Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SQL Azure VS SimpleDB

Compare SQL Azure VS SimpleDB and see what are their differences

SQL Azure logo SQL Azure

Microsoft Azure Cloud SQL Database is the developerโ€™s cloud database service. The Azure database as a service is your solution to building and monitoring applications quickly and efficiently.

SimpleDB logo SimpleDB

Amazon SimpleDB is a simple database storage solution that allows developers to simply store & query data items via web services requests, saving time.
  • SQL Azure Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-06
  • SimpleDB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-01

SQL Azure features and specs

  • Scalability
    SQL Azure provides scalable performance that can be adjusted based on demand without downtime, allowing businesses to handle varying workloads efficiently.
  • Managed Service
    As a fully managed service, SQL Azure reduces administrative overhead by handling updates, backups, and maintenance automatically, freeing up IT resources for other tasks.
  • High Availability
    Built-in high availability and disaster recovery features ensure continuous data access and reliability, minimizing downtime and protecting data integrity.
  • Security
    SQL Azure offers advanced security features, including network isolation, encryption, and threat detection, enhancing data protection and compliance with security standards.
  • Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem
    Seamless integration with other Microsoft services and tools such as Power BI, Azure Data Factory, and Azure Synapse enhances capabilities for data analysis and management.

Possible disadvantages of SQL Azure

  • Cost
    The pay-as-you-go pricing model can become expensive for businesses with large-scale demands or unpredictable usage patterns, potentially increasing operational costs.
  • Limited Control
    Because it is a managed service, users have less control over server configurations and customizations, which can be a limitation for certain specialized requirements.
  • Dependency on Internet Connectivity
    As a cloud-based service, consistent internet connectivity is required to access SQL Azure, which can be a disadvantage for locations with unreliable internet service.
  • Learning Curve
    Organizations may need to invest time and resources into training staff to understand and optimize Azure SQL features, which can delay implementation.
  • Data Transfer Costs
    There may be additional costs associated with transferring data in and out of SQL Azure, particularly for businesses that frequently move large volumes of data.

SimpleDB features and specs

  • Scalability
    SimpleDB automatically manages server infrastructure on behalf of users, allowing it to scale in response to application demand without manual intervention.
  • Ease of Use
    It is designed to be simple, with a straightforward API that makes it easy to get started without needing to manage the complexities of traditional database systems.
  • Flexible Data Model
    The schema-less nature of SimpleDB allows users to store structured data without predefining the data types, making it adaptable to changes in data format or structure.
  • Indexing and Querying
    SimpleDB provides automatic indexing of all attributes, which facilitates quick querying and retrieval of data without requiring users to manage indices.
  • Integration with AWS Services
    Seamless integration with other AWS services like S3 and EC2, allowing users to build comprehensive cloud solutions.

Possible disadvantages of SimpleDB

  • Limited Query Functionality
    SimpleDB's querying capabilities are more limited compared to relational databases; it does not support complex queries or joins.
  • Storage and Throughput Limitations
    There are limitations on storage size per domain and concurrent read/write throughput, which could be restrictive for large-scale applications.
  • Consistency Model
    SimpleDB trades off strong consistency for high availability, which means applications must be designed to handle eventual consistency.
  • Cost
    While SimpleDB can be cost-effective for small applications, costs can accumulate quickly with large-scale data operations due to its pricing model based on data usage.
  • Obsolescence
    With the advancement and growing use of more robust AWS databases like DynamoDB, SimpleDB has become less appealing and might not receive the same level of support or updates.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SQL Azure and SimpleDB)
Databases
70 70%
30% 30
Relational Databases
83 83%
17% 17
Project Management
0 0%
100% 100
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using SQL Azure and SimpleDB. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SQL Azure should be more popular than SimpleDB. It has been mentiond 10 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.

SQL Azure mentions (10)

  • Database Sharding vs Partitioning: Whatโ€™s the Difference?
    Azure SQL Database for partitioning and sharding through Elastic Database tools. These tools and services simplify the task of managing distributed data. These cloud-based solutions are particularly useful for teams that do not have DevOps expertise. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Microsoft Announces the Preview of Serverless for Hyperscale in Azure SQL Database
    Recently, Microsoft announced the preview of serverless for Hyperscale in the Azure SQL Database, which brings together the benefits of serverless and Hyperscale into a single database solution. For full news coverage see InfoQ news item: https://www.infoq.com/news/2023/02/azure-sql-hyperscale-serverless/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Azure SQL Database External REST Endpoints Integration Now in Public Preview
    Microsoft recently announced the public preview of Azure SQL Database External REST Endpoint Integration โ€“ an ability to call a REST endpoint natively from Azure SQL Database. For more details see: https://www.infoq.com/news/2022/11/azure-sql-rest-endpoint/. Source: almost 3 years ago
  • How I Build and Deliver B2B SaaS Software as a 1.5* Person Indie Developer
    Www Services for hosting the marketing site. This includes a Key Vault, Storage Account, Service Bus Namespace, Azure SQL database and an App Service. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • The Difference Between Data Warehouses, Data Lakes, and Data Lakehouses.
    Popular managed cloud data warehouse solutions include Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure SQL Database, and Amazon Redshift. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
View more

SimpleDB mentions (6)

  • Amazon is laying off another 9,000 employees across AWS, Twitch, advertising
    Amazing that this managed DB service is still running: https://aws.amazon.com/simpledb/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What is the difference between Dynamo and DynamoDB?
    Over the years, Amazon also developed another NoSQL database called SimpleDB. Unlike the original Dynamo, SimpleDB is a managed service so it's easy for teams to adopt and operate. However, SimpleDB can't grow past 10 GB and its performance doesn't scale well (maxes out at around 25 writes per second). Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Amazon EC2-Classic Is Retiring
    You can actually still use SimpleDB: https://aws.amazon.com/simpledb/. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • AWS Quicksight: Authenticating users without SSO but simple DB
    Are you talking about SimpleDB (https://aws.amazon.com/simpledb/) ? If so, I had no idea anyone used this anymore. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Why Google Cloud is less trustworthy than AWS or Azure
    About deprecation: the gold standard is what AWS is doing with SimpleDB: essentially, never. The thing here is that if you run hundreds of services in production - many of which work smoothly and you don't need to touch often, you will find that Google's habit of forcing you to change how to use their tooling will generate a huge burden... They discourage you from using it and make it clear that for every use case... - Source: Hacker News / over 4 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SQL Azure and SimpleDB, you can also consider the following products

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.

Ninox - Ninox is a human-friendly database. Create your own Business Application with Ninox that matches your workflow. Ninox lets you integrate CRM, ERP, HR and many more...

SAP HANA - SAP HANA is an in-memory, column-oriented, relational database management system.

MongoDB Atlas - The best way to host MongoDB in the cloud. Deploy on AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. Try it free!

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

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database