Exasol Data Warehouse vs SQL Server comparison

Exasol and Microsoft are both solutions in the Relational Databases Tools category. Exasol is ranked #34, while Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.3. Exasol holds a 1.4% mindshare in SQL, compared to Microsoft’s 10.4% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Exasol users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

Exasol Data Warehouse

Read 8 Exasol Data Warehouse reviews

1,658 Views
1,476 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

SQL Server

Read 274 SQL Server reviews

22,053 Views
19,627 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Exasol Data Warehouse

SQL Server

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

SQL Server and Exasol Data Warehouse are in the database management category, with SQL Server generally viewed as having a pricing advantage while Exasol is considered superior due to advanced features that justify its cost.

Features: SQL Server offers deep integration with Microsoft's ecosystem, robust security, and comprehensive data management. Exasol offers high-performance analytics, scalability, and user-friendly interfaces for complex environments.

Room for Improvement: SQL Server could benefit from enhancing high-speed analytics capabilities, reducing licensing costs, and improving real-time data processing. Exasol could improve by offering more cost-effective scaling options, expanding support for third-party integrations, and enhancing user training resources.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SQL Server integrates seamlessly into Windows-based systems and offers extensive support. Exasol is known for its quick setup and highly effective customer service, differentiating with its fast deployment for rapid insights.

Pricing and ROI: SQL Server offers a lower initial setup cost and strong ROI through integration. Exasol, while more expensive initially, provides significant returns with exceptional performance and scalability, particularly in environments requiring high-speed queries and large-scale data processing.

To learn more, read our detailed Exasol Data Warehouse vs. SQL Server Report (Updated: August 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. SQL Server

August 2026

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Helped 908,800 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Exasol Data Warehouse

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

34th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SQL Server

Ranking in Relational Databases Tools

1st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

274

Ranking in other categories

Database Management Systems (DBMS) (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Relational Databases Tools category, the mindshare of Exasol Data Warehouse is 1.4%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SQL Server is 10.4%, down from 16.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Relational Databases Tools Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
SQL Server	10.4%
Exasol Data Warehouse	1.4%
Other	88.2%

Relational Databases Tools

Featured Reviews

Shubham-Agarwal

Manager - Projects at Cognizant

Fast query processing and easy-to-store all the data

There are very few companies that are using Exasol, but the majority of companies are using SQL Server, Cloud or IBM Db2 Database, or any other databases. Therefore, the resources are limited, which is my only concern. So if I face any issues, limited resources are available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol. From that perspective, it can be a bit of a struggle for me to find a solution. In the next release, I would like to see better compatibility issues. Currently, Exasol has limited compatibility with other software like Python and R. For example, If I talk about SQL Server, we can connect it to big data or Python, which is also compatible with different servers.

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Peter Larsson

Data Warehouse Lead at Resurs Bank AB (publ.)

Ledger and seamless integrations have strengthened trusted analytics and unified workloads

SQL Server's high availability and disaster recovery features work for supporting mission-critical applications, but there is much more to wish for. These features are not quite ready yet, although they do function. However, they could be significantly better. High availability and disaster recovery features should be improved in the next releases. I have noticed that everything could be improved or enhanced in the future, particularly temporal tables and window functions. Sometimes, I believe Microsoft releases features to stay ahead of competitors, but they do not make them feature-rich or feature-complete. They release something to be ahead of leaders and then seem to forget to maintain and upgrade them. I want Microsoft to pay more attention and be more mindful about the things they implement. It is fine to do a first release that works, but you cannot simply abandon it in the following years without service packs and improvements. You must continue to build on features rather than forgetting about them.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable feature of Exasol is its speed."

"Performance is a top priority, and it excels in this aspect."

"It is easy to scale."

"The solution is hands-off; you set it up insert your data and it self tunes queries."

"Its speed is great."

"The speed is very good compared to other databases, like SQL Server or Oracle."

"This solution is extremely fast and very stable; you set it up and put your data on it and as long as it's structured, it self-tunes queries and doesn't require a database administrator."

"We can quickly scale the solution as it works on an MPP system."

More Exasol Data Warehouse pros

"We are satisfied with the product in general."

"The ease of administration, in general, is the solution's most valuable aspect."

"I think just having everything in one centralized set of databases where there is easily managed manageable."

"It's easy to use and fairly intuitive. I do development and data analysis, so we do a lot of work with SSIS and SQL Job Scheduler. Deploying new databases is very simple with things like BACPAC."

"We find the Microsoft SQL Server affordable compared to its real competitors, easy to manage, and it offers a very robust infrastructure for us."

"It has always been reliable and consistent, providing tremendous functionality for many years."

"Most valuable features include: high availability, clustering, save backup and recovery."

"The solution is valuable because it seamlessly extracts reports and enables the collection of information from different tables."

More SQL Server pros

Cons

"Lacks a cloud-based platform."

"They should improve the security features for MPP processing."

"There are limited resources available to help me resolve the issue with Exasol."

"They don't talk very well to with other products when it comes to connectivity. Integration is lacking."

"It would be beneficial if the updates would occur more often."

"You have to install Exasol drivers, and it's not easy to find or implement a driver into different systems."

"The price is quite expensive relative to other similar solutions, it could be more accessible in that sense."

"It's not cloud-native so many maintenance operations require downtime."

More Exasol Data Warehouse cons

"SQL could be improved by making all features available on the on-premise version of the product as well as the cloud version. When you buy the on-premise version, it's sort of an inferior product compared to the cloud version, which seems to get most of the latest and greatest features."

"It would be great if we were able to run it on multiple operating systems and not only stick with Windows."

"Analysis services have a lot of room for improvement. Basically, manageability on the available tools. They should have improved them already. They are not very efficient. My main headache is with the analysis service, and it would be really good if Microsoft developed some additional tools that are more user-friendly to manage the analysis. This is both from the perspective of management, users' roles, and performance analysis. My main wish for SQL Server would be that management tools for analysis services grow and mature a bit."

"Overall, trying to make over with Oracle, it can be improved in usage for high data migration companies of large scale."

"In my experience, I've found that scalability can be improved."

"The main area of SQL Server that can be improved is the price. The cost is substantial for using the tool."

"We have had problems implementing a data warehouse using SQL Server."

"As a software developer, it can be hard to do something in Oracle that is SQL Server specific, and vice-versa, sometimes."

More SQL Server cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution's cost is mid-ranged."

"I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten."

"It's a bit expensive."

"The price could be cheaper."

"The price of SQL Server is great. In my company, SQL Server is part of the Microsoft Suite, we don't have to pay for any additional license costs, it's quite cost-effective for us."

"There is a license required for servers and for the POS we use the free version. The free version allows you to have tables and a total database size of approximately 10 GB, which is enough for our requirements."

"Cost is a major derivative for any organization. It has a reasonable cost value, and its cloud support is also better than others. Comparatively, Oracle can do the same things or is even better in certain areas, but it is expensive. The cost along with the support are the plus factors for SQL Server."

"It is expensive."

"We pay per second of usage, but there are different offerings of the license."

More SQL Server pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

11%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Government

Financial Services Firm

37%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Outsourcing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	119
Midsize Enterprise	60
Large Enterprise	118

Questions from the Community

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Would you say the price of SQL Server is high compared to that of similar products?

SQL Server is fairly priced because it has various editions, depending on the number of users, servers, or core packs you are using. If you compare the product to others in this category, the price...

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Has using SQL Server helped your organization in any way?

SQL Server has helped my organization through partitioning to distribute the workload, as it splits them up into smaller pieces so the machines can easily deal with it. However, this comes with a h...

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Which authentication mode is best for SQL Server?

My company connects through SQL Server authentication. We have company Windows accounts, but we do not want to connect the two, out of security concerns and to keep things separated for our own pur...

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Comparisons

Teradata vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 9% of the time

Oracle Database vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 8% of the time

IBM Db2 Database vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 7% of the time

Oracle Database In-Memory vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 7% of the time

OpenText Analytics Database (Vertica) vs Exasol Data Warehouse

Compared 6% of the time

More Exasol Data Warehouse Competitors

IBM Db2 Database vs SQL Server

Compared 26% of the time

Oracle Database vs SQL Server

Compared 8% of the time

SAP HANA vs SQL Server

Compared 6% of the time

MySQL vs SQL Server

Compared 5% of the time

Teradata vs SQL Server

Compared 5% of the time

More SQL Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse

August 2026

Download Exasol Data Warehouse product report

Buyer's Guide

SQL Server

July 2026

Download SQL Server product report

Also Known As

No data available

Microsoft SQL Server, MSSQL, MS SQL

Overview

Exasol Data Warehouse is renowned for its exceptional speed and automatic optimization, making it user-friendly. It enhances data processing on platforms such as Tableau, ensuring efficient dashboards for users across countries.

Exasol Data Warehouse offers an impressive performance by outperforming competitors like SQL Server and Oracle. Its automatic optimization and hands-off setup simplify deployment, while robust SQL support and self-tuning capabilities improve workflows. Users benefit from its high processing speed, supporting efficient data queries and broader workflows, alongside an intuitive interface and comprehensive documentation. Despite its performance strengths, it struggles with global recognition, connectivity, and integration. Challenges include custom role creation and security, with limited row-level security support. Users seek more frequent updates and better compatibility with languages such as Python and R. It requires specific drivers, is not cloud-native, and has a high cost. With limited resources available, security features for MPP processing need enhancement.

What are the key features of Exasol?

Impressive Speed: Outperforms counterparts in data processing, enhancing efficiency.
Automatic Optimization: Boosts performance and ease of use.
Robust SQL Support: Facilitates seamless data handling and queries.
Self-Tuning Capabilities: Reduces manual intervention for users.
Intuitive Interface: Enhances user engagement and accessibility.

What benefits should users look for in Exasol?

Enhanced Performance: Streamlines and accelerates BI functions.
Improved Dashboard Efficiency: Increases effectiveness on platforms like Tableau.
Ease of Use: Simplifies set-up with hands-off setup and self-tuning.
Broad Integration: Acts as backend for tools like MicroStrategy.
Central Data Repository: Supports critical data management across regions.

Exasol Data Warehouse is implemented to enhance performance in reporting systems and development processes, serving teams in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil. It acts as a backend for reporting tools such as MicroStrategy while accelerating BI functions. It supports the resolutions of data issues from tools like Tableau, provides ad-hoc analysis, and manages critical data points efficiently.

Exasol

SQL Server is a comprehensive database management system known for ease of use, robust performance, and seamless Microsoft integration, making it a preferred choice for data management and analysis needs.

SQL Server offers high availability with Always On availability groups and dynamic memory configuration. It integrates effortlessly with Microsoft products via tools like SSMS and Visual Studio. Supporting advanced features such as replication, clustering, and in-memory OLTP, it provides a versatile platform for managing and analyzing significant data volumes securely and efficiently. While it shines in integration with .NET applications and business intelligence, there are opportunities to improve its scalability and integration with open-source platforms. Its licensing costs can be a barrier, and enhancements to management tools for non-technical users, along with better setup processes, would increase its appeal.

What are SQL Server's most important features?

User-Friendly GUI: Simplifies interaction with a visually intuitive interface.
High Availability: Always On availability groups ensure data redundancy.
Dynamic Memory Configuration: Efficient resource allocation for optimal performance.
Strong Transaction Management: Reliable processing of concurrent transactions.
Advanced Features: Includes replication, clustering, and in-memory OLTP.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Efficiency: Streamlined processes for faster data management and analysis.
Compatibility: Smooth integration with Microsoft products enhances productivity.
Security: Robust features protect against data breaches.
Adaptability: Supports various enterprise needs, from small to large scale.

SQL Server is implemented across industries for database management, data warehousing, and business intelligence. Companies in finance, ERP, and cloud deployments leverage its capabilities for transactional processing, .NET program integration, and reporting. Enterprises particularly benefit from its scalability and cost-efficiency when integrated with Azure for small and medium-sized operations.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

1&1 Internet SE 11880 Internet Services AG AB Svenska Spel Accarda AG Aera Technology Inc. AGRAVIS Raiffeisen AG Apotheken-Rechen-Zentrum GmbH AQR Capital Management, LLC arvato distribution GmbH ARZ Allgemeines Rechenzentrum GmbH Badoo Limited Baur Versand (GmbH & Co. KG) BIScience Ltd Blocket Blue Yonder GmbH Codilink UK Ltd T/A Coniq crealytics GmbH dailyme TV GmbH Dailymotion S.A. Dataforce Verlagsgesellschaft für Business Information mbH Deutsche Postbank AG Digitales Rezept Zentrum GmbH DIKW Groep direct services Gütersloh GmbH DR Technologies Ltd. dress-for-less GmbH econda GmbH emetriq GmbH empiriecom GmbH & Co. KG Flaconi GmbH Fresenius Netcare GmbH Fyber GmbH GfK SE Grant Street Group, Inc. Gruner + Jahr GmbH Gymshark UK Hahn Air Lines GmbH Hermes Einrichtungs Service GmbH & Co. KG INNOVATIVE SCHEDULING, LLC internetstores GmbH INTERSPORT Deutschland eG IQVIA Commercial GmbH & Co. OHG IQVIA Commercial Sp. z o.o. IQVIA Incorporated iVantage Health Analytics K - Mail Order GmbH & Co. KG LIQ CORP SA Manor AG Basel Match2Lists Limited MEDION AG Midasplayer AB Monsoon Accessorize Limited m-pathy GmbH msales Ltd. MTG Modern Services AB MW Aviation GmbH & Co. KG Myntra Designs Pvt Ltd Netzeffekt GmbH New Company Services Ltd. NOVENTI HealthCare GmbH Olympus Europa SE & Co. KG Operation Fistula OpsDataStore OTTO (GmbH & Co KG) Panda Retail Co. PAPSTAR GmbH Piedmont Healthcare, Inc. Questback GmbH RatePAY GmbH Revolut Ltd. Saarland-Sporttoto GmbH Sagarmatha Ltd. SIA Damara Technologies Supermärkte Nord Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG The National Research Center for College & University Admissions, Inc. United Utilities Water Ltd. Verlag C.H. Beck oHG Vocal Planet Ltd. Vodafone Group Services GmbH Webtrekk GmbH wer liefert was? GmbH Windeln.de SE Wooga GmbH XING SE Zalando SE

Microsoft SQL Server is used by businesses in every industry, including Great Western Bank, Aviva, the Volvo Car Corporation, BMW, Samsung, Principality Building Society, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario.

Buyer's Guide

Exasol Data Warehouse vs. SQL Server

August 2026

Free Report: Exasol Data Warehouse vs. SQL Server

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