SQL Server Roadmap

Andrew analyzes and writes about Microsoft's data management, business intelligence, and machine learning solutions, as well as aspects of licensing... more

Update Oct 2025 – Natural language search is native in SQL Server 2025 with built-in vector technology, done the right way. There are also some notable (and useful) performance, availa and security improvements, but very few Azure-related changes, which is contrary to the last SQL Server release.

SQL Server is a server-based product that provides database management, integration, reporting, semantic models, and machine learning components. All components run on Windows and Windows Server, with database and integration service components running on various Linux platforms starting with the 2017 version.

Products: SQL Server

Licensing: SQL Server Licensing

Kit: SQL Server

Near-Term Plans (2025 and 2026)

The next major version, SQL Server 2025, reached public preview in Apr. 2025 and is expected to be generally available in late 2025, probably at the Ignite Conference in Nov. 2025.

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