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Microsoft SQL VS H2 Database Engine

Compare Microsoft SQL VS H2 Database Engine and see what are their differences

Microsoft SQL logo Microsoft SQL

Microsoft SQL is a best in class relational database management software that facilitates the database server to provide you a primary function to store and retrieve data.

H2 Database Engine logo H2 Database Engine

H2 is a relational database management system written in Java.
  • Microsoft SQL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-26
  • H2 Database Engine Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

Microsoft SQL features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    SQL Server offers a wide range of features including advanced analytics, in-memory capabilities, robust security measures, and integration services.
  • High Performance
    With in-memory OLTP and support for persistent memory technologies, SQL Server provides high transaction and query performance.
  • Scalability
    SQL Server can scale from small installations on single machines to large, data-intensive applications requiring high throughput and storage.
  • Security
    SQL Server offers advanced security features like encryption, dynamic data masking, and advanced threat protection, ensuring data safety and compliance.
  • Integrations
    It easily integrates with other Microsoft products such as Azure, Power BI, and Active Directory, providing a cohesive ecosystem for enterprise solutions.
  • Developer Friendly
    It supports a wide range of development tools and languages including .NET, Python, Java, and more, making it highly versatile for developers.
  • High Availability
    Features like Always On availability groups and failover clustering provide high availability and disaster recovery options for critical applications.

Possible disadvantages of Microsoft SQL

  • Cost
    SQL Server can be expensive, particularly for the Enterprise edition. Licensing costs can add up quickly depending on the features and scale required.
  • Complexity
    Due to its comprehensive feature set, SQL Server can be complex to configure and manage, requiring skilled administrators and developers.
  • Resource Intensive
    SQL Server can be resource-intensive, requiring substantial hardware resources for optimal performance, which can increase overall operational costs.
  • Windows-Centric
    While SQL Server can run on Linux, it is primarily optimized for and tightly integrated with the Windows ecosystem, which may not suit all organizations.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Being a proprietary solution, it can cause vendor lock-in, making it challenging to switch to alternative database systems without significant migration efforts.

H2 Database Engine features and specs

  • Lightweight
    H2 is a lightweight database, providing a small footprint which makes it suitable for applications where resources are limited.
  • Embedded Mode
    It can run in embedded mode, allowing it to be integrated directly into Java applications without the need for a separate database server.
  • Fast Performance
    H2 offers high-performance operations, especially for read and write activities, due to its efficient management of resources.
  • In-Memory Database
    H2 supports in-memory databases, which are ideal for fast temporary storage and testing scenarios.
  • SQL Compatibility
    H2 is SQL-compliant and supports a large subset of SQL standards, which makes it versatile for many types of applications.
  • Web Console
    H2 offers a convenient web-based console for running SQL queries and managing the database.
  • Open Source
    H2 is open-source, allowing developers to use and modify it without licensing costs.

Possible disadvantages of H2 Database Engine

  • Limited Scalability
    H2 is not designed for high scalability and may not handle very large databases as efficiently as some other systems.
  • Single User for Embedded
    In embedded mode, it generally supports a single user connection at a time, which can be a limitation for multi-user applications.
  • Data Persistence
    While it offers disk-based storage, H2 may not be as robust as other databases in terms of long-term data persistence and durability.
  • Security Features
    H2's security features are not as comprehensive as those in more established enterprise database systems.
  • Community and Support
    Being a niche database compared to giants like MySQL or PostgreSQL, it has a smaller community and less extensive support ecosystem.

Microsoft SQL videos

3.1 Microsoft SQL Server Review

More videos:

  • Review - What is Microsoft SQL Server?
  • Review - Querying Microsoft SQL Server (T-SQL) | Udemy Instructor, Phillip Burton [bestseller]

H2 Database Engine videos

No H2 Database Engine videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Microsoft SQL and H2 Database Engine)
Databases
94 94%
6% 6
NoSQL Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Relational Databases
96 96%
4% 4
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, H2 Database Engine seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Microsoft SQL mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Microsoft SQL yet. Tracking of Microsoft SQL recommendations started around Mar 2021.

H2 Database Engine mentions (2)

  • Help with databases
    Not sure of your use case, maybe you could use an embedded database (ie h2). Source: over 3 years ago
  • How to mock a database connection in Java?
    There are in-memory databases such as H2 which you can use for testing that is just a library you import. However, syntax can vary between databases. So it's only really appropriate if you're also using something like Hibernate which abstracts away a lot of the differences. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Microsoft SQL and H2 Database Engine, you can also consider the following products

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

Redis - Redis is an open source in-memory data structure project implementing a distributed, in-memory key-value database with optional durability.

PostgreSQL - PostgreSQL is a powerful, open source object-relational database system.

MongoDB - MongoDB (from "humongous") is a scalable, high-performance NoSQL database.

SQLite - SQLite Home Page

Oracle Database 12c - Simplify database management and automate the information lifecycle with maximum security.