> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://syteca.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MS SQL vs PostgreSQL for Syteca

> Compare MS SQL Server and PostgreSQL for Syteca Application Server. Covers licensing, scalability, performance, and security to help you choose the right database.

<Warning>
  This article applies to on-premises deployments only. Database selection is not available in SaaS.
</Warning>

When installing Syteca Application Server on-premises, you choose between two supported database engines: **MS SQL Server** and **PostgreSQL**. Both deliver high performance and strong security, but differ in licensing cost, platform support, and maintenance overhead. Use the comparison below to pick the engine that best fits your infrastructure.

## Feature comparison

| Feature                      | MS SQL Server                                                                                                                                                              | PostgreSQL                                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **General**                  |                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                              |
| License model                | Commercial (Microsoft)                                                                                                                                                     | Open-source                                                                                                  |
| Free of charge               | No (limited Express edition available — see note below)                                                                                                                    | Yes                                                                                                          |
| Requires additional software | Yes                                                                                                                                                                        | Yes                                                                                                          |
| **Scalability**              |                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                              |
| Remote database server       | Supported — deployable on a separate host                                                                                                                                  | Supported — deployable on a separate host                                                                    |
| Clustering                   | Supported                                                                                                                                                                  | Supported (Primary-Standby)                                                                                  |
| Network drive support        | Supported                                                                                                                                                                  | Supported when mounted as a drive                                                                            |
| **Performance**              |                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                              |
| Processing speed             | High                                                                                                                                                                       | High                                                                                                         |
| Efficient caching            | Yes                                                                                                                                                                        | Yes                                                                                                          |
| Index statistics updates     | Automatic                                                                                                                                                                  | Manual                                                                                                       |
| Memory and process model     | Separate process; resource quotas can be applied                                                                                                                           | Separate process; resource quotas can be applied                                                             |
| Additional capabilities      | Engine-level maintenance tasks; complex query plan optimization                                                                                                            | Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, Solaris); broad third-party replication and clustering ecosystem |
| **Safety and Security**      |                                                                                                                                                                            |                                                                                                              |
| Security level               | High — keystroke encryption supported                                                                                                                                      | High — keystroke encryption supported                                                                        |
| Data safety                  | Low corruption risk; native Microsoft tooling; scheduled reindexing and shrinking                                                                                          | Low corruption risk; replication supported                                                                   |
| Backup                       | Flexible — see [MS SQL Server backup docs](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/backup-restore/full-database-backups-sql-server?view=sql-server-2017) | Flexible — see [PostgreSQL backup docs](https://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.1/static/backup.html)              |

<Note>
  MS SQL Express is a free but limited edition of MS SQL Server. Using it is **not recommended** — it does not guarantee stable Application Server operation under production load.
</Note>

## Which database should you choose?

Choose **MS SQL Server** if your organization already has a Microsoft SQL Server license, or if you need automatic index maintenance and engine-level scheduling without manual intervention.

Choose **PostgreSQL** if you want a free, open-source database engine, need cross-platform flexibility, or plan to run Syteca alongside Linux infrastructure. PostgreSQL also has a larger ecosystem of third-party replication and clustering tools if you need those options later.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Configure PostgreSQL" icon="database" href="/docs/administration/database/creating-databases-manually#postgresql">
    Full configuration walkthrough for PostgreSQL with Syteca Application Server.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set Up a Remote PostgreSQL Server" icon="network" href="/docs/administration/database/postgresql-remote">
    Open the required ports and configure remote access between the Application Server and a PostgreSQL host.
  </Card>

  <Card title="PostgreSQL Without Superuser" icon="shield" href="/docs/administration/database/creating-databases-manually#grant-extra-privileges-syteca-7-23-and-later-only">
    Run PostgreSQL with a non-superuser role for tighter access control.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Standard vs High Availability Mode" icon="layers" href="/docs/administration/deployment/high-availability">
    Decide between a single Application Server and a Microsoft failover cluster before you deploy.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>