SQL Server 2025 is Here!

The Experda team recently attended the PASS Data Community Summit 2025 (November 19-21, 2025), where we showcased our database products.

At this summit, we showcase how to teach AI to think like a DBA.

The biggest news? Microsoft announced that SQL Server 2025 is now generally available! 

This new version isn’t just about AI. It has many smart improvements and features. These are designed to address daily problems that most organizations face.

This will improve performance and make management easier.

Here are our top 10 improvements and new features in MSSQL 2025:

1. Standard Edition Can Handle More Power! 

Good news for your budget! The CPU limit for SQL Server 2025 Standard edition has jumped from 24 to 32 cores (up to 4 sockets).

• Why this matters: If your database outgrows its current capacity, you often have to pay for the expensive Enterprise edition. Now,  you can often upgrade to SQL Server 2025 Standard saving you a lot of money! 
• Keep in mind: Key features such as Always On availability groups and online index rebuilding are still limited in the Standard edition. 

2. Power BI Reporting for Everyone 

Power BI Report Server is now available for customers using both Enterprise and Standard editions of SQL Server 2025.

• Previously, you needed the expensive Enterprise edition with active Software Assurance (SA).
• This is a fantastic opportunity to boost your analytics platform, especially if the cloud-based Power BI service doesn’t fit your needs.
• The old SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) is no longer available. However, it is now part of Power BI Report Server. You can still use your RDLs (Paginated reports).

3. Fewer Database Locks with Optimized Locking 

If you run high-traffic systems like e-commerce or ERP, long database locks can cause significant slowdowns. The new Optimized locking feature helps reduce this pain.

• It uses less memory for locks, even for substantial transactions.
• It helps prevent locks from escalating (lock escalations) and can even avoid certain types of deadlocks.
• Result: More users can access the table simultaneously! 

4. Faster App Performance with Optimized sp_executesql

Most modern applications use Object-Relational Mappers (ORMs), and ORMs heavily rely on the stored procedure sp_executesql. Any performance boost here directly improves how fast most of your application runs.

5. Smarter Query Plans (Intelligent Query Processing) 

New features within Intelligent Query Processing help solve two common performance headaches:

• Cardinality estimation feedback for expressions is helpful. It fixes issues when SQL Server incorrectly estimates the size of your data set.
• Optional parameter plan optimization (OPPO): Helps when the same query runs fast for one user but slow for another (parameter sniffing issues).

6. Easy and Secure External API Calls 

The External REST endpoint invocation feature is a personal favorite.

• It makes handling different REST API or HTTP requests much simpler and more secure than using older methods like OLE Automation (sp_OAMethod).

7. Built-in AI and Vector Search 

While performance is key for DBAs, you can’t ignore AI. SQL Server 2025 now includes:

• Manage external AI models.
• Vector search functionality. This means you can add vector search to your app without needing to use another database engine (like PostgreSQL).

8. Columnstore improvements for Data Warehouses 

I’m a big fan of Columnstore indexes; they are perfect for any Data Warehouse (DWH). New improvements include:

• Ordered nonclustered columnstore index.
• Online index build (you can build the index while the system is running!).

9. New Functions for Working with JSON 

The JSON data format is incredibly popular. The new functions JSON_OBJECTAGG and JSON_ARRAYAGG are excellent additions for grouping and creating JSON structures.

10. Express Edition Gets a Bigger Database 

The last item on the list: SQL Server 2025 Express edition now allows a maximum relational database size of 50 GB. This gives you more room to grow before you need to upgrade to Standard or split your data.

In Conclusion: Planning for SQL Server 2025

SQL Server 2025 has big benefits. It saves money thanks to the 32-core limit of the Standard Edition. It also improves efficiency with features like Optimized Locking. These are compelling reasons to consider an upgrade.

However, moving to a new major version requires diligence. Developers and DBAs should be aware that this release introduces several changes. These include updates to client connectivity (TDS 8.0) and security defaults.

A successful migration depends on thoroughly reviewing compatibility and testing all critical applications and scripts before moving to production. The rewards in terms of performance and scalability are high, but they are earned through careful preparation.

You can find more detailed information on What’s New in SQL Server 2025 – SQL Server | Microsoft Learn.  And remember, it’s still Microsoft, so always check the Breaking changes and Known issues before deploying!