellent performance while reducing the hardware requirements and the total cost of ownership of our solution.
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Usability
Microsoft
SQL Server mostly 'just works' or generates error messages to help you sort out the trouble. You can usually count on the product to get the job done and keep an eye on your potential mistakes. Interaction with other Microsoft products makes operating as a Windows user pretty straight forward. Digging through the multitude of dialogs and wizards can be a pain, but the answer is usually there somewhere.
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Open Source
I have given this rating cause its irreplaceable in some of the areas like no more installation need except from a single library. I find dialect is simple in use cases. its suitable for any professionals with various skill levels. its easily connect with various os and devices. very less maintenance or administration required.
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Reliability and Availability
Microsoft
Its does not have outages.
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Performance
Microsoft
SSAS data cubes may some time slow down your Excel reports.
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Microsoft
We managed to handle most of our problems by looking into Microsoft's official documentation that has everything explained and almost every function has an example that illustrates in detail how a particular functionality works. Just like PowerShell has the ability to show you an example of how some cmdlet works, that is the case also here, and in my opinion, it is a very good practice and I like it.
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Open Source
I haven't needed support yet.
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In-Person Training
Microsoft
It was good
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Microsoft
very hands on and detailed training
Read full review
Open Source
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
Other than SQL taking quite a bit of time to actually install there are no problems with installation. Even on hardware that has good performance SQL can still take close to an hour to install a typical server with management and reporting services.
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
[Microsoft] SQL Server has a much better community and professional support and is overall just a more reliable system with Microsoft behind it. I've used MySQL in the past and SQL Server has just become more comfortable for me and is my go to RDBMS.
Read full review
Open Source
We looked at other traditional RDBMS products, but found them to be cumbersome to deploy. They take up more space, and consume more computing resources than SQLite does. While the performance or direct integration to our primary applications may have been better or easier if we had gone with a traditional RDBMS, the performance of SQLite has been more than acceptable. The performance and speed to deploy made SQLite a much more attractive option for us than a traditional RDBMS.
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Scalability
Microsoft
SQL server does handle growing demands of a mid sized company.
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Open Source
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Increased accuracy - We went from multiple users having different versions of an Excel spreadsheet to a single source of truth for our reporting.
  • Increased Efficiency - We can now generate reports at any time from a single source rather than multiple users spending their time collating data and generating reports.
  • Improved Security - Enterprise level security on a dedicated server rather than financial files on multiple laptop hard drives.
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Open Source
  • No licensing fees has a net increase on ROI
  • The active community has kept support costs low, further increasing ROI
  • The wide range of supported platforms and high level of compatibility has increased ROI by reducing time spent porting the database model to any platform specific solutions.
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