Codossier Office · SQL Posture
Which SQL Fits Your Office.
Every Microsoft SQL product and place Codossier Office can run on, scored for an office of the size you set. Green columns fit, red columns don't. Move the scale and the best fits slide to the left, next to the descriptions.
users≈ 13 at the same time
Best fit first. Columns reorder as you move the scale.
Best fit #1 · score 86Express 2025Office server$75 per month
Best fit #2 · score 77Azure SQL Database, DTUAzure PaaS$150 per month
Best fit #3 · score 73Elastic pool, Codossier CloudCodossier's Azure, one database per office$375 per month
IncompatibleStrong fit· List prices, East US, Oct 2026
| SQL featureOption scored at 25 users | #1EngineEdition 4 Express 2025Office serverOn-siteStrong fit86 | #2EngineEdition 5 Azure SQL Database, DTUAzure PaaSConnectedStrong fit77 | #3EngineEdition 5 Elastic pool, Codossier CloudCodossier's Azure, one database per officeCodossier CloudViable73 | #4EngineEdition 2 Standard, Server + CALOffice serverOn-siteViable71 | #5EngineEdition 2 Standard, per coreOffice serverOn-siteViable71 | #6EngineEdition 4 Express 2025Client's Azure VM (Docker)ConnectedViable70 | #7EngineEdition 5 Azure SQL Database, vCoreAzure PaaS, General PurposeConnectedViable70 | #8EngineEdition 2 Standard, pay-as-you-goClient's Azure VM (marketplace image)ConnectedViable68 | #9EngineEdition 4 / 2 Express or provider StandardOther hoster, AWS, GCPOn-siteViable60 | #10EngineEdition 4 Express containers, Codossier CloudCodossier's VM, one container per officeCodossier CloudViable58 | #11EngineEdition 5 Azure SQL Database, serverlessAzure PaaSConnectedMarginal40 | #12EngineEdition 8 Azure SQL Managed InstanceAzure PaaS, General PurposeConnectedPoor fit38 | #13EngineEdition 4 Express 2025Docker on a laptopOn-sitePoor fit34 | #14EngineEdition 5 Azure SQL Database, HyperscaleAzure PaaSConnectedPoor fit26 | #15EngineEdition 3 EnterpriseOffice server or VMOn-sitePoor fit20 | #16EngineEdition 3 DeveloperAnywhereDev onlyIncompatible0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Posture | ||||||||||||||||
| Who operates itWho patches, backs up and answers the pager | ~Client IT | ✓Microsoft | ✓Crift (Microsoft runs the engine) | ~Client IT | ~Client IT | ~Client | ✓Microsoft | ~Client | ~Client or hoster | ✕Crift is the DBA | ✓Microsoft | ✓Microsoft | ~The user | ✓Microsoft | ~Client IT | ~The developer |
| License modelHow the SQL license is paid | ✓Free | ✓Bundled in the tier price | ✓Bundled in the hosting fee | ✓$989 server + $230 per user | ✓$1,418 per 2-core pack / yr, 4-core min | ✓Free | ✓~$184 / vCore / mo, ~$74 is license | ✓~$73 per core / mo, on the Azure bill | ~Express free, or provider license-included | ✓Free | ✓$0.52 / vCore-hour while active | ✕~$700 / mo at the 4-vCore minimum | ✓Free | ✓~$0.57 / vCore-hour | ✕$5,434 per 2-core pack / yr | ~Free, dev/test only |
| Licensed for productionCan a paying office run on it | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✕No |
| TDEData and backup files encrypted at rest by SQL | ✕No | ✓On by default | ✓On by default, BYOK option | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✕No (disks still encrypted by Azure) | ✓On by default | ✓Yes | ~Standard only | ✕No (Azure disk encryption only) | ✓On by default | ✓On by default | ✕No | ✓On by default | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Buffer pool capMemory SQL can use to cache data | ~1,410 MB | ~Set by tier | ✓Shared pool memory | ✓256 GB | ✓256 GB | ~1,410 MB | ✓~5 GB per vCore | ✓256 GB | ~1.4 GB → 256 GB | ~1,410 MB per container | ~Scales with vCores | ✓~5 GB per vCore | ~1,410 MB | ✓Large, plus page servers | ✓OS maximum | ✓OS maximum |
| Max database sizePer database | ~50 GB | ✓250 GB, 1 TB from S3 | ✓4 TB per database | ✓524 TB | ✓524 TB | ~50 GB | ✓4 TB | ✓524 TB | ~50 GB → 524 TB | ~50 GB | ✓4 TB | ✓Up to 32 TB | ~50 GB | ✓100 TB | ✓524 TB | ✓524 TB |
| Compute capPer instance | ~1 socket / 4 cores | ~Under 1 vCore below S3 | ✓Shared pool vCores | ✓32 cores | ✓32 cores | ~1 socket / 4 cores | ✓2–80 vCores | ✓32 cores | ~4 → 32 cores | ~4 cores | ✓0.5–80 vCores | ✓4–128 vCores | ~1 socket / 4 cores | ✓2–128 vCores | ✓OS maximum | ✓OS maximum |
| Backups and point-in-time restore | ~Client IT scripts, no Agent | ✓Automatic, 7–35 days | ✓Automatic, 7–35 days | ✓SQL Agent jobs | ✓SQL Agent jobs | ~Scripts + disk snapshots | ✓Automatic, 7–35 days | ✓SQL Agent / automated backup | ~Hoster or scripts | ~Scripts, no Agent | ✓Automatic | ✓Automatic | ~User's own script | ✓Snapshot backups | ✓SQL Agent jobs | ~Yours |
| High availability, East ↔ WestFailover across regions | ✕None | ✓Built in, geo-replica optional | ✓Failover group East ↔ West | ~Basic AG, 1 database | ~Basic AG, 1 database | ✕None | ✓Built in, failover groups | ~Basic AG | ~Hoster-dependent | ✕Single VM | ✓Built in | ✓Built in, failover groups | ✕None | ✓Built in | ✓Full availability groups | ~Possible, unlicensed for prod |
| Bootstrap pathSeed importer, or .bak restore | ✓Importer or .bak | ~Importer only, no .bak | ~Importer only, no .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ~Importer only, no .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ~Importer only, no .bak | ✓Importer or .bak restore | ✓Importer or .bak | ~Importer only, no .bak | ✓Importer or .bak | ✓Importer or .bak |
| Entra auth to the databaseNo database credential held by Codossier | ✕No | ✓Yes | ✓Managed identity | ~Via Azure Arc | ~Via Azure Arc | ✕No | ✓Yes | ~SQL IaaS extension (Windows) | ✕No | ✕No | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✕No | ✓Yes | ~Via Azure Arc | ✕No |
| Break-glass SQL loginThe local SQL account you keep | ✓Yes | ✓Keep Entra-only auth off | ✓Keep Entra-only auth off | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Keep Entra-only auth off | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Keep Entra-only auth off | ✓Yes | ✓sa / SQL login | ✓Keep Entra-only auth off | ✓Yes | ✓Yes |
| Runs Codossier Office unchangedCompatibility level 170, restore lock | ✓Yes, it's what runs today | ~Restore lock to verify | ~Restore lock to verify | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ✓Yes | ~Restore lock to verify | ✓Yes, not in a container | ✓Yes. Bring-your-own license is barred on AWS / Google | ✓Yes, it's what runs today | ✕Job queue blocks auto-pause | ✓Yes | ✓Yes. Apple Silicon runs it emulated | ~Restore lock to verify | ✓Yes | ✓Yes, dev/test only |
| Cost to you, per month | ||||||||||||||||
| Verdict at 25 usersWhy it lands where it does | Strong fit 1.4 GB cache gets tight | Strong fit S3 fits this office | Viable One database per office, run for you | Viable Cheapest Standard under ~30 users | Viable Flat price, any user count | Viable 1.4 GB cache gets tight | Viable Room to grow, TDE and restore built in | Viable Solid, no license to buy | Viable Provider license-included Standard | Viable Cache tight per container | Marginal Codossier's job queue never lets it pause | Poor fit Only if instance features are needed | Poor fit A laptop isn't a server | Poor fit Built for 100 TB, overkill | Poor fit Nothing Codossier needs, ~3.8× Standard | Incompatible Not licensed for production |
| SQL $License share of the monthly cost | $0 | ≈$60inside the price | Includedin the hosting fee | $187 | $273 | $0 | $148 | $292 | $420 | Includedin the hosting fee | ≈$101inside the price | $292 | $0 | $148 | $906 | $0 |
| Other $Compute, VM, hardware, storage | $75Server ~$3k / 36 mo | $90S3, license inside | $375Codossier hosting fee | $85One-time, / 36 mo | $85Subscription, 4 cores | $160D4as VM | $2222 vCores | $1604 cores + D4as VM | $90License-included Std, 4 cores | $300Codossier hosting fee | $152Never pauses, license inside | $4104 vCores | $0 | $2652 vCores | $85Subscription, 4 cores | $0 |
| Expected price per officeWhat you pay each month | $75 | $150 | $375 | $272 | $358 | $160 | $370 | $452 | $510 | $300 | $253 | $702 | $0 | $413 | $991 | $0not for production |
How prices are built
List prices, US East, license included. One-time licenses are spread over 36 months. Office hardware is a ~$3k Linux server over 36 months.
Azure SQL vCore: about $184 per vCore per month, of which about $74 is the SQL license. DTU and serverless bundle the license; the SQL figure shown is an estimated 40% share.
Codossier Cloud
Where Codossier hosts the database for you, one fee covers the SQL license and the infrastructure: $250 + $5 per user for the elastic pool, $200 + $4 per user for an Express container.
Self-hosted options show what you would pay for the license and the machine or Azure resources it runs on. People's time is not included.
How the score works
70% capacity and licensing fit at this office size, 30% price against the cheapest option that fits. With TDE required, options without TDE drop sharply. Developer edition always scores zero: it isn't licensed for production.
Check the Azure pricing calculator before you commit.
Codossier Office · SQL Posture
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