Free plan
Free plan available
Compared with Microsoft SQL Server
- Open source
Databases & data platforms · Alternatives
Best Microsoft SQL Server alternatives in India (2026)
Microsoft SQL Server is a databases & data platforms product from Microsoft, Redmond, priced at Free plan with a free plan. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 20 have a free plan, 1 are built in India.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server are MySQL (Free plan), MongoDB (Free plan), MariaDB (Free plan), Redis (Free plan) and Elasticsearch (Free plan). MySQL is the top-ranked option with a free plan.
Why businesses look for a Microsoft SQL Server alternative
Indian support and GST
Microsoft SQL Server is built in United States. 1 alternatives are made in India, where GST, TDS and UPI are usually handled natively and support runs on IST.
Reported limitation
Enterprise licensing is expensive
Reported limitation
Express limited to 10 GB databases
Reported limitation
Developer cannot be used in production
Microsoft SQL Server alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Microsoft SQL Server's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Microsoft SQL Server (current) | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | — |
| 1 | MySQL | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Microsoft SQL Server |
| 2 |  MongoDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Microsoft SQL Server |
| 3 |  MariaDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | vs Microsoft SQL Server |
| 4 |  Redis | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 5 |  Elasticsearch | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.6/5 | |
| 6 |  ScyllaDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 7 |  CockroachDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 8 |  TiDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 9 |  YugabyteDB | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 10 |  Supabase Database | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 11 |  Neon | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 12 |  Hevo Data | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 13 |  Turso | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 14 |  Google Firestore | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 15 |  Redis Cloud | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.5/5 | |
| 16 |  MongoDB Atlas | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 17 |  Upstash | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 18 |  ClickHouse | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 19 |  Fivetran | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 | |
| 20 |  MotherDuck | Free plan | Yes | Web | No | 4.4/5 |
Top 10 Microsoft SQL Server alternatives in detail
2. MongoDB
MongoDB · New York · Databases & data platforms · 4.6/5
Document database with Atlas cloud.
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
5. Elasticsearch
Elastic · Amsterdam · Databases & data platforms · 4.6/5
Search and analytics engine.
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
9. YugabyteDB
Yugabyte · Sunnyvale · Databases & data platforms · 4.5/5
Distributed SQL with Indian founders.
Free plan
Free plan available
Free plan
Free plan available
Microsoft SQL Server alternatives by what you need
Free Microsoft SQL Server alternatives
Indian alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server
How to choose a Microsoft SQL Server alternative
- Use managed services unless you have DBAs.
- Choose a warehouse only when analytics queries slow your production DB.
- Check Indian region availability for residency.
Microsoft SQL Server alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Microsoft SQL Server in 2026?+
The closest matches to Microsoft SQL Server on App Advisor are MySQL (Free plan), MongoDB (Free plan), MariaDB (Free plan). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Microsoft SQL Server, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Microsoft SQL Server?+
Yes. 20 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: MySQL (Free plan), MongoDB (Free plan), MariaDB (Free plan). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
Is there an Indian alternative to Microsoft SQL Server?+
Yes. 1 alternatives are built in India, including Hevo Data (Free plan). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Microsoft SQL Server vs MySQL: which is better?+
MySQL is the closest match to Microsoft SQL Server in our catalogue. Key differences: Open source. Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Microsoft SQL Server alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in databases & data platforms or a category Microsoft SQL Server also covers, and Microsoft's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
Not sure which Microsoft SQL Server alternative fits?
Tell us your team size and budget and we'll send a shortlist of three.
Related alternatives
MySQL alternativesMongoDB alternativesMariaDB alternativesRedis alternativesElasticsearch alternativesScyllaDB alternativesCockroachDB alternativesTiDB alternativesYugabyteDB alternativesSupabase Database alternativesNeon alternativesHevo Data alternativesAll databases & data platforms alternativesBrowse all alternatives