Applies toSQL Server 2019 and 2022 (and later), on-premises and in cloud VMs; Azure SQL Managed Instance tiers for comparison
Differences that usually decide it
Check the "Editions and supported features" page for your exact version; limits change between releases.
| Area | Standard | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Compute and memory | Capped cores and buffer pool memory | OS maximum |
| High availability | Basic availability groups (one database per AG, two replicas, no readable secondary), FCI with two nodes | Full AGs: multiple databases, readable secondaries, more replicas, distributed AGs |
| Online operations | Limited | Online index rebuilds, resumable operations |
| Performance features | Many features since 2016 SP1 (columnstore, compression, partitioning) with some limits | Full set, plus features such as Resource Governor and some intelligent query processing features |
| Security | TDE (2019+), Always Encrypted, auditing | Same plus some extras by version |
| Data warehousing | Columnstore with DOP limits | Full parallelism for columnstore and batch mode |
Questions to answer
- How many cores and how much memory does the workload need at peak? Over Standard's limits → Enterprise or split the workload.
- Do you need readable secondaries for reporting, or several databases failing over together? → Enterprise AGs (or alternatives).
- Do you need online index maintenance on 24×7 systems?
- Do you rely on Resource Governor to protect critical workloads?
- Is the server mostly for a vendor application that specifies an edition?
Alternatives to consider
| Need | Option |
|---|---|
| HA for one database on Standard | Basic availability group or FCI |
| Reporting load off the primary | Log shipping/restore to a reporting server, replication, or a data platform copy |
| Online maintenance windows | Smarter maintenance (see the index maintenance post) |
| Avoid edition decisions | Azure SQL Database / Managed Instance (feature set per service tier) |
Cost levers
- Licensing models (per core, server + CAL for Standard) and cloud options (pay-as-you-go, Azure Hybrid Benefit) differ in cost; see the SQL Server licensing in the cloud post.
- Consolidating several small Enterprise instances may cost more or less than spreading them on Standard; model it.
Warning
Using an Enterprise-only feature on Standard either fails or, in some cases, a database with Enterprise features can't be restored on Standard. Check
sys.dm_db_persisted_sku_featuresbefore moving databases down an edition.
SELECT feature_name FROM sys.dm_db_persisted_sku_features;
Checklist
- Core and memory needs measured
- HA and reporting requirements listed
- Feature dependencies checked per database
- Alternatives evaluated
- Licensing model costed with specialists