Difference Between DateTime and SmallDateTime in SQL Server Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report SQL Server datatypes are used to store date and date and time values in the database, there are various types of date data types available in the SQL. Whenever we manage data in the SQL server database, it’s often very important to choose the right to store the date and time. The following two data types are used for storing the date and time in SQL Server: DateTimeSmallDateTimeBoth the above choices have their impact on how much storage is required to store the data, how fast the queries can be, and the accuracy of the data as well. so in this article, we’ll understand the key differences between both of the data types and how they impact the way we store data in the database. Difference Between SMALLDATETIME and DATETIME Date Data TypesFeature smallDatetime DateTime Accuracy One minute Rounded to increments of .000, .003, or .007 seconds. Fractional second precision No Yes Time Zone Offset None None Storage Size 4 Bytes, Fixed. 8 Bytes, Fixed. Character length 19 positions maximum 19 positions minimum Time Range 00:00:00 through 23:59:59 00:00:00 through 23:59:59.997 Date Range 1900-01-01 through 2079-06-06 1753-01-01 through 9999-12-31 Note – The Oracle documentation sometimes uses DATETIME when it is talking about the DATE datatype and the TIMESTAMP data type together, and since we are focused on DATETIME and SMALLDATETIME (which are part of MS SQL Server) we will be using the MS SQL Server for running the queries. Examples related to DateTimeLet’s understand the DateTime data type with a simple example given below: Query-- Creating a table with DateTime data typeCREATE TABLE DateTimeExample ( EventName NVARCHAR(50), EventDate DateTime)-- Inserting data with DateTimeINSERT INTO DateTimeExample (EventName, EventDate)VALUES ('Meeting', '2023-10-30 14:30:00')-- Querying dataSELECT * FROM DateTimeExampleProgram Explanation: Here, in the above query first we create a table named ‘DateTimeExample’ with two columns (EventName, EventDate) where the ‘EventDate’ holds the DateTime data type. Now when we insert data into this table. Output Here, we can see that the EventDate shows the time with milliseconds if the user defines it, which is specifically the purpose of using the DateTime data type, so if we want to show time with further accuracy then we can use the DateTime data type. Example Related to SmallDateTimeLet’s understand the SmallDateTime data type with a simple example given below: Query-- Creating a table with SmallDateTime data typeCREATE TABLE SmallDateTimeExample ( EventName NVARCHAR(50), EventDate SmallDateTime)-- Inserting data with SmallDateTimeINSERT INTO SmallDateTimeExample (EventName, EventDate)VALUES ('Appointment', '2023-10-30 14:30:00')-- Querying dataSELECT * FROM SmallDateTimeExampleCode explanation:Again, we have created a table named ‘SmallDateTimeExample’ where we have two columns, EventName and EventDate and we have given the ‘EvenDate’ column the ‘SmallDateTime’ data type and then we have inserted some values into the table. Output Here we get to understand the key difference between the SQL Server DateTime and SmallDateTime data types in MS Server, the ‘SmallDateTime’ does not provide as much accuracy as compared to the ‘DateTime’ data type hence it’s used for storing data and time data values where fractional parts of the milliseconds are optional. ConclusionIn conclusion, both of the date data types are useful and have their own functionality, if the database administrator needs to have more data accuracy then they can opt for the 'DateTime' datatype otherwise the 'SmallDateTime' can be used. Comment More infoAdvertise with us K kishankaushik Follow Improve Article Tags : SQL Server Databases Similar Reads SQL Server BasicsIntroduction of MS SQL ServerData is a collection of facts and figures and we have humungous data available to the users via the internet and other sources. To manipulate the data, Structured Query Language (SQL) in short has been introduced years ago. 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