Differences Between SQL And NoSQL: Is NoSQL Faster Than SQL?

Speed as a factor for SQL and NoSQL databases depends on the context.

NoSQL (“non SQL” or “not only SQL”) databases were developed in the late 2000s with a focus on scaling, fast queries, allowing for frequent application changes, and making programming simpler for developers.

Relational databases accessed with SQL (Structured Query Language) were developed in the 1970s with a focus on reducing data duplication as storage was much more costly than developer time. SQL databases tend to have rigid, complex, tabular schemas and typically require expensive vertical scaling.

Relational database management systems that use SQL are: Microsoft SQL, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase…

Non-relational database management systems include Amazon’s Dynamo DB, MongoDB, Neo4j, Memcached, Redis…