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Oracle Database In-Memory vs SQL Server comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Oracle Database In-Memory
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
8th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
8.3
Number of Reviews
29
Ranking in other categories
Embedded Database (3rd)
SQL Server
Ranking in Relational Databases Tools
1st
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
266
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Oracle Database In-Memory is 1.3%, up from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SQL Server is 21.1%, down from 23.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Relational Databases Tools
 

Featured Reviews

Md Al-Amin - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures that users experience a good return on investment
Firstly, a user should prepare the operating system for installation, and then we have to copy the software to install the product. When dealing with scenarios related to Oracle Real Application Clusters, users need to add nodes and storage. The setup process is a little bit complex compared to DB2. The setup process of Oracle Database In-Memory takes around five to six hours to install Oracle Real Application Clusters, if everything is okay, apart from which the other processes will take a day. The solution is deployed on an on-premises model. The cloud-based solution is available for testing and development, and it need not be installed in your environment. A user just needs to do a few clicks and select the database, after which it automatically gets installed in the cloud. Only in the on-premises version of the product, there is a need to do some work in the tool.
Azizul Haque - PeerSpot reviewer
It has eliminated all kinds of inconsistencies, and it is reliable, secure, and fast
I don't know whether SQL Server can support large organizations where the database size is more than 100 GB. It might be because of SQL Server, or it might be because of the programming of the software vendor, but a lot of people think that it is a problem with SQL Server. It can't handle a large amount of data or large data size. In terms of its usage, about 90% of our applications are running on the SQL Server database. We have around 1,600 users for our software, and all the applications are connected to the SQL Server database.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable aspects of this solution are the fast caching and improved performance to the database"
"We use the tool for real-time data transfer for risk management purposes. In a trading system, conversions happen fast. We use the product to handle fast transactions with low latency."
"It accelerates query processing, which in turn speeds up operations and streamlines workflow, and ultimately enhancing productivity."
"The scalability of the solution is very good. It's able to support large amounts of data."
"The solution's ROI is excellent."
"It efficiently handles low-code data and supports read-and-write operations for clustering."
"The on-premise version is stable. We have different teams and resources for the server side, for admin, and for development. We can easily take care of all the services and applications."
"I like Oracle because it is a backward-compatible solution."
"The solution is very easy to use. It's intuitive and easy to navigate. Overall, it's a straightforward product."
"I like that the new version has a memory-optimized table to improve the performance."
"The features that we have found the most valuable are reliability, availability perspective, and current scalability."
"Microsoft is less demanding because everything is GUI, unlike Oracle, where you need to use command lines."
"Its security is good. The GUI of SQL Server is also very good."
"We use it for our on-premises solutions, virtual servers and SSAS, SSRS packages. Also, our applications are .NET based, so it made to use it."
"The support from Microsoft has been good."
"I would say that it is a stable product."
 

Cons

"We often have to find solutions on our own through the support site, so there's room for improvement in this regard."
"The solution is quite expensive."
"The high cost of the product is an area of concern where improvements are required."
"Oracle Database In-Memory is more expensive than Azure, and the support from the Oracle team is not very good, especially since they do not have a support team in our region."
"They should lower the price. My customers think that it's too expensive."
"We use some partitions in In-Memory. We have a very large table and a low dose. It is very expensive in data to load all of them into In-Memory. It takes up more memory slots in the server, as well as a lot of RAM. We use last partitions on the table. We always need to create a script and make a schedule that can load a last partition in In-Memory. Oracle doesn't have features to do this automatically. I would like them to allow us to load last partitions, as well as other table partitions, in In-Memory. I think a good feature would do that automatically, letting you see a table, load a large partition, and monitor loading memory. It's quite a good feature."
"The query optimization and backup features should be added."
"They should improve the solution's scalability for large databases."
"There is a lot of room for improvement when it comes to limited compatibility across the platform and restricted performance with massive data sets."
"As SQL server could not support the number of connections we desired, we were forced to go with Oracle."
"I would like to have the ability to restore backups in the next release."
"The way SQL Server pivots data could be improved. For example, I would like built-in comma-separated pivot and unpivot functions."
"The performance could be better."
"Could have additional security."
"If SQL Server could perhaps run on Linux, that would be good. Most of us prefer Linux and I've used a lot of Linux. I understand that SQL Server is quite powerful, but I'm not sure if the functionality is there, but if it could be used in an open-source type of environment, it would be very good."
"The installation process should be simplified."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"There is a need to make a yearly payment towards the licensing costs, after which there is any to pay towards the support cost attached to the solution."
"The product is expensive."
"It's quite costly and it comes with a fixed price."
"The platform's licensing cost needs improvement."
"I rate the pricing a zero out of ten because Database In-Memory is too costly."
"Oracle Database In-Memory is expensive."
"The pricing is pretty good so I rate it an eight out of ten."
"Database In-Memory is priced a bit higher than its competitors like Microsoft."
"For medium-sized customers who don't need some enterprise features, the tool would be available for 200 USD per month. For the enterprise segment, the tool's cost can go up to 6,000 USD."
"It requires the purchase of a license."
"It is expensive, but you get what you pay for."
"The price could be cheaper."
"The licensing is on an annual basis."
"The solution is on a pay-per-use pricing model."
"Although it comes with a cost, using the most recent version is highly advisable, since it would ensure a certain measure of bug fixes and stability. The sole issue would involve the cost, as this is expensive."
"It is expensive."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
19%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Government
8%
Educational Organization
51%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Oracle Database In-Memory?
We can integrate it with any data sources as well.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle Database In-Memory?
Oracle Database In-Memory is very expensive. Additionally, there are extra costs for some features.
What needs improvement with Oracle Database In-Memory?
Oracle Database In-Memory is more expensive than Azure, and the support from the Oracle team is not very good, especially since they do not have a support team in our region.
Would you say the price of SQL Server is high compared to that of similar products?
SQL Server is fairly priced because it has various editions, depending on the number of users, servers, or core packs you are using. If you compare the product to others in this category, the price...
Has using SQL Server helped your organization in any way?
SQL Server has helped my organization through partitioning to distribute the workload, as it splits them up into smaller pieces so the machines can easily deal with it. However, this comes with a h...
Which authentication mode is best for SQL Server?
My company connects through SQL Server authentication. We have company Windows accounts, but we do not want to connect the two, out of security concerns and to keep things separated for our own pur...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Microsoft SQL Server, MSSQL, MS SQL
 

Learn More

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Shanghai Customs
Microsoft SQL Server is used by businesses in every industry, including Great Western Bank, Aviva, the Volvo Car Corporation, BMW, Samsung, Principality Building Society, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.
Find out what your peers are saying about Oracle Database In-Memory vs. SQL Server and other solutions. Updated: January 2025.
831,020 professionals have used our research since 2012.