What is the difference between Microsoft Excel, SQL and Access?

You can hardly do without digital data processing and analysis these days. Fortunately, there are various programs and tools that make it easier to work with them. The best known are MS Excel, SQL and Access. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, as well as different purposes and uses. We have compiled a summary of the main differences between MS Excel, SQL and Access. We will explain for whom and for what work the programs are suitable and why it is important to have legal software licenses.

What is Microsoft Excel and how does it work?

Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite and is the best solution for managing spreadsheets and calculations. It allows you to quickly and easily store, organize and process large amounts of data such as numbers, text, charts, formulas and other types of information.

Using MS Excel, you can store data in rows and columns in the form of cells that contain individual values. You can then use functions and operators to create formulas that allow you to perform mathematical calculations and further process the information in the table.

Excel has a large number of data visualisation tools such as charts and conditional formatted tables, making it a popular tool for data analysis and report generation. In addition to its own file format, Excel also allows you to import and export to various formats such as CSV, XML or SQL databases. However, to take full advantage of its features, you must have a Microsoft Excel license.

Benefits of Excel:	Disadvantages of Excel:
Easy to use – Excel is very easy to work with, quick and easy to create tables, charts and calculations without any technical knowledge.	Limited capacity – Excel can only handle a limited amount of data and can be slow and unstable for large files (tens of thousands of values).
Flexibility – the program offers a wide range of options for customizing the look and feel of tables and charts, so you can use it for a variety of purposes.	Limited security options – the program does not provide full data security, which can be a problem for companies handling sensitive data. However, there are other tools that can handle this limitation.
Ability to create custom formulas – In Excel, you can create custom formulas that are useful for repetitive tasks or more complex calculations.	Limited ability to work with relational databases – In environments where more complex database functions are often required, such as in large enterprises (banks, IT companies, etc.), Excel can also run into its limits.
Good compatibility with other programs – Excel is compatible with other Microsoft Office Suite programs such as Word and PowerPoint, as well as SQL database applications.
Import and export data – You can easily import and export data in different formats, making it easy to transfer between different applications.

What is Microsoft SQL and how does it work?

If you are looking for an efficient and reliable way to organize and process data, you will certainly be interested in Microsoft SQL Server. The SQL relational database system is designed to store, manage and process large amounts of data. It is ideal for business environments where high-quality and reliable databases are essential.

SQL Server works on the principle of relational databases, which consist of tables with rows and columns. Each row represents one record, for example, one customer, and each column contains information about the record, such as name, address, or phone number. As with Excel, it is important to have a Microsoft SQL software license.

In SQL, the language of the same name SQL (Structured Query Language) is used for database processing. It is a standard language for managing relational databases. SQL allows you to create and edit tables, perform queries, and add or delete records. It is designed to be robust, reliable, scalable and to handle large amounts of data. You can run SQL Server on many platforms, including Windows, Linux, and cloud services.

Advantages of SQL:	Disadvantages of SQL:
Efficiency – SQL enables fast and efficient database queries, which is especially useful when working with large amounts of data.	Complexity – SQL is a fairly complex language that requires some user expertise to use effectively.
Versatility– It is a standard language for managing relational databases. This means you can use it on different platforms and in different environments.	Price – You need a qualified technician to properly install and operate the SQL database.
Security - The server allows you to set access rights at the row, column, and table level, so you can restrict access to sensitive data to authorized users.	Performance limitations – SQL may be limited for large data volumes depending on the specific implementation
Reliability – SQL databases are usually very reliable and include data backup and recovery features.	Cannot work with unstructured data – SQL is optimized to work with relational databases and cannot be used to work with unstructured data such as images.
Scalability – databases can easily scale to larger sizes, making them suitable for data-intensive enterprise applications.	No offline work - the program requires a connection to the server, so it is not possible to work with the database offline.

SQL has been used for more than 40 years and is still considered one of the most powerful tools for working with databases.

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What is Microsoft Access and how does it work?

Microsoft Access is a relational database system developed by Microsoft that is used to store, organize and manage large amounts of data in the form of tables. This tool allows users to create relational databases that contain tables, queries, forms, and reports.

It works on the principle of a relational model, allowing users to create links between tables and obtain very complex information. For example, you can create a table with customer information and another table with orders and then create a link between them using a common key (customer ID).

You can also use Access to create forms that make data entry and editing easier. Such forms can contain various elements such as text fields, lists, or buttons that you can customize to suit your needs. Again, the use of these functionalities is subject to the ownership of a Microsoft software license.

Benefits:	Disadvantages:
Easily create and edit relational databases – you can easily create tables or forms to organize and manage your data.	Limited capacity and performance – can be slow with large amounts of data.
Quickly find and process data – Access lets you quickly and easily find the data you need and process it with advanced filtering and querying features.	Lack of security – Access does not offer the same level of security as other database programs. Without proper protection, sensitive data can be misused or lost.
Integration with other applications - MS Access integrates well with other Microsoft Office applications.	Limited support for multiple users – the program does not provide options for sharing and synchronizing data between users.
Reporting – Access provides powerful features for creating professional reports.	Limited portability – you can only use the program on Microsoft desktop operating systems.
Customizability – You can customize the relational database to your needs and requirements.

Comparison of key functions and features of Excel, SQL and Access

Each tool mentioned has its own functions and features that depend on the needs of the users. Excel is a spreadsheet that allows you to create, edit and analyze tables and charts.

SQL is more suitable for performing more complex analyses and processing large amounts of data. It allows users to search, filter, sort and perform various calculations. It is often used to create more complex queries, to search and analyze large amounts of data in a matter of seconds.

Access is used to store and manage data in small and medium-sized databases. It allows you to create tables, surveys, forms and reports and is often used to store customer contact information and create forms.

How to get cheap MS Excel, SQL and Access? Use legal secondary software licenses.

Software licences are legal contracts between the user and the software provider. The licence sets out the conditions for working with certain programs and determines whether you can use them on one or more computers. Thanks to current EU laws, PREDNY SLM customers can save significantly when purchasing software licenses. In addition to new licenses from the software manufacturer, you can also legally purchase and use new but unused licenses that another company purchased before you and did not use, and with PREDNY SLM this license is returned to the market in the form of a so-called secondary license, but this time at a significant discount. Unfortunately, there are also secondary licenses on the market that do not comply with the current legislation. We have been dealing with the subject for a long time and in addition to selling licenses we also offer consulting and software audits. For more information on legal software licenses, please see the article How to spot legal secondary licenses.

Risk-free licenses for MS Excel, SQL, Access and more

To show our customers that it is possible to buy secondary software without risk, we are completely transparent with them. We provide complete documentation and qualified advice. PREDNY SLM is a direct license buyer and we also work with auditors.