SOQL vs SQL Difference in Salesforce [Explained]

SOQL stands for Salesforce Object Query Language, and SQL stands for Structured Query Language. These queries are used to retrieve data from the database and have some similarities. But they are customized for different environments. SOQL is used for Salesforce, and SQL is used for relational databases.

In this Salesforce tutorial, we will learn about the difference between SOQL and SQL in Salesforce Apex. In that, I will explain an in-depth comparison of SOQL and SQL, when to use each, their purposes, syntax, and use cases, using examples.

Table of Contents

Difference Between SQL and SOQL

Below, I have explained the key difference between SQL and SOQL to help us understand what SQL and SOQL are.

What is SQL?

SQL (Structured Query Language) is used to manage and manipulate relational databases. It allows us to perform operations such as retrieving, updating, and deleting records within databases. SQL is multipurpose and works with relational database systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.

Basic SQL Syntax:

When we want to retrieve data of particular columns from a table, we can use the following SQl query.

SELECT Column1, Column2 FROM Table_Name WHERE Condition Other Caluses

If we want to retrieve data from all fields or rows, then we can use the following SQL query.

SELECT * FROM Table_Name

What is SOQL in Salesforce?

SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) is similar to SQL (Structured Query Language), which is used in databases but designed for Salesforce’s multi-tenant architecture. SOQL is Salesforce’s query language. It is designed to retrieve data from the Salesforce database according to the specified conditions and objects. These objects can be both standard and custom. Similar to all Apex code, SOQL is also not case-sensitive.

Basic SOQL Syntax:

When we want to retrieve particular fields from an object.

SELECT Field1, Field2 FROM Object_Name WHERE Condition Other Caluses

Retrieve All fields from the object.

SELECT FIELDS(ALL) FROM Object_Name

SELECT: In the select clause, we need to select the field API Names that we want to display when retrieving the result. We cannot use * to retrieve and display all fields in SOQL; instead, we have the FIELDS(ALL) function in SOQL.
FROM: In the from clause, we need to select the Object, whether it will be the standard or custom object from which we want to retrieve records.
WHERE: The where clause is optional. Here, we can add a condition so that we can optimize the retrieved result.
Other Clauses: We also have different clauses in SOQL, which are used to filter, order, and customize the retrieved results.

When to Use SQL and SOQL?

It is important to understand when and where we can use SQL and SOQL for efficient processes and results. Below, I explained when we can use SQL and SOQL:

When to Use SQL?

We use SQL when we work with external systems, applications, or relational databases where data is stored in tables.
It helps us to handle advanced joins, aggregations, and window functions. For example, we want to combine data from multiple tables with complex relationships.
SQL is a multipurpose query language, so we can also use it for DML operations such as inserting, updating, and deleting records in traditional databases.

When to Use SOQL?

Retrieve data from Salesforce standard or custom objects related to one another. For example, it can be used to fetch a list of accounts or contacts from the Salesforce database.
Count the number of records that meet the specified criteria.
Fetching records based on specific criteria.
Sort results as part of the query.
Query parent-child relationships using relationship queries. For example, fetching related contacts for each account.

Examples: Difference Between SQL and SOQL in Salesforce

In the steps below, I will explain the difference between SOQL and SQL queries used to retrieve data from databases.

Retrieve Data Using SQL From Database

First, let’s understand how to use SQL queries to retrieve data from a relational database. In this example, I will also show you how to add conditions to optimize the query results.

We want to retrieve the ID, name, and priority from the customer table from the relational database where the customer priority is high. In this example, we have a condition that only wants to display customer data whose priority is high.

SELECT Id, Name, Priority FROM Customer WHERE Priority = 'High'

In the above SQL query, we retrieved the limited fields from the tables. Now we want to display all fields or columns present in the customer table, then the SQL query will be displayed below:

SELECT * FROM Customer WHERE Priority = 'High'

When we use the * symbol, at that time, it will retrieve all columns from the table.

Retrieve Data Using SOQL From Salesforce

Now, the SOQL is a little different than SQL. Here, instead of a table name, we need to provide an object Name. For the standard object, we can write a SOQL query directly to retrieve data, but for the custom objects and fields, we need to add __c as a suffix so that it will fetch the custom object records.

In the below SOQL query, we fetched account records with high customer priority. The custom priority is a custom field for which we added __c as a suffix, and then the account is a standard object that we can use directly.

SELECT Name, CustomerPriority__c FROM Account WHERE CustomerPriority__c = 'High'

As you execute the query in the result, you can see we have some account records with high customer priority. In the SOQL, we cannot use the * symbol to retrieve all fields from the object. To do so, we need to enter all the fields in the query.

In this way, we can fetch the records of any standard or custom object with a condition as per your requirement in Salesforce Apex.

Key Comparison Between SQL and SOQL

SQL	SOQL
It’s a programming language that stores and processes information in a relational database.	It’s a Salesforce Object language used to query the Salesforce object records only.
SQL is used for relational database systems such as MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.	SOQL is used for the standard and custom objects.
It can retrieve, insert, update, and perform other DML operations.	It can be used only to retrieve data from the Salesforce database.
It is a widely used and multipurpose language.	It is simpler and less versatile, limited to Salesforce only.
To retrieve all columns from the table, use the * symbol.	The FIELDS(ALL) function is used to retrieve all fields from the object.
The limit and performance depend on the database and server configuration.	The limit and performance depend on Salesforce governor limits.
SQL is an ANSI/ISO standard.	SOQL is provided by Salesforce.

Conclusion

I hope you have got an idea about the difference between SOQL and SQL in Salesforce Apex. In that, I have explained an in-depth comparison of SOQL and SQL, when to use each, their purposes, syntax, and use cases using examples.