---
title: "SQL Server data types between versions"
description: "Every SQL Server data type an older or newer SQL Server stores differently, what the converter writes for it, and the report line."
canonical: https://intosql.com/docs/types/sql-server-to-sql-server
last_updated: 2026-10-15
---

# SQL Server data types between versions

Each row is a type from SQL Server that an older or newer SQL Server stores differently: what the script gets, why, and the line the report writes about it. The rows come from the converter's own rules, so this page matches what it does.

**Convert in the browser:** [SQL Server to SQL Server](/sql-server-to-sql-server) opens the converter set up for this pair. The [SQL Server to SQL Server migration guide](/docs/migrations/sql-server-to-sql-server) covers dumping, loading and the rules for keys, indexes and names.

A report line is a fix when the converter changed something and lists it, or a problem when a value or object is worth a look.

## Numbers

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| decimal(p,s), money, smallmoney | decimal(p,s); money as decimal(19,4) | Every digit is kept, money with its four decimals. | None |

## Booleans and bits

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| bit | bit | The same type. | None |

## Text

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| char(n), varchar(n), nchar(n), nvarchar(n), varchar(max), text, ntext | nchar(n), nvarchar(n) and nvarchar(max), with each column's collation | nvarchar holds every character, whatever the code page of a varchar column was. UTF-8 collations, which SQL Server 2017 lacks, become their Unicode twin. | None |
| NUL characters in text | kept | nvarchar can hold a NUL character, so the value is copied as it is. | None |
| text that isn't valid in its encoding | the bad bytes as the replacement character | The script is UTF-8 and every value has to be valid text. | `invalid_utf8_replaced` (problem) |

## Dates and times

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| datetime, datetime2, smalldatetime | datetime2(p) | datetime2 holds every datetime and smalldatetime value, from the year 1, with the same precision. | None |
| datetimeoffset | datetimeoffset, with each value's offset | The same type and values. | None |
| time | time(p) | The same type. | None |
| dates that aren't valid | NULL | A value that isn't a date becomes NULL and the report counts it. | `date_out_of_range` (problem) |

## Binary

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| binary, varbinary, image | binary(n), varbinary(n) and varbinary(max) | Bytes stay bytes. | None |
| rowversion, timestamp | binary(8), empty | A rowversion column can't take the copied rows, and SSMS scripts no values for it; add it again after loading if you need one. | `rowversion_empty` (fix) |

## JSON, spatial and other types

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| json (SQL Server 2025) | nvarchar(max) | The same JSON values, which SQL Server's JSON functions read. | None |
| uniqueidentifier | uniqueidentifier | The same type. | None |
| xml, sql_variant, hierarchyid, geometry, geography | the same types | SQL Server's own types are kept; sql_variant values keep their text, so their base type becomes nvarchar. | None |
| types IntoSQL doesn't know | nvarchar(max) | Text holds any value; change the type after loading. | `unknown_type` (problem) |

## Counters and identities

| In the dump | In the script | Why | Report line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IDENTITY | IDENTITY, continuing after the highest id | The copied ids load with IDENTITY_INSERT, and the counter continues after the highest one. | None |

## Other pairs

- SQL Server into [PostgreSQL](/docs/types/sql-server-to-postgresql), [MySQL](/docs/types/sql-server-to-mysql), [MariaDB](/docs/types/sql-server-to-mariadb), [SQLite](/docs/types/sql-server-to-sqlite), [Oracle](/docs/types/sql-server-to-oracle)
- Into SQL Server from [MySQL](/docs/types/mysql-to-sql-server), [MariaDB](/docs/types/mariadb-to-sql-server), [PostgreSQL](/docs/types/postgresql-to-sql-server), [SQLite](/docs/types/sqlite-to-sql-server), [Oracle](/docs/types/oracle-to-sql-server)
- [Every pair](/docs/types#from-one-database-to-another)