Compare Competitors

SQL Server 2012 offers customers the ability to run, grow, and transform their IT to meet the most demanding business needs, and provides many benefits over comparable database products from Oracle, IBM DB2, and MySQL.

Oracle vs. SQL Server 2012

OracleSQL Server 2012

Mission Critical Performance, Scalability, and High Availability

Self-service business intelligence tools out-of-the-box

Flexible deployment across on-premise, private, and public cloud

Native integration with Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Office

More Secure (Less Vulnerable)

Developer productivity with industry leading development tools

Total Cost-of-Ownership

At a Glance

SQL Server 2012 offers integration with Microsoft Office and better security, developer productivity, and business intelligence tools than Oracle Database -all at a lower total-cost-of-ownership.

Advantages over Oracle 11g:

  • Scalability and performance
  • Fewer database vulnerabilities
  • Self-service BI tools
Download SQL Server 2012 Trial

Customer Stories

“Based on our experience with Oracle RAC, we knew that a Microsoft high availability solution would be much easier to implement, simpler to support, and less expensive."

Elena Balitsky
Team Leader, City of Virginia Beach

Customer Stories

“We’re seeing opportunities to migrate from Oracle to SQL Server 2012. By doing so, we can improve operational support and further decrease our total cost of ownership."

Cheol Ki Park
Manager, LG Chem

Hear From Customers

See and hear how our customers are experiencing the benefits of the cloud-ready information platform today.

IBM DB2 vs. SQL Server 2012

IBM DB2SQL Server 2012

Mission Critical Performance, Scalability and High Availability

Self-service business intelligence tools out-of-the-box

Flexible deployment across on-premise, private and public cloud

Native integration with Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Office

More Secure (Less Vulnerable)

Developer productivity with industry leading development tools

Manageability

Total Cost-of-Ownership

At a Glance

SQL Server 2012 offers better security, developer productivity, and manageability than IBM DB2 -all at a lower total-cost-of-ownership. SQL Server features, including transparent data encryption, master data management, and self-service business intelligence, are not included with IBM DB2.

Advantages over IBM DB2 9.7:

  • Scalability and high availability
  • Security and policy-based manageability
  • Self-service business intelligence tools
Download SQL Server 2012 Trial

Customer Stories

“With our IBM DB2 solution, it took 6-10 min. to create a report based on one week of data. With SQL Server Fast Track DW, the same report takes 30-50 seconds.”

Rajesh Babu
Senior Director, Universal Music

Customer Stories

“The Microsoft BI solution is perfect for us because we could be up and running in less than 3 months, and it costs about $100K less per year than IBM Cognos.”

Mary Bailey
CIO, Senior Director, BMD

Hear From Customers

See and hear how our customers are experiencing the benefits of the cloud-ready information platform today.

MySQL vs. SQL Server 2012

MySQLSQL Server 2012 ExpressSQL Server 2012 Enterprise

Cost

 Free Free Purchase

BP, CPU, RAM

 OS max* Some Limits OS max

OS Support

 Many Windows Windows

Core DB Operations

ACID Compliant

 Depends

Security Vulnerabilities
(2004 – Oct 2010)**

 9125 25

Online Backup

Reporting

Cloud Version

Autotuning

Sync

Analysis, OLAP

High Availability

Data Warehouse

*MySQL is limited by operating system only.
**Includes compression, transparent data encryption, and resource management.

At a Glance

Selecting a database for a project requires consideration as to how the application will be used, expected growth, and future feature and support requirements. SQL Server 2012 Express is a free database solution with many advantages over MySQL.

Advantages over MySQL:

  • Stable technology road map
  • Leading development tools
  • Affordable scalability in the cloud
  • Large customer base for ISVs
  • WordPress, Drupal, and PHP integration
  • Tools for simpler migration
  • Free, performance-enhancing features
  • Reporting and business intelligence in Microsoft Office
  • Enterprise features available if needed
Download SQL Server Express

Customer Stories

  • “While MySQL, PostgreSQL & Oracle were options, the results with SQL Server in our other products made it our target for Optimize."

    Bruce Kenny
    Executive Vice President, WebTrends

  • “When it comes to BI and analytics, open-source tool sets are just ineffective and there’s really not a good choice.”

    David Mariani
    VP of Engineering, Klout

Advantages for Developers

  • Start small and grow

    Take advantage of free database software and tools to develop and deploy a packaged or web-based application and add features, as needed, beyond anything MySQL offers. To start, get 10 GB free with SQL Server 2012 Express, along with reporting, online backup, a management studio, data synchronization, and mapping tools.

  • Choose stable and scalable

    For a database with a stable road map and ability to handle large workloads, easily migrate PHP, WordPress, and Drupal projects to SQL Server 2012 Express, which offers advanced features not found in MySQL. Check out migration resources and guidance, and download the free Microsoft Web Platform Installer.

  • Develop and manage better

    Get the enhanced database development and management capabilities needed for more sophisticated projects by switching from MySQL to SQL Server 2012 Express. Take advantage of tight integration with Microsoft Visual Studio to gain advanced debugging, management views, tuning and index suggestions.

Advantages for Partners

  • Find new opportunities

    Open doors to the largest customer base for databases in the world with SQL Server. Grow seamlessly into new opportunities with SQL Server Express, and then upgrade to paid versions with no code changes required to gain many advanced features beyond anything MySQL offers. Differentiate with mapping or reporting capabilities not found in MySQL.

  • Build lasting solutions

    Work with customers to build long-lasting solutions that can meet changing business requirements. Gain a more robust database that can scale up to 256 processors, whereas MySQL can address only four processors. Take advantage of SQL Server Business Intelligence technologies not found in MySQL, such as sophisticated reporting and integration with Microsoft Office.