Reasons to Use a SQL Database

Many businesses use both relational databases and non-relational databases. While NoSQL databases are gaining popularity due to their speed and scalability, you might prefer highly structured SQL databases in certain cases.

Prerequisite

For an introduction to relational databases and NoSQL databases, see Types of databases.

Understand when to choose a SQL database

You might choose an SQL database for the following reasons:

• You want to ensure ACID compliance. ACID stands for atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability. ACID compliance reduces anomalies and protects the integrity of your database by prescribing exactly how transactions interact with the database.

• Your data is structured and unchanging. If your business isn’t experiencing significant growth that would require additional servers and you’re working only with consistent data, then an SQL database might be adequate.

Next step

Reasons to use a NoSQL database

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