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If you’re looking for comprehensive Microsoft (MS) structured query language (SQL) hosting packages, you’ll need technical support that provides Windows server and expertise.
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Best MsSQL Hosting: Our Shortlist
Your web server should have access to a database system that uses the SQL language to store and retrieve data from a database. Web hosting providers should secure your database and prevent the leak of your valuable information. Below, we discuss MsSQL hosting in-depth. Here are our picks for the top MsSQL hosts:
Our Top Picks
Best Overall MsSQL Hosting
Best MsSQL Host With Scalable Options
Best Fully Managed MsSQL Hosting
Best MsSQL Introductory Rate
Best MsSQL Hosting Money Back Guarantee
Digital.com dives deep into every topic it covers to offer trusted and reliable recommendations for the best business tools. See how we review MsSQL hosting providers.
The Top MsSQL Hosting Companies of 2023
Features
- Inexpensive and trustworthy
- 24/7 phone, email, chat support
- Windows hosting includes Plesk control panel, IIS, and ASP.NET
#1 Top Pick for 2023
Why it’s best: Inexpensive but reliable, 24/7 support
Price
$2.64 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose HostGator
- Inexpensive and reliable hosting
- 24/7 customer support
- Unlimited subdomains and email accounts
Reasons to avoid
- Severs still run on SQL Server 2008 R2
HostGator wins this category because it lies on the inexpensive but reliable end. It offers incredible reliability, great customer support, and excellent features all at a great monthly rate. It’s hard to go wrong with HostGator.
Its Windows website hosting plans include the Plesk control panel, IIS, and ASP.NET. Plus, you get unlimited subdomains and email accounts. Support is available by phone, email, or chat 24 hours a day.
HostGator is a good fit for beginners seeking a web host with various features. The customer service and prices are favorable but avoid paying for unnecessary extras. Note there are limitations to the SEO capabilities.
Features
- Free website builder
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free Cloudflare integration
Price
$2.95 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose Bluehost
- Lots of hosting options
- Simple upgrades
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Reasons to avoid
- Long wait times for tech support
- Fee for migrating from another host
Bluehost is a great option for those who just want to dip their toes into the water of web hosting but keep their options open for a full dive later. There are ton of hosting options available at a wide range of prices which is perfect for those looking for a provider who can scale alongside them.
All Bluehost shared hosting plans offer a free domain for the first year, at least one year of free SSL, CDN (Content Delivery Network, speeds up your website), and 24/7 support.
Bluehost is a reputable provider offering shared and VPS hosting. Its services are easy to use, affordable, and have decent uptime. Bluehost gears its services toward entrepreneurs and small online startups. Billing might be confusing, but they have solid customer service for any issues.
Features
- MsSQL database available as a cloud service
- Choose Linux or a Windows platform
- High availability & multiple hardware options
Price
$25 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose Liquid Web
- Use from Linux or Windows
- Designed for high availability
Reasons to avoid
- Fully managed service is more costly
Liquid Web specializes in fully managed hosting plans, but the cost is substantial. The host makes the MsSQL database available as a separate service, so you can use it from either a Linux or a Windows platform. The service is designed for high availability, with multiple hardware nodes, and backup is included. Windows or Linux is available on dedicated, cloud VPS, and cloud dedicated host plans.
Liquid Web allows you to easily host many websites. The tech support is open every day of the year, but there are some billing and customer service issues.
Features
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Automatic daily backups
- Free SSL certificate
Price
$2.99 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
30 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose IONOS
- Windows and Linux hosting
- Automatic daily backups
Reasons to avoid
- No migration services
IONOS web hosting is a good choice for small- and medium-sized businesses, Windows developers, and WordPress professionals. And at an introductory rate of one $1 per month for the first year, you’re sure to get your money’s worth.
No matter which IONOS web hosting plan you choose, you’ll get great features, including a free SSL certificate and a free domain name for one year. If you’re just starting out, you can opt for one of the MyWebsite packages, which comes with free hosting, plenty of templates, and an intuitive editor that’s seamless to operate.
IONOS is a reliable, affordable hosting company that has fast speeds. The customer service is generally responsive but could use more updated tutorials and documentation.
Features
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Zero downtime migrations
Price
$2.99 per month
Money-Back Guarantee
90 Days
24-7 Support
Yes
Free Domain
Yes
Read More
Reasons to choose InMotion
- Dedication to open source
- Full lineup of hosting options
- 24/7 technical support
Reasons to avoid
- Facilities only in the U.S
- Automatic backups aren’t free
All hosting packages from InMotion Hosting come with a 90-day money-back guarantee, so you can be certain you love the services. If you’re unhappy with their service for any reason, InMotion Hosting will give you a full refund for up to 90 days. Most hosting companies offer a 30-day guarantee.
InMotion Hosting has designed its packages to more than meet the needs of its customers. You will find a fantastic lineup of features available, and some noteworthy extras you can add to your account when needed.
InMotion Hosting’s high-performance hosting, support team, features, and customer service are well-liked. Prices are fair but can fluctuate.
What Is MsSQL?
Microsoft SQL Server (or MsSQL) is Microsoft’s database management application. It is a relational database management system (RDBMS) built using structured query language (SQL). Applications using Windows technologies — such as .NET — are ideally suited for pairing with an MsSQL database. Only a minority of web hosts offer Windows hosting; not all are good choices.
Whether your hosting provider offers Linux or Windows servers, chances are you’re going to need access to a database of some sort if you’re building a website.
Creating and managing databases is an essential part of many Web applications, including e-commerce, interactive games, and content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.
Compare MsSQL Hosting Providers
MsSQL Hosting Service
Best Features
Pricing
Best Overall
- Inexpensive and trustworthy
- 24/7 phone, email, chat support
- Windows hosting includes Plesk control panel, IIS, and ASP.NET
$2.64 per month
Best MsSQL Host For Scale
- Free website builder
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free Cloudflare integration
$2.95 per month
Best Fully Managed MsSQL Host
- MsSQL database available as a cloud service
- Choose a Linux or a Windows platform
- High availability & multiple hardware options
$25 per month
Best Intro Rate For MsSQL Hosting
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Automatic daily backups
- Free SSL certificate
$1 per month
Best Money-Back Guarantee For MsSQL Hosting
- 90-day money-back guarantee
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Zero downtime migrations
$2.99 per month
What You Need to Know
What is MsSQL?
MsSQL is Microsoft SQL Server. It’s a database technology produced by Microsoft.
Is Microsoft SQL Server open source?
No. It is closed source, proprietary software that is developed and sold by Microsoft.
Is there a free version of Microsoft SQL Server?
Yes, the Express version is free. However, it’s designed for very small projects. In a business or hosting situation, the free version is not powerful enough to run a website.
Why would I use MsSQL instead of another database?
If you’re developing applications on Windows servers using Windows technologies, MsSQL is probably the most logical database to use. It is the best option if you need to tightly integrate an application with Windows authentication, and the easiest choice for developing .NET applications.
What are the most popular alternatives to MsSQL?
There are many alternatives to MsSQL, and if you don’t need Windows, a Linux-compatible database server will be cheaper to obtain in a hosting environment. The most commonly deployed database servers are MySQL, Postgres, and MariaDB, which are all open source. The vast majority of hosting providers include at least one MySQL database with every hosting account, as part of the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP). Some developers prefer to use MariaDB, which was created in reaction to Oracle, which builds their own closed-source database of the same name, purchasing MySQL.
What development tools are available for MsSQL?
Microsoft Visual Studio has built-in support for MsSQL Server. Developers can use it to write queries and debug code. It also includes a visual interface for data designers to graphically create a database schema. Microsoft also develops an application called the Business Intelligence Development Studio, which is an IDE used for developing data analysis.
How We Review MsSQL Hosts
We short-listed web hosts that offer Windows hosting, provide an ideal server environment, provide expert support, SSDs for speed, and daily backups. Then we cross-referenced these hosts with our database of thousands of expert and user reviews.
You should ask several questions before you commit to an MsSQL host:
- What version of Windows and MsSQL are they running?
- What kind of management tools do they have? Are they running the SQL Server Management Studio?
- Do they have the SQL Server Analysis Services available?
- Are Windows servers part of their core business or are they an afterthought?
- How knowledgeable are staff about Microsoft products?
Microsoft points out that a virtual machine with MsSQL Server installed is a perfectly valid alternative to Azure SQL, particularly if you want a fast and easy move to the cloud without the worry of per-hour billing.
SQL Server on Azure is licensed rather than being charged as a service, but you have to pay for Azure storage costs.
Learn more about our review methodology.