The SQL- NoSQL Debate

SQL and NoSQL are like Tom and Jerry – always fighting but still won’t live apart. A new product design is incomplete without debating about these two when it comes to choosing data storage! Both are great at storing data with care and making it accessible when required. That’s the common thread that ties them together!!

SQL is the traditional RDBMS which has hard rules for data consistency and integrity. This has been the storage of choice for ages. But every coin has a flip side – for SQL it’s the strong-typed schema and relationships definitions, also the fact that the input data is not in the same form as required by SQL, so the data received is rearranged when stored in / retrieved from SQL.

NoSQL is soft on the designers since they do not have to tell all the data structures and their relationships in advance. It also lets input data be stored almost as it is, allowing repetition in favor of keeping related facts together. The flip side? Data integrity may suffer especially with foreign key relationships.

So which one is better? Both! It’s like asking to pick up the better one between an apple and an orange!

If you have an application that has strict and real-time data integrity requirements like banking and finance, payroll, and HR systems, SQL has no alternative. If you are storing user forums with threads of discussions or social media analytics, NoSQL will make your life easier.

What is your experience with NoSQL storage in particular?