Redis Enterprise vs. Microsoft SQL Server 2025 – Detailed Comparison

Quick Verdict

Redis Enterprise is a good choice for applications requiring extreme speed and scalability with a focus on in-memory data processing. Microsoft SQL Server 2025 is better suited for organizations needing a comprehensive database solution with strong data consistency, security features, and integration within the Microsoft ecosystem, despite the higher costs and complexity.

Key Specs – Side-by-Side

MetricRedis EnterpriseMicrosoft SQL Server 2025
PriceNot availableMultiple licensing options, including per-core, server + CAL (Client Access License), and subscription-based models for cloud deployments. Costs depend on the edition (Standard, Enterprise, or Developer), the number of cores, and the required features. Azure SQL Database offers a pay-as-you-go model with various service tiers.
FeaturesDesigned for linear scalability, reaching hundreds of millions of operations per second. Up to 99.999% uptime. Active-active geo-distribution for local latency performance and data synchronization across regions. Sub-millisecond latency. Advanced security features, including role-based access control and encryption. Supports various data structures (strings, hashes, lists, sets, etc.). Considered easy to integrate and use.Supports vertical and horizontal scaling with partitioning, sharding, and replication for distributed environments. Offers Always On availability groups and failover clustering for high availability. Strong consistency (ACID). Known for robust performance, especially when handling large datasets and complex queries. Advanced security mechanisms, including encryption, auditing, and row-level security. Integrates with Microsoft Entra ID. Supports a variety of data types, including native support for vector data types and indexing. T-SQL query language. Integration with Microsoft tools like Power BI and Azure. Storage Capacity up to 524,272TB (Enterprise Edition). GDPR and PCI DSS compliance. SOC2, HIPAA, ISO207001, ISO27017, and ISO27018 compliant. Easy to configure and use with Visual Studio and Dot Net.
Ratingoverall: Not available, performance: Not availableoverall: 4.5/5, performance: Not available

Overall Comparison

  • Redis Enterprise: Focuses on speed and scalability with sub-millisecond latency, suitable for high-performance applications.
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2025: Offers a comprehensive database solution with robust performance, advanced security, and seamless Microsoft integration.

Pros and Cons

Redis Enterprise

Pros:
  • High speed
  • Flexibility
  • Scalability
  • Fast memory processing
  • Suitable for e-commerce, gaming, and IoT applications
Cons:
  • High cost compared to similar products
  • Steeper learning curve

Microsoft SQL Server 2025

Pros:
  • Scalability and robust performance suitable for small businesses and large corporates.
  • Integration with Microsoft tools like Power BI and Azure provides a seamless ecosystem for data analytics and cloud solutions.
  • Advanced security mechanisms, including encryption, auditing, and row-level security, help protect sensitive data.
  • Offers high availability options such as Always On, SQL cluster, log shipping etc. which ensures minimal downtime and business continuity.
  • Easy to configure and use with Visual Studio and Dot Net.
  • SQL Server offers every one based on their budget.
Cons:
  • Challenges surrounding product maturity and support.
  • Microsoft SQL Server Enterprise edition has a high cost but is the only edition which supports SQL Always On Availability Groups.
  • Licensing of Microsoft SQL Server is a quite complex matter.
  • Requires a lot of resources to run at its optimal performance level.
  • Data pages is only 8k.
  • Allwayon can loose data in asycronious mode.
  • Replication can loose the data.
  • The maximum number of connections is only 14000 connect.

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