Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SQL Server 2017 VS MariaDB

Compare SQL Server 2017 VS MariaDB and see what are their differences

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SQL Server 2017 logo SQL Server 2017

Jul 1, 2017 - Learn about tools and services for mobile and paginated Reporting Services reports and Power BI reports on premises.

MariaDB logo MariaDB

An enhanced, drop-in replacement for MySQL
  • SQL Server 2017 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-20
  • MariaDB Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18

SQL Server 2017 features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    SQL Server 2017 offers cross-platform support, enabling it to run on Windows, Linux, and Docker containers, providing flexibility and integration into various environments.
  • Graph Database Capabilities
    Introduces graph database capabilities, allowing the modeling of complex data relationships easily and efficiently, expanding its use cases.
  • Advanced Analytics
    Integrates with Microsoft R and Python services, facilitating advanced analytics and machine learning directly within the database, which helps organizations to perform sophisticated data analysis.
  • Adaptive Query Processing
    Includes adaptive query processing features to optimize query performance automatically, improving application speed and efficiency.
  • Enhanced Security
    SQL Server 2017 continues to enhance security with features like Always Encrypted, Dynamic Data Masking, and Row-Level Security to protect sensitive data.

Possible disadvantages of SQL Server 2017

  • Cost
    Licensing and support costs for SQL Server can be relatively high, particularly for enterprise editions, which may not be cost-effective for smaller organizations.
  • Complexity
    SQL Server 2017 includes a vast array of features and configurations that can introduce complexity, requiring substantial expertise to manage and optimize.
  • Resource Intensive
    Requires significant system resources for optimal performance, which may necessitate additional investment in hardware to operate efficiently at scale.
  • Limited NoSQL Functionality
    While SQL Server 2017 introduces some NoSQL features through its support for JSON and graph databases, it still lags behind dedicated NoSQL databases in terms of flexibility and scalability for unstructured data.
  • Version-Specific Features
    Some advanced features are only available in the latest versions or specific editions, which may necessitate upgrades or specific licensing to access the full capabilities, leading to additional expenses.

MariaDB features and specs

  • Open Source
    MariaDB is fully open-source, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. There are no licensing fees, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.
  • Compatibility with MySQL
    MariaDB is designed as a drop-in replacement for MySQL. It offers extensive compatibility, making it easy to switch from MySQL without needing to make significant changes to the codebase.
  • Performance
    MariaDB often offers better performance and scalability compared to other relational databases. It includes enhancements in query optimization and indexing, which can lead to faster data retrieval.
  • Advanced Features
    MariaDB includes advanced features such as the Aria storage engine, dynamic columns, and thread pooling. These features provide more flexibility and control over database management and optimization.
  • Active Community
    Being open-source, MariaDB benefits from a robust and active community of developers and users who contribute to its development and provide support through forums and other channels.
  • Security
    MariaDB is known for its strong focus on security. It includes advanced security features such as data encryption, role-based access control, and protection against SQL injection attacks.

Possible disadvantages of MariaDB

  • Learning Curve
    For new users, especially those without much experience with relational databases or MySQL, MariaDB can have a steep learning curve. It requires an understanding of SQL, database management, and various configurations.
  • Inconsistent Documentation
    While the community is active, the documentation can sometimes be inconsistent or incomplete. This can make troubleshooting and leveraging advanced features more challenging.
  • Compatibility Issues
    Although MariaDB aims to be compatible with MySQL, certain features or configurations might not work identically, leading to potential compatibility issues with some applications.
  • Fewer Enterprise Features
    Compared to commercial database solutions like Oracle, MariaDB may lack certain enterprise-level features, tools, and support options that large corporations might require.
  • Market Adoption
    MariaDB, while popular, does not have as wide of an adoption as MySQL or other big players in the database market, which can be a consideration for integration and support in some environments.

Analysis of MariaDB

Overall verdict

  • MariaDB is generally considered a good and reliable choice for database management, offering a strong feature set, active development community, and favorable performance.

Why this product is good

  • MariaDB is a popular fork of MySQL, known for being open-source and community-driven.
  • It offers enhanced performance and scalability, often outperforming MySQL in benchmark tests.
  • MariaDB includes features not present in MySQL, such as the Aria storage engine and better support for JSON.
  • Developed by the original creators of MySQL, ensuring continuity in quality and development philosophy.

Recommended for

  • Organizations looking for a robust, open-source alternative to MySQL.
  • Developers wanting to avoid the commercial restrictions of MySQL due to Oracle's ownership.
  • Projects that require high-performance, scalable database management systems.
  • Users looking for additional features and storage engines not available in MySQL.

SQL Server 2017 videos

SQL Server 2017 โ€“ Everything you need to know

More videos:

  • Review - SQL Server 2017 Features

MariaDB videos

MySQL/MariaDB Basics (RHCE Study)

More videos:

  • Review - MariaDB Storage Engines
  • Tutorial - #MariaDB Server 10.2: The Complete Guide - #Database Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SQL Server 2017 and MariaDB)
Data Dashboard
100 100%
0% 0
Databases
0 0%
100% 100
Data Visualization
100 100%
0% 0
NoSQL Databases
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 SQL Server 2017 and MariaDB

SQL Server 2017 Reviews

We have no reviews of SQL Server 2017 yet.
Be the first one to post

MariaDB Reviews

Database Management Systems (DBMS) Comparison: SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Oracle
Finally, you should factor in the estimates for budgeting and licensing costs. Open-source solutions (MariaDB or SQLite) can optimize the costs, but keep in mind that enterprise tools (Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server) are worth their price in the way of offering upscale features for larger-scale applications.
Source: blog.devart.com
20 Best Database Management Software and Tools of 2026
dbForge Studio for MySQL is a powerful IDE for database management software, designed to simplify database development, management, and administration for MySQL and MariaDB environments.
Source: infomineo.com
Data Warehouse Tools
MariaDB is another open-source relational database management system that can be used for data warehousing. Itโ€™s a robust and secure option for organizations seeking a familiar and cost-effective solution, especially those already invested in the MySQL ecosystem.
Source: peliqan.io
MariaDB Vs MySQL In 2019: Compatibility, Performance, And Syntax
Even the command line tools are similar to mysqldump and mysqladmin still having the original names, allowing MariaDB to be a drop-in replacement.To make sure MariaDB maintains drop-in compatibility, the MariaDB developers do a monthly merge of the MariaDB code with the MySQL code. Even with this, there are some differences between MariaDB and MySQL that could cause some...
Source: blog.panoply.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MariaDB seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 46 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 Server 2017 mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of SQL Server 2017 yet. Tracking of SQL Server 2017 recommendations started around Mar 2021.

MariaDB mentions (46)

  • As Oracle loses interest in MySQL, devs mull future options
    The obvious thing to do is to move to MariaDB: https://mariadb.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • MariaDB doesn't depend on MySQL
    For years, the MySQL-MariaDB situation was clearly a successful branching where both projects found new homes. One in Oracle, the other in the new MariaDB Foundation / MariaDB plc duo. Contrary to what many would have thought, Oracle invested in MySQL and continued its development in the open despite having its own close-source relational database. For a period of time, MariaDB kept merging MySQL code commit by... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • MariaDB 11.4 on OpenBSD 7.8: Install
    Installing MariaDB/MySQL system tables in '/var/mysql' ... OK Two all-privilege accounts were created. One is root@localhost, it has no password, but you need to Be system 'root' user to connect. Use, for example, sudo mariadb The second is _mysql@localhost, it has no password either, but You need to be the system '_mysql' user to connect. After connecting you can set the password, if you would need to be Able... - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Integrating MongoDB into Laravel with Filament
    Laravel is one of the best PHP frameworks I ever tried in my career which works very well with relational databases such MariaDB or PostgreSQL. However recently I had the opportunity to dig into NoSQL databases, specifically into MongoDB that offers amazing features like TTL indexes or embedded documents (aka One to Few relationships). - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • OpenBSD Upgrade 7.6 to 7.7
    In addition, it also includes MariaDB update where "Binary logs are no longer purged by default unless a replica has connected", and minio update where "the MinIO Gateway and the related filesystem mode code have been removed". - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SQL Server 2017 and MariaDB, you can also consider the following products

JasperReports - JasperReports Server is a stand-alone and embeddable reporting server.

MySQL - The world's most popular open source database

Telerik Reporting - Deliver Reports to Any Application. Add reports to any business application. View reports on mobile devices and in web, desktop and cloud apps. Export reports to any format.

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

Pentaho - Pentaho is a Business Intelligence software company that offers Pentaho Business Analytics, a suite...

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.