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Head-to-head · Relational Databases

Microsoft SQL Server vs Amazon RDS

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Microsoft SQL Server #4 in Relational Databases 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit site
Amazon RDS #8 in Relational Databases 8.7/10 Paid ✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Amazon RDS

Microsoft SQL Server leads on 1 check, Amazon RDS on 1, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreMicrosoft SQL Server · 9.1/10
  • Free planonly Microsoft SQL Server
  • Most featuresAmazon RDS · 4 of 4

Microsoft SQL Server scores higher on our rubric for relational databases: 9.1 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

Microsoft SQL Server offers free plan; Amazon RDS doesn't. Amazon RDS offers managed service; Microsoft SQL Server doesn't.

Microsoft SQL Server is the better fit for microsoft-centered enterprise workloads. Amazon RDS is the better fit for managed multi-engine AWS databases.

  • Microsoft SQL Server fits best

    Microsoft-centered enterprise workloads

  • Amazon RDS fits best

    Managed multi-engine AWS databases

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Side by side

Feature Microsoft SQL Server 9.1/10 Visit ↗ Amazon RDS 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.1 8.7
Ranking #4 in Relational Databases #8 in Relational Databases
Best for Microsoft-centered enterprise workloads Managed multi-engine AWS databases
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price — Not checked yet
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Windows, Linux Web
Support Docs Phone, Live chat, Email, Community, Docs · 24/7
Integrations 7 integrations 8 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft SQL Server 3/4 · Amazon RDS 4/4
Managed service — ✓ (best)
High availability ✓ ✓
Read replicas ✓ ✓
JSON data support ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment model Both Both
Backup retention Not checked yet Not checked yet
Maximum connections 32767 connections Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Supports Windows, Linux, self-hosted, cloud, and hybrid deployments
  • Combines JSON, replication, full-text search, and failover capabilities
  • Includes Azure integrations, management tools, and Linux containers
  • Supports eight database engines in a managed AWS service
  • Includes Multi-AZ failover, read replicas, backups, and point-in-time restore
  • Connects with IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, RDS Proxy, and Outposts
Cons
  • The paid model requires a licensing choice across multiple plans
  • Licensing costs can vary by channel and reseller
  • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of narrow database projects
  • No free plan is available
  • Usage-based pricing varies by region, engine, instance, storage, and configuration
  • AWS-focused deployment may not suit teams seeking a standalone database platform
Our verdict

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system for organizations building and operating data-driven applications. Its Database Engine stores, processes, and secures data, while support for JSON data, JSON indexing,…

Read the review →

Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service for deploying, operating, and scaling databases in the AWS environment. It automates infrastructure provisioning, patching, backups, and failure recovery while leaving users to configure…

Read the review →
  1. Microsoft SQL ServerRelational Databases 9.1Free plan
  2. Amazon RDSRelational Databases 8.7Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Microsoft SQL Server — where it wins

    • Supports Windows, Linux, self-hosted, cloud, and hybrid deployments
    • Combines JSON, replication, full-text search, and failover capabilities
    • Includes Azure integrations, management tools, and Linux containers

    Where it doesn't

    • The paid model requires a licensing choice across multiple plans
    • Licensing costs can vary by channel and reseller
    • Its broad feature set may exceed the needs of narrow database projects

  • Amazon RDS — where it wins

    • Supports eight database engines in a managed AWS service
    • Includes Multi-AZ failover, read replicas, backups, and point-in-time restore
    • Connects with IAM, VPC, CloudWatch, RDS Proxy, and Outposts

    Where it doesn't

    • No free plan is available
    • Usage-based pricing varies by region, engine, instance, storage, and configuration
    • AWS-focused deployment may not suit teams seeking a standalone database platform

More comparisons

All relational databases comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update