PostgreSQL vs Microsoft SQL Server: Rating, Votes and Features
| PostgreSQL | Microsoft SQL Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | database engine | database engine |
| Developer | PostgreSQL Global Development Group | Microsoft |
| Created by | Michael Stonebraker | — |
| First release | 1996 | 1989 |
| License | PostgreSQL License | Proprietary |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Free | Free with paid plans |
| Website | https://www.postgresql.org | https://www.microsoft.com/sql-server |
| Written in | C | C, C++ |
| Data model | Relational, Document | Relational, Graph |
| Storage layout | Row-oriented | Hybrid row and column |
| Workload | Transactions (OLTP) | Both (HTAP) |
| Analytics architecture | Not an analytics platform | Not an analytics platform |
| Query language | SQL | T-SQL |
| ACID transactions | Yes | Yes |
| Schema | Strict | Strict |
| Deployment | Server, Managed cloud | Server, Managed cloud |
| Scaling | Replication | Replication |
| Create, read, update, delete | Create: fast (Fast single and bulk inserts, COPY for loads); Read: fast (Rich indexes and a mature planner); Update: moderate (MVCC writes a new row version, vacuum cleans up); Delete: moderate (Rows are marked dead until vacuum reclaims them) | Create: fast (Fast inserts, bulk copy for loads); Read: fast (Mature optimizer, row and column indexes); Update: fast (In-place updates); Delete: fast (Fast deletes, ghost cleanup in the background) |