Software · head to head
Microsoft SQL Server vs Ninox
Microsoft SQL Server
Software
Enterprise-grade relational database management system
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Microsoft SQL Server has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Microsoft SQL Server licensing and on-premises deployment costs are high compared to open-source alternatives, with Enterprise Edition exceeding $60,000 for minimum core requirements; Ninox paid plans are priced per user starting around 25 euros per month, and offline desktop and mobile access is limited to the higher Business and Enterprise tiers
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Microsoft SQL Server and Ninox actually diverge.
| Attribute | Microsoft SQL Server | Ninox |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | On request |
| Pricing model | Unknown | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Windows Server, Linux (RHEL, SUSE, Ubuntu), Docker, Azure | Web |
| Founded | 1989 | Unknown |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Microsoft SQL Server
- T-SQL
- ACID Compliance
- Advanced Security
- In-memory OLTP
- Columnstore Indexes
- Always On Availability
- Machine Learning Services
- Azure
Only in Ninox
Nothing recorded that Microsoft SQL Server does not also cover.
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Microsoft SQL Server
- Transaction processingnot Ninox
- Data storagenot Ninox
- Application backendnot Ninox
- Reportingnot Ninox
- Data analyticsnot Ninox
Ninox
No use cases recorded yet. See the Ninox review.
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Microsoft SQL Server
- Licensing and on-premises deployment costs are high compared to open-source alternatives, with Enterprise Edition exceeding $60,000 for minimum core requirements
- Performance monitoring toolset is insufficient for hybrid cloud environments requiring real-time analytics across multiple deployment types
- Heavy I/O resource consumption can saturate disk volumes and degrade performance when processing large transaction workloads
- Always On availability groups with up to 8 secondary replicas are limited to Enterprise edition only; Standard supports only basic availability groups with 2 replicas
- CPU and memory scaling is capped at 4 sockets or 32 cores on Standard edition, limiting deployments requiring higher compute capacity
Ninox
- Paid plans are priced per user starting around 25 euros per month, and offline desktop and mobile access is limited to the higher Business and Enterprise tiers
Pricing, plan by plan
Microsoft SQL Server
Free- ExpressFree
- 4 cores maximum
- 1.4 GB memory per instance
- 50 GB database size limit
- DeveloperFree
- All Enterprise features
- Non-production use only
- Standard$3945/per 2-core pack
- 32 core maximum per instance
- 256 GB buffer pool memory
- Basic availability groups with 2 replicas
- Enterprise$15123/per 2-core pack
- Unlimited scaling
- Always On with up to 8 secondaries
- Advanced security and HA features
Ninox
On requestNo published plan breakdown. See the Ninox review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Microsoft SQL Server if
- You need t-sql.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Windows Server, Linux (RHEL, SUSE, Ubuntu), Docker, Azure.
- You also want acid compliance.
Choose Ninox if
Nothing in the data separates Ninox from Microsoft SQL Server on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Questions people ask
- Is Microsoft SQL Server or Ninox better?
- Neither clearly leads. Microsoft SQL Server starts at Free and Ninox at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Microsoft SQL Server or Ninox?
- Microsoft SQL Server has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Microsoft SQL Server and On request for Ninox.
- Does Microsoft SQL Server or Ninox run on more platforms?
- Microsoft SQL Server runs on Windows Server, Linux (RHEL, SUSE, Ubuntu), Docker, Azure. Ninox runs on Web.
- Can I use Microsoft SQL Server for free?
- Yes. Microsoft SQL Server has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Ninox starts at On request.
- What is Microsoft SQL Server best used for?
- Microsoft SQL Server is most often used for transaction processing, data storage, application backend, reporting. Of those, transaction processing and data storage are not what Ninox is typically brought in for.
- What can Microsoft SQL Server do that Ninox cannot?
- Microsoft SQL Server covers T-SQL, ACID Compliance, Advanced Security, In-memory OLTP.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Microsoft SQL Server: What is the pricing model for SQL Server?
SQL Server uses core-based licensing with per-2-core pack pricing. Enterprise Edition costs approximately $15,123 per 2-core pack (minimum 8 cores). Standard Edition costs approximately $3,945 per 2-core pack. Developer and Express editions are free. Software Assurance adds 25-35% annually for upgrades and support.
SourceMicrosoft SQL Server: Does SQL Server run on Linux?
Yes. SQL Server 2017 and later run on Linux (Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ubuntu), Docker containers, and Windows with feature parity including Always On availability groups, Active Directory authentication, and encryption.
SourceMicrosoft SQL Server: Is there a free edition of SQL Server?
Yes. SQL Server Express is free and includes all functionality of Enterprise edition for development and testing, with limits of 4 cores, 1,410 MB memory per instance, and 50 GB per database. Developer edition is also free for non-production use.
SourceMicrosoft SQL Server: Can SQL Server be deployed offline?
Yes. SQL Server can be installed from offline media on machines without internet access. Microsoft provides complete offline installation packages for SQL Server, SSMS, and supporting components, making deployment in isolated or air-gapped environments feasible.
SourceMicrosoft SQL Server: What high availability options does SQL Server provide?
SQL Server offers Always On availability groups (Enterprise only), Always On failover cluster instances, database mirroring, log shipping, and for disaster recovery, failover servers in Azure and Accelerated Database Recovery for faster recovery after failures.
Source