Updated March 4, 2023
Difference Between Oracle and MSSQL
Oracle database is developed by Oracle Corporations and is used as a system to collect data treated as a unit. It is used to store and retrieve data, and a database server is used to manage overall functionality. But this step is common to all database systems, be it MS SQL or anything else. It is used for online transaction processing, data warehousing, and also mixed database workloads. All most all software systems, websites, corporates, etc., use one form or other database systems to handle their data. MSSQL server is a database management system developed by Microsoft. Like all major database systems, it supports ANSI SQL and standard SQL language. It was developed after Oracle to compete with Oracle systems. Both MSSQL vs Oracle is propriety. Oracle vs MSSQL is two major database systems developed by Oracle and Microsoft, respectively. Oracle and SQL both are RDBMS systems.
Head To Head Comparison Between Oracle and MSSQL (Infographics)
Below is the top 22 difference between Oracle vs MSSQL
Key Differences Between Oracle and MSSQL
Both Oracle vs MSSQL are popular choices in the market; let us discuss some of the major Difference:
The above table lists the key difference between each system. There is no such distinction between the two systems on a high level, meaning there is nothing that one can do and another cannot do. However, there are obvious differences in their underlying architecture and their syntax. If half of the big corporations use Oracle systems, then the other half uses MSSQL as well. For use cases where an application is built on .NET, using MSSQL is obviously better as it has native integration. From a learning point of view, one should first go for MSSQL as it is easy to learn and implements and pretty much can do everything for which an RDBMS system is used. After working with SQL for 2-3 years, one can learn and use Oracle as it is a little difficult, particularly Pl/SQL. But the other way around is also possible. A lot of people who start with Oracle also find it difficult to use SQL because of syntax barriers. But migrating from one domain to another should not be a challenge for someone who is working with it for a considerable amount of time.
Oracle vs MSSQL Comparison Table
The primary Comparison between Oracle vs MSSQL are discussed below:
| Oracle | MSSQL |
| It uses SQL | It uses T-SQL |
| It uses Pl/SQL | It does not Pl/SQL |
| PL/SQL in Oracle can group procedures into packages. | MSSQL cannot do so. |
| PL/SQL is more complex and powerful. | T-SQL is easy to use and simple. |
| Each statement is treated as a transaction. | A group of statements can be treated as a transaction as well. |
| Nothing is committed to memory unless explicitly mentioned. | Commit command is mentioned at the end of the statement to commit data to memory. |
| It is less prone to error and data corruption. | It has a relatively high chance of error or data corruption. |
| Each has slightly different commands and syntax. | Begin statement; rollback etc., are different in Oracle. |
| Access is provided on a schema level. | Access is provided on the database level. |
| All databases are shared among all schemas and users, but access is controlled. | There is no concept of schema. Users are given access based on the database. |
| It is a little slow to run. | It has a better optimizer which makes code faster. |
| It has a better, more documented concurrency model. | A similar feature in MSSQL is not that good. |
| It has better and more comprehensive documentation. | It has relatively abstract documentation. |
| .NET integration is not as easy as SQL. | It has better integration with. NET. |
| It uses sequences | It uses auto-increment columns. |
| Writing a Top N query, for example, is relatively complex in Oracle. | It is comparatively easy in SQL. |
| It uses MVCC. | It also uses something similar -transaction isolation level. |
| Security features are great. | Security features are modest. |
| For really large applications, Oracle is more suitable. | SQL is easier to work with unless a really large application is required. |
| Oracle is intimidating. | Most people prefer to work with SQL. |
| Toad is required as an editor. | No additional toolkit is needed. |
| Data corruption chances are low. | Data corruption chances are high. |
Conclusion
Database developers, administrators, data warehousing professionals, ETL engineers, there are many areas of work that is related to managing and working with database systems; each of these jobs is very powerful in nature, and there is always a demand of such professionals who have a good command on such technologies. Oracle and SQL being the two most used database systems globally is a great skill to have. It is so important that right from the B.Tech course curriculum for computer science graduates to even no engineers database is taught o so many different types of professionals.
Acquiring such skills can land somebody with the job of developers, administrators, of system engineers. Nowadays, the application of SQL skills is also needed for Hadoop based roles and also for Machine learning and artificial intelligence. NoSQL systems like MongoDB etc., are also becoming more and more useful, which is easier to understand for someone who knows Oracle or SQL.
This article on Oracle vs MSSQL comparison will help students select the preferred technology to learn, will enhance their understanding, skill sets and marketing potential for job opportunities. One can pick any of MSSQL vs Oracle to begin with. Official online documentation from Oracle as well as MSSQL can be referred for more in-depth functionality, syntax, and architecture.
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This has been a guide to the top differences between Oracle vs MSSQL. Here we also discuss the key differences with infographics and comparison table. You may also have a look at the following Oracle vs MSSQL articles to learn more –
