whichdb
vs

Software AG Adabas vs SUPRA Server SQL

Software AG Adabas: Inverted-list, multi-value mainframe database paired with Natural, run as a standalone Software AG business. SUPRA Server SQL: Cincom's mainframe relational DBMS for high-volume OLTP, the SQL half of the SUPRA family.

key differences

  • Software AG Adabas is primarily a multivalue (Pick) database; SUPRA Server SQL is relational.
  • Software AG Adabas is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than SUPRA Server SQL (≤ 10 TB).
  • Horizontal scaling is addon in Software AG Adabas and none in SUPRA Server SQL.
  • Only Software AG Adabas has change data capture, compression, encryption at rest, role-based access.
  • Only SUPRA Server SQL has joins.

choose adabas for

  • +Government tax and social-security systems
  • +Banking and insurance back ends on IBM Z
  • +Rehosting Adabas/Natural applications to Linux

best at · OLTP

choose supra-server-sql for

  • +Existing Cincom mainframe transaction systems
  • +SQL reporting over SUPRA data

best at · OLTP

Software AG AdabasInverted-list, multi-value mainframe database paired with Natural, run as a standalone Software AG business.
SUPRA Server SQLCincom's mainframe relational DBMS for high-volume OLTP, the SQL half of the SUPRA family.
overview
Primary model
Multivalue (Pick)
Relational
Also supports
–
–
Type
Database engine
Database engine
Status
Active
Active
Developer
Software AG (Adabas & Natural business, owned by Silver Lake)
Cincom Systems (PartnerOne)
First release
1971
1989
Latest version
8.6.1 (z/OS) (Oct 2025)
–
License
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
ProprietaryProprietary commercial license
Free tier
—
—
popularity
WhichDB Score
8.4
0.0
Rank
#325
#824
GitHub stars
–
–
Stack Overflow questions
7
–
scale & guarantees
Comfortable data size
Large (≤ 1 PB)
Medium (≤ 10 TB)
Horizontal scaling
Addon
None
Multi-region
Read replicas
None
ACID
Full
Full
Consistency
Strong
Strong
Schema
Flexible
Strict
Architecture
Client server, Shared storage, Primary replica
Client server, Single node
deployment
Self-hosted
✓
✓
Vendor-managed cloud
—
—
Serverless
—
—
Embedded
—
—
Edge
—
—
Clouds
–
–
capabilities
Transactions
✓
✓
Joins
—
✓
Secondary indexes
✓
✓
Full-text search
—
—
Vector search
—
—
Geospatial
—
—
JSON
—
—
Change data capture
✓
—
Triggers
—
—
Stored procedures
—
—
Materialized views
—
—
TTL / expiry
—
—
Pub/Sub
—
—
Columnar storage
—
—
In-memory
—
—
Durable persistence
✓
✓
Compression
✓
—
Encryption at rest
✓
—
Role-based access
✓
—
Time travel
—
—
Branching
—
—
Online schema changes
—
—
Streaming ingest
—
—
Offline sync
—
—
Runs in WebAssembly
—
—
interfaces
Query languages
Natural, Adabas direct call interface, SQL (via Adabas SQL Gateway)
SQL
Client languages
Natural, COBOL, Java, C, Assembly
COBOL, Java, Visual Basic
Best for
OLTP
OLTP
Add more to this comparisonNot sure either fits? Try smart match

Software AG Adabas vs SUPRA Server SQL: FAQ

What is the difference between Software AG Adabas and SUPRA Server SQL?

Software AG Adabas: Inverted-list, multi-value mainframe database paired with Natural, run as a standalone Software AG business. SUPRA Server SQL: Cincom's mainframe relational DBMS for high-volume OLTP, the SQL half of the SUPRA family. Software AG Adabas is primarily a multivalue (Pick) database; SUPRA Server SQL is relational. Software AG Adabas is built for larger datasets (≤ 1 PB) than SUPRA Server SQL (≤ 10 TB). Horizontal scaling is addon in Software AG Adabas and none in SUPRA Server SQL.

When should I choose Software AG Adabas over SUPRA Server SQL?

Choose Software AG Adabas for government tax and social-security systems; banking and insurance back ends on IBM Z; and rehosting Adabas/Natural applications to Linux. Choose SUPRA Server SQL for existing Cincom mainframe transaction systems and SQL reporting over SUPRA data.

Is Software AG Adabas or SUPRA Server SQL more popular?

Software AG Adabas ranks #325 on the WhichDB Score (8.4/100) and SUPRA Server SQL ranks #824 (0.0/100). Popularity is not fit: check the requirements that matter for your project.

Are Software AG Adabas and SUPRA Server SQL open source?

No. Software AG Adabas is proprietary, closed-source software. No. SUPRA Server SQL is proprietary, closed-source software.