MySQL vs PostgreSQL vs Microsoft SQL Server Management Tools Which Option is Best

A relational database is a set of tables (datasets with rows and columns) that contain information relating to other tables in the database.

SQL, or Structured Query Language, is the standard language for interacting with relational databases. With SQL, you can query, or ask questions of, the data in a relational database. Working with SQL and relational databases is an invaluable skill set for a data analyst, data engineer, or a data scientist.

PostgreSQL, MySQL, and SQLite use very similar syntax, with some notable differences highlighted below. Microsoft SQL Server has the greatest contrast in SQL syntax, as well as a wide variety of functions not available in other platforms. The table below highlights some examples of basic differences between SQL platforms.