Is Azure SQL or Census better?

Neither clearly leads. Azure SQL starts at Free and Census at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, Azure SQL or Census?

Azure SQL starts at Free and Census at Free.

Does Azure SQL or Census run on more platforms?

Azure SQL runs on Cloud (Microsoft Azure). Census runs on Web, Api.

Can I use Azure SQL for free?

Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

What is Azure SQL best used for?

Azure SQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Census is typically brought in for.

What can Azure SQL do that Census cannot?

Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Advanced Security, Hyperscale, Serverless Compute. Census covers Reverse ETL, Data syncing, Transformation, Real-time activation. Both handle Web support.

Database & Data Management · head to head

Azure SQL vs Census

Azure SQL

Database & Data Management

Intelligent, scalable cloud database service from Microsoft

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Census

Automation & Integration

The reverse ETL infrastructure for data activation

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Each has a real cost: Azure SQL ecosystem lock-in limits flexibility compared to open-source or multi-cloud solutions; Census census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans
They diverge on capability: Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Census covers Reverse ETL.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Azure SQL and Census actually diverge.

Attributes where Azure SQL and Census differ
Attribute	Azure SQL	Census
Pricing model	Unknown	usage-based
Platforms	Cloud (Microsoft Azure)	Web, Api
Category	Database & Data Management	Automation & Integration
Founded	1975	2020

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Azure SQL

Intelligent Performance
Advanced Security
Hyperscale
Serverless Compute
Geo-replication
Automatic Tuning
Built-in AI
Power BI

Only in Census

Reverse ETL
Data syncing
Transformation
Real-time activation
Error handling
Monitoring
Analytics
150+ destinations

Both cover

Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Azure SQL

Transaction processingnot Census
Data storagenot Census
Application backendnot Census
Reportingnot Census
Data analyticsnot Census

Census

Syncing customer data from a warehouse into marketing and sales tools (reverse ETL)not Azure SQL

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Azure SQL

Ecosystem lock-in limits flexibility compared to open-source or multi-cloud solutions
Managed service reduces control over database configuration and optimization tuning
Pricing complexity with consumption-based model can be unpredictable at scale
Less operational depth compared to Amazon RDS for advanced scaling scenarios
Azure PostgreSQL is less compelling than dedicated PostgreSQL providers outside Azure ecosystem

Census

Census was folded into Fivetran Activations, per the vendor: "Previously, this was called a sync in Census", and its own pricing page redirects to Fivetran pricing rather than showing Census plans
Free Fivetran Activations tier caps at 3,500 monthly active rows

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure SQL

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Azure SQL review.

Census

Free

FreeFree
- Basic syncing
- Limited destinations
Pro$250/month
- Advanced syncing
- Email support
Enterprise$1500/month
- Unlimited syncing
- Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure SQL if

You need intelligent performance.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Cloud (Microsoft Azure).
You also want advanced security.

Azure SQL review

Choose Census if

You need reverse etl.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Web, Api.
You also want data syncing.

Census review

Questions people ask

Is Azure SQL or Census better?: Neither clearly leads. Azure SQL starts at Free and Census at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Azure SQL or Census?: Azure SQL starts at Free and Census at Free.
Does Azure SQL or Census run on more platforms?: Azure SQL runs on Cloud (Microsoft Azure). Census runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Azure SQL for free?: Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Azure SQL best used for?: Azure SQL is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Census is typically brought in for.
What can Azure SQL do that Census cannot?: Azure SQL covers Intelligent Performance, Advanced Security, Hyperscale, Serverless Compute. Census covers Reverse ETL, Data syncing, Transformation, Real-time activation. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Azure SQL: Does Azure SQL Database offer a free tier?

Yes, Azure SQL Database includes a permanent free tier that provides 100,000 vCore seconds, 32 GB of data storage, and 32 GB of backup storage per month. This free tier is available for the lifetime of any Azure subscription with no expiration.

Source

Azure SQL: What pricing models does Azure SQL Database support?

Azure SQL Database offers consumption-based pricing where you pay for resources used, with no long-term commitments required. Database Savings Plans launched in March 2026 allow committing to a fixed hourly amount and save up to 35% across Azure database services.

Source

Azure SQL: Is Azure SQL Database compatible with on-premises SQL Server?

Yes, Azure SQL Database shares the same Database Engine as on-premises SQL Server. Existing databases maintain their compatibility level and continue to work after upgrades. Azure SQL Managed Instance provides even broader SQL Server compatibility dating back to SQL Server 2008.

Source

Azure SQL: What high availability features does Azure SQL Database provide?

Azure SQL Database provides automatic backups, geo-replication for disaster recovery, failover groups for automatic failover, and zone redundancy for enhanced availability. The service maintains a 99.99% availability SLA for Business Critical tier.

Source

Azure SQL: Can I use AI features with Azure SQL Database?

Yes, Azure SQL Database includes Copilot for database tasks, Intelligent Applications support, REST API endpoints for building applications, and GraphQL endpoints for modern app development.

Source

Azure SQL vs Census

Azure SQL

Census

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Azure SQL

Only in Census

Both cover

What people use each for

Azure SQL

Census

Where each one falls short

Azure SQL

Census

Pricing, plan by plan

Azure SQL

Census

Which should you pick?

Choose Azure SQL if

Choose Census if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Azure SQL

More on Census

Keep looking

Other head to heads