How much will we save on licensing?

SQL Server Enterprise costs $15,000+ per core. A 16-core server saves $240,000+ per license cycle. PostgreSQL has zero licensing costs regardless of scale.

Can PostgreSQL handle our SQL Server workload?

Yes. PostgreSQL handles OLTP and analytical workloads at enterprise scale. Companies like Apple, Instagram, and Spotify run PostgreSQL in production.

What about SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)?

We replace SSIS with Apache Airflow or dbt for ETL pipelines. These open-source tools are more flexible and have strong community support.

Migrate from SQL Server to PostgreSQL

Eliminate six-figure licensing costs and vendor lock-in by moving to PostgreSQL — the world's most advanced open-source database.

Migration: SQL Server to PostgreSQL

From Microsoft SQL Server to PostgreSQL

Why Migrate

Zero Licensing Costs: SQL Server licenses cost $15,000+ per core. PostgreSQL is free and open-source with no per-core, per-user, or per-server licensing fees.
Cloud Portability: PostgreSQL runs on every major cloud provider (RDS, Cloud SQL, Azure Database) without modification, eliminating vendor lock-in.
Community & Extensions: PostgreSQL's extension ecosystem (PostGIS, TimescaleDB, pg_cron) adds capabilities that require expensive SQL Server add-ons or Enterprise edition.

Migration Roadmap

Compatibility Assessment (2–3 weeks): Analyze T-SQL stored procedures, SSIS packages, SQL Agent jobs, and Reporting Services. Map each to PostgreSQL or open-source equivalents.
- T-SQL to PL/pgSQL conversion guide
- SSIS replacement strategy
- Licensing cost savings projection
Schema & Code Migration (3–6 weeks): Convert schemas, rewrite stored procedures in PL/pgSQL, migrate SSIS packages to Apache Airflow or dbt, and update application connection strings.
- PostgreSQL schema with all objects
- Rewritten stored procedures and functions
- ETL pipeline migration
Data Migration & Validation (1–2 weeks): Transfer data using AWS SCT/DMS or pgLoader, validate row counts and checksums, and cut over production traffic.
- Complete data transfer with validation
- Performance tuning report
- Production cutover runbook

Risks & Mitigation

T-SQL stored procedures are complex and heavily used: We use automated conversion tools for common patterns and manually rewrite complex procedures, testing each with the same input/output data.
SSRS reports depend on SQL Server: We migrate reports to open-source alternatives like Metabase or Grafana, which connect natively to PostgreSQL with comparable features.

Estimated Scope

Hours: 120–250 | Cost: $240–$500 | Timeline: 6–11 weeks

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will we save on licensing?: SQL Server Enterprise costs $15,000+ per core. A 16-core server saves $240,000+ per license cycle. PostgreSQL has zero licensing costs regardless of scale.
Can PostgreSQL handle our SQL Server workload?: Yes. PostgreSQL handles OLTP and analytical workloads at enterprise scale. Companies like Apple, Instagram, and Spotify run PostgreSQL in production.
What about SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)?: We replace SSIS with Apache Airflow or dbt for ETL pipelines. These open-source tools are more flexible and have strong community support.