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UdhayarajanJ's avatar
UdhayarajanJ
Copper Contributor
Aug 05, 2025

When should I use SQL Server, MySQL, or PostgreSQL?

I'm working on a web application (using C#/.NET backend), and I need to choose a relational database. I'm considering three options:

  • Microsoft SQL Server
  • MySQL
  • PostgreSQL

I want to understand:

  1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each?
  2. Which database is better suited for:
    1. Transactional performance
    2. Advanced querying / analytics
    3. Ease of use with .NET
    4. Cross-platform support
  3. Are there any licensing or hosting concerns I should consider?

My use case involves:

  • Moderate traffic
  • Complex queries with joins
  • APIs and background jobs
  • Deployment to cloud (Azure)

I’d appreciate any recommendations or real-world experience comparing these databases.

ASP.NET Core
Web API

2 Replies

  • apkworld1232's avatar
    apkworld1232
    Copper Contributor
    Sep 05, 2025

    Azure SQL database would be a good fit for your use case. It can handle complex queries and joins with ease and highly scalable on azure(depends on your pricing tiers) . You can also use elastic pools for cost optimization.

  • pvsasidhar's avatar
    pvsasidhar
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 12, 2025

    Azure SQL database would be a good fit for your use case. It can handle complex queries and joins with ease and highly scalable on azure(depends on your pricing tiers) . You can also use elastic pools for cost optimization.

    postgres sql would be a close second as it is only being supported  by azure recently and it may be slightly cheaper option to go with

    both are fully supported by entityframework core and you may keep you business logic in linq to have db  options flexible as you have only moderate traffic. However , if you need to hadle complex db logic, both db's are ideal as they both offer robust server side programming tools. Hope this helps

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