SQL Server 2022 comparison
Compare SQL Server 2022 features and capabilities with prior versions.
SQL Server 2022: Azure-enabled, with continued performance and security innovation
Get to know the features and benefits now available in SQL Server 2022.
Compare SQL Server versions
Feature availability
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Not supported
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Fully supported
| Features | SQL Server 2022 | SQL Server 2019 | SQL Server 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence across all your data | | | |
| Data virtualization using PolyBase[1] |  | | |
| Data virtualization for any data lake | |  | |
| Object storage backup and restore | | | |
| Azure Synapse Link | | | |
| Database performance | | | |
| In-memory database: in-memory OLTP | | | |
| In-Memory Database: Persistent Memory[2] | | | |
| In-memory database: memory-optimized tempdb | | | |
| Real-time operational analytics | | | |
| Intelligent query processing[3] | | | |
| Buffer pool parallel scan | | | |
| Query Store on by default with replica support | | | |
| Query Store hints | | | |
| Integrated acceleration & offloading | | | |
| Hybrid buffer pool with direct write | | | |
| Advanced Vector Extension (AVX) 512 extension to improve batch mode operations | | | |
| Availability | | | |
| Always on | | | |
| Accelerated database recovery | | | |
| Read scale-out availability groups | | | |
| Large memory and concurrency scalability | | | |
| Multi-write replication | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - replicas | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - unidirectional | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - bidirectional[6] | | | |
| Contained availability group | | | |
| Encryption at rest and in motion | | | |
| Security | | | |
| Always encrypted with secure enclaves[4] | | | |
| Data discovery and classification | | | |
| Transparent data encryption | | | |
| Backup encryption support | | | |
| Encryption at rest and in motion | | | |
| Dynamic data masking and row-level security | | | |
| Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) authentication[7] | | | |
| Microsoft Defender for SQL | | | |
| Microsoft Purview Integration central governance | | | |
| Microsoft Purview Integration data owner policies | | | |
| SQL Ledger | | | |
| Support for PFX certificates and other cryptographic enhancements | | | |
| MS-TDS 8.0 protocol and TLS 1.3 | | | |
| Azure-enabled | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - replicas | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - unidirectional | | | |
| Link to Azure SQL Managed Instance - bidirectional[6] | | | |
| Optimized virtual machine (VM) images in Azure gallery | | | |
| Free asynchronous replication on Azure Virtual Machines for disaster recovery | | | |
| Microsoft Defender for SQL | | | |
| Azure Purview central governance | | | |
| Azure Purview data owner policies | | | |
| Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) Authentication | | | |
| Azure Synapse Link for SQL | | | |
| Management and programmability | | | |
| Linux support | | | |
| Container support | | | |
| Kubernetes support | | | |
| Temporal tables | | | |
| JSON support | | | |
| Graph data support | | | |
| UTF 8 support | | | |
| Java support | | | |
| Azure Data Studio to manage SQL Server including support for T-SQL using notebooks | | | |
| Database compatibility certification | | | |
| Bit manipulation functions | | | |
| Time series support | | | |
| BI and Analytics Support | | | |
| Integration services managed as a server | | | |
| Tabular BI semantic model[5] | | | |
| Master data services[5] | | | |
| Data quality services[5] | | | |
| Many-to-many relationships in tabular models | | | |
| End-to-end mobile BI on any device | | | |
| SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) direct query | | | |
| Calculation groups in tabular model | | | |
- [1] For HDFS and Azure Blob Storage only(For SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2016 only).
- [2] For tail of the log only (For SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2016 only).
- [3] See full list Intelligent Query Processing updates by release.
- [4] See additional SQL Server 2022 secure enclaves updates.
- [5] SQL Server Enterprise edition only.
- [6] The bidirectional disaster recovery capability of the Link feature for Azure SQL Managed Instance is available in limited public preview. Learn more.
- [7] Feature requires connection to Azure Arc agent.
NOTE: See the list of SQL Server 2022 features.
Available SQL Server 2022 editions
Enterprise
Access mission-critical capabilities to achieve unparalleled scale, security, high availability, and leading performance for your Tier 1 data workloads.
Standard
Get rich programming capabilities, security innovations, and fast performance for mid-tier applications. Easily upgrade to the Enterprise edition without changing any code.
Express
Build small, data-driven web and mobile applications up to 10 GB in size with this entry-level database. Available for free.
Developer
Build, test, and demonstrate applications using all the features of the Enterprise edition in your non-production dev/test environments. Available for free.
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