Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Microsoft SQL VS PostGIS

Compare Microsoft SQL VS PostGIS and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

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.

PostGIS logo PostGIS

Open source spatial database
  • Microsoft SQL Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-26
  • PostGIS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-18

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.

PostGIS features and specs

  • Open Source
    PostGIS is open-source, meaning it is free to use and has a strong community support for development and troubleshooting.
  • Integration with PostgreSQL
    PostGIS extends PostgreSQL, a robust relational database management system, providing powerful geospatial capabilities along with traditional SQL features.
  • Rich Geospatial Functions
    PostGIS offers a comprehensive range of geospatial functions and data types, making it suitable for complex spatial queries and analyses.
  • Cross-platform Support
    Being cross-platform, PostGIS can run on various operating systems including Windows, Linux, and macOS, offering flexibility in deployment.
  • Active Community and Documentation
    PostGIS benefits from an active user community and extensive documentation, which aids in learning and problem-solving.
  • Scalability
    Built on PostgreSQL, PostGIS inherits its scalability features, which support large datasets and extensive query capabilities.
  • Customization and Extension
    PostGIS's open architecture allows for customization and the development of extensions to meet specific geospatial needs.

Possible disadvantages of PostGIS

  • Complexity
    The setup and maintenance of PostGIS can be complex for users without prior experience in PostgreSQL or geospatial databases.
  • Performance Overhead
    For extremely large datasets and very high-performance needs, the additional geospatial functionality can introduce some performance overhead.
  • Learning Curve
    There is a significant learning curve associated with mastering PostGIS, particularly for users who are not familiar with GIS or SQL.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running intensive geospatial queries can be resource-intensive, requiring significant memory and processing power.
  • Limited Advanced GIS Features
    While PostGIS offers extensive GIS features, it may fall short compared to specialized GIS software for certain advanced spatial analytics or visualization tasks.
  • Dependency on PostgreSQL
    As PostGIS is an extension to PostgreSQL, users are dependent on PostgreSQL updates and limitations, which might not always align with geospatial needs.

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]

PostGIS videos

Como Instalar o PostgreSQL com PostGIS | ALL com GEO

More videos:

  • Review - Paul Ramsey: This Is PostGIS
  • Review - A New Dimension To PostGIS : 3D

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Microsoft SQL and PostGIS)
Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Maps
0 0%
100% 100
Relational Databases
100 100%
0% 0
Database Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Microsoft SQL and PostGIS

Microsoft SQL Reviews

We have no reviews of Microsoft SQL yet.
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PostGIS Reviews

The Top 10 Alternatives to ArcGIS
For those in the engineering and GIS community, PostGIS is a well-known open source extension for the PostgreSQL database that allows for spatial data to be stored, managed, and queried. The software enables users to conduct complex geospatial analyses and – because it is built on top of the powerful open-source database PostgreSQL – it can handle large datasets with ease....

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PostGIS seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.

PostGIS mentions (1)

  • Efficient Distance Querying in MySQL
    This is an interesting article about strategies to use when traditional indexes just won't do, but for the love of the index please use MySQL's (or postgres' or sqlite's) built in spatial index for this particular class of problems. It will does this sort of thing much, much more efficiently than 99% of in house solutions. https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.0/en/spatial-types.html... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Microsoft SQL and PostGIS, you can also consider the following products

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

Slick - A jquery plugin for creating slideshows and carousels into your webpage.

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

Sequel Pro - MySQL database management for Mac OS X

SQLite - SQLite Home Page

DataGrip - Tool for SQL and databases