Database types

[Windac]

I've heard of two types of Databases: MySQL and MSSQL.

I'm wondering what is the difference and why are MSSQL more expensive/offered less. Is there a major difference in quality?

Also, MSSQL have a 2005 and 2008 version? Which is better or more stable?

[bluetrance05]

MSSQL was developed by Microsoft. It is expensive because it can manage a lot of bugs one at a time, works well on Windows servers, supports T-SQL language, XML and VBA extensions and ANSI SQL and is fast. I prefer MySQL over MSSQL because it is free of charge, more powerful than MSSQL, supports ANSI SQL, easy to use, can run on any servers (Windows, Linux and others) unlike MSSQL and is combined with Perl and PhP. I honestly haven't tried any MSSQL version above so I've no idea which of them is better or more stable.

[carl owen]

Inspite of being a product of Microsoft, MSSQL 2005 Express version is free of charge. It is also a good MSSQL version. However, it also depends on your requirements. MySQL is Free of Charge and it is mostly preferred by all. MySQL can run on Windows as well as Linux but this is not the case with MSSQL as it works on Windows only.

[Shane Phillips]

MS SQL 2008 Express Edition is much more preferable than MS SQL 2005 Express Advanced Edition. Some of the features of MS SQL 2008 includes :

- Management of data, place and time
- Structured or Unstructured documents
- Query, search, synchronize, report and analyze
- Security is enhanced in SQL Server 2008
- Cost effective and less time consuming

[Windac]

So I should use MSSQL if its allowed because it is faster and more efficient in general and use MySQL if MSSQL isn't affordable or if it isnt supported?

Aren't most open source programs using MySQL? Why is that?

[carl owen]

Originally Posted by Windac

So I should use MSSQL if its allowed because it is faster and more efficient in general and use MySQL if MSSQL isn't affordable or if it isnt supported?

Nope. Using MSSQL or MySQL basically depends on your requirements. If you are using some Microsoft based technologies like ASP or ASP.net to develop your website then you can use MSSQL as it is also a product of Microsoft and can be considered more compatible with it

If you are using Linux hosting platform for your web hosting package or server then you can choose MySQL as MSSQL is not supported on Linux

Originally Posted by Windac

Aren't most open source programs using MySQL? Why is that?

Yes, most of the open source applications and programs use MySQL as MySQL is open source i.e. does not require licensing fee and there are less limitations on MySQL in comparison to MSSQL

[Andreas]

Originally Posted by Windac

So I should use MSSQL if its allowed because it is faster and more efficient in general and use MySQL if MSSQL isn't affordable or if it isnt supported?

Its not that MSSQL is faster than MySQL,on the contrary,MSSQL requires more resources than MySQL which rather makes it slower.

As far as selecting one between the two is concerned,it basically depends on the requirements.As stated by carl,you need to choose MSSQL if you are using any of the Microsoft products to support your website.

[Gelato]

What about if I'm not using Microsoft products or using Linux? I work mostly on a Mac. Which is the better choice for me in that situation?

[carl owen]

Originally Posted by Gelato

What about if I'm not using Microsoft products or using Linux? I work mostly on a Mac. Which is the better choice for me in that situation?

Well, if you are not using any of the Microsoft products then you should choose MySQL. MySQL is free of charge and does not require licensing fee and the best part is, it does not have many limitations. Also, it supports almost all the applications and programming languages

[MattBarthorp]

Originally Posted by Gelato

What about if I'm not using Microsoft products or using Linux? I work mostly on a Mac. Which is the better choice for me in that situation?

As suggested by Carl,MySQL does not require licensing fees hence choosing it for your Mac would be a good choice.

As a matter of fact,it would be a generalized statement that MySQL supports almost all the applications and programming languages.It is categorized the following manner:
MySQL runs on many different combinations of operating systems and hardware platforms. MySQL divides these into one of three tiers:

• Fully Supported (FS)

• Conditionally Supported (CS)

• Limited Support (LS)

Please find the link of all the supported platforms MySQL :: Supported Platforms: MySQL Enterprise

[DavidJ]

Therefore, I guess it is safe to say that even if I have made my website using Microsoft softwares, it is still better to use MySQL because it can support almost all programs. Wherein if I choose MSSQL, I would be limited to Microsoft products. I never thought of this, I might reprogram my website.