It really is incredible how we can get something as fundamental as a database for free that is so well made and production ready. Can you imagine if there was no postgres? We'd have to use mysql or oracle or gasp mssql.
If MSSQL wasn't tied to the Microsoft ecosystem, I don't think it would get such a bad rap - When I was a dev on the Microsoft product stack I found MSSQL quite a joy to use - reasonably fast, pretty powerful admin tools (SSMS) and pretty easy to interface with as long as you stayed within the MS ecosystem. I did find myself missing SSMS specifically when I moved to non MS stack development, since Postgres' 'official' open source options aren't nearly as robust. There are a few proprietary tools that can rival SSMS for Postgres, but then you are back into the realm of proprietariness.
