alt Hacker NewsSQLite and MSSQL are my two solutions for relational storage problems.
If I am going to use a "free" provider, SQLite is impossible to beat. They cover a majority of use cases today. SQLite starts to fall apart with backup, replication and tooling. If I am on the hook for things like system availability and disaster recovery, I don't have a problem spending money to cover my ass.
If I am going to pay any amount of money at all, I am going all the way. The developer experience around MSSQL is untouchable. SSMS and VS with sql projects runs circles around contemporary entity framework crap. Sprinkle in 3rd party tools from vendors like RedGate and you can replace multi-million dollar consulting packages.
I wouldn't ever advocate for standing up a new Oracle or DB2 machine, but if one was already in place I'd probably die on the hill of not trying to refactor it away. These databases typically come with multi-volume ghost stories attached. Reinventing all those weird effects on a new engine will typically kill the business if there are no other options available.
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>I am going all the way. The developer experience around MSSQL is untouchable. SSMS and VS with sql projects runs circles around contemporary entity framework crap. Sprinkle in 3rd party tools from vendors like RedGate and you can replace multi-million dollar consulting packages.
Try Postgresql. I was previously SQL Server and the move has been great.
SSMS doesn't offer much over alternatives, both PGAdmin and others. VS is dying, VSCode is the future.
Redgate doesn't offer anything that is essential or not available elsewhere for postgresql
The money you spend on Microsoft licenses could be put towards more ram on the server.
The MSSQL developer experience is ok, until you want to pipe the backup over ssh. Then you understand that the Linux support is a joke, with no stdout(https://linux.die.net/man/3/stdout) support.
Litestream solves the backup issue. I use it and it’s great.
>> The developer experience around MSSQL is untouchable.
This may be the case for MS-centric, application & human developers, but I'm not convinced moving forward. Microsoft's BI story is pretty thin and out of date. Postgres has some solid columnar support/functions (which probably why Snowflake is writing about it) which means you can potentially use it for both you transactional and analytical workflows. As more development shifts to agentic workflows I'd bet Postgres shines when the overall ecosystem is more important than the human tools that were essential for the past 20 years. I loved Redgate's value-add but I don't think agents care about the UI which was the big win. SQL Server will continue to live in the enterprise andf where MS can sell lucrative support contracts or build for their clients, but I'm not seeing any net-new projects where the builders have any choice to not use SQL Server.