Microsoft SQL Server vs Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL

Microsoft SQL Server7.2Visit Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL6.4Visit

Higher score Microsoft SQL Server #4 in Database Software 7.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Microsoft

vs

Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL #8 in Database Software 6.4/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free plan✓ 1 of 3 features Visit Microsoft

• Microsoft SQL Server fits best

  Organizations invested in Microsoft data tools

• Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL fits best

  Apps needing globally distributed JSON storage

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Side by side

Feature	Microsoft SQL Server 7.2/10 Visit ↗	Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL 6.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	7.2	6.4
Ranking	#4 in Database Software	#8 in Database Software
Best for	Organizations invested in Microsoft data tools	Apps needing globally distributed JSON storage
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Self-hosted	Cloud
Platforms	Windows, Linux	Web
Support	Docs	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft SQL Server 0/3 · Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL 1/3
SQL support	Not published	Not published
Vector search	Not published	✓ (best)
Replication support	Not published	Not published
Specs
Database model	Not published	Not published
Deployment options	Not published	Not published
Included storage	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Availability groups, failover clusters, and readable secondary replicas Backup, restore, compression, and encrypted backup features Works with Azure services, Power BI Report Server, and Visual Studio tools	Schema-free JSON storage with SQL-like queries and automatic indexing Supports transactions within a logical partition and vector search Offers provisioned, autoscale, and serverless throughput models
Cons	Express is limited to databases up to 50 GB Developer edition is licensed only for non-production development and test use Paid editions involve volume licensing or subscriptions	Cloud-only deployment may not suit teams requiring on-premises hosting Transactions are limited to a logical partition Throughput and storage pricing varies by region and usage
Our verdict	Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system for developers and organizations that need to store, process, and secure relational data. It supports Windows and Linux, with cloud and self-hosted deployment options, and… Read the review →	Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL is a fully managed cloud document database for developers building applications around flexible JSON data and global distribution. It pairs SQL-like querying with automatic indexing, transactions within a logical… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Microsoft SQL Server — where it wins

  • Availability groups, failover clusters, and readable secondary replicas
  • Backup, restore, compression, and encrypted backup features
  • Works with Azure services, Power BI Report Server, and Visual Studio tools

  Where it doesn't

  • Express is limited to databases up to 50 GB
  • Developer edition is licensed only for non-production development and test use
  • Paid editions involve volume licensing or subscriptions

• Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL — where it wins

  • Schema-free JSON storage with SQL-like queries and automatic indexing
  • Supports transactions within a logical partition and vector search
  • Offers provisioned, autoscale, and serverless throughput models

  Where it doesn't

  • Cloud-only deployment may not suit teams requiring on-premises hosting
  • Transactions are limited to a logical partition
  • Throughput and storage pricing varies by region and usage

• Microsoft SQL Server7.2/10 · Free plan

  A general-purpose relational database with free editions and broad Microsoft tooling support.

  Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →
• Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL6.4/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A cloud-only JSON database with flexible throughput and multi-region replication.

  Visit MicrosoftFull verdict →